NAHB Calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform of the National Association ofGranger MacDonald, chairman Home Builders and a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas, issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced it would wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has allowed young people known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, to live and work here: “President Trump’s call to Congress to find a permanent legislative solution to protect the ‘Dreamers’ underscores the urgent need for lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Given the chronic shortage of residential construction workers, there has never been a more critical time for Congress to enact effective reforms that would help revitalize the economy and boost the housing sector. “NAHB believes that any comprehensive reform should protect our nation’s borders; include a new, market-based visa program that would fill labor gaps to ensure that the nation has a workforce that is sufficient to meet its housing construction and restoration needs; and provide a workable employment verification system. A successful guest worker program will help alleviate the current labor shortage in the residential construction sector, quicken the rebuilding efforts in Texas and support the overall economic growth of this nation.” NAHB Offers Stormwater Compliance Guide become morAs stormwater regulations e complex, NAHB wants to make sure that its members are up to date on compliance requirements and ready to advocate for smart, flexible and affordable rules when state permits come up for renewal. To that end, NAHB has developed a new stormwater toolkit to help members and their state and local associations make the case for programs that help meet water quality goals, reduce redundancy, and provide a clear path to compliance. The toolkit includes: • “Stormwater 101” – an introduction to the topic. • A look at EPA’s small lot template, a streamlined approach for smaller projects. • State-by-state breakdowns of national permitting trends. • Tips for how to make green infrastructure, also known as low-impact development, work in your community. The toolkit also includes planning checklists and links to resources from other organizations to help you better manage your stormwater issues. As part of the toolkit launch, NAHB this week released A Developer’s Guide to Post-Construction Stormwater Regulation. This report breaks down state-by-state data on five top post-construction permitting issues affecting members in the field. Judge Strikes Down Obama Overtime Rule doA federal judge has struck wn the Obama administration’s overtime rule that would have doubled the salary threshold for workers to be able to receive overtime pay. The Obama administration’s final rule that was set to take effect Dec. 1, 2016, raised the salary threshold for executive, administrative, or professional workers to receive overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476. Last year, NAHB joined other business groups in a lawsuit in federal court challenging the overtime rule. As a result, the rule has not been implemented because a judge issued a preliminary injunction against it. New Silica Rule Goes Into Effect Sept. 23 t NAHB is advising its members o be prepared as enforcement of the silica rule in construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 23. The rule was originally scheduled to go into effect for the construction sector on June 23, but OSHA issued a 90-day delay. Some state-run OSHA programs, such as Virginia’s, have chosen not to follow OSHA’s enforcement delay and are already implementing the standard in their state plans. State-run OSHA programs have six months to adopt the federal rule or develop one that is equally effective. NAHB’s legal challenge on the silica rule is still pending. The case is scheduled to be argued before the court on Sept. 26. SEPTEMBER 2017 | HBRA of Fairfield County 33
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