The stage is set for Roofing Day in D.C. 2024
Roofing Day in D.C. is less than two weeks away. The stage is set, speakers are confirmed, the menu is finalized and we are ready to advocate. This year, we have more than 225 attendees flying to the nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of the roofing industry regarding solutions to workforce shortages and pro-growth tax policy. If you are registered to attend, please visit our recently updated website at www.nrca.net/roofingday to prepare for the big day.
House approves workforce development legislation
The House approved A Stronger Workforce for America Act (H.R. 6655), legislation to reform workforce training programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This legislation will provide new tools for employers to meet future workforce needs by streamlining the current bureaucracy and providing more flexibility within Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs to improve access for employers—especially small businesses. It also will improve the ability of state and local workforce boards to spur innovation and be more responsive to regional workforce shortages to help close the skills gap. Additionally, the bill expands opportunities for collaboration between industry and educational institutions, recognizes competency-based certification and training, and allocates more funding to incumbent worker education. NRCA strongly supports H.R. 6655 and is pleased to see its advocacy efforts yield positive results with House passage April 9 on a bipartisan vote of 378-26. Legislation to reform the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act has been a top priority during the roofing industry’s annual fly-in, Roofing Day in D.C., for many years, including this year, where participants will advocate for swift passage in the Senate.
House Ways and Means Committee holds hearing regarding 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
On April 11, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing, “Expanding on the Success of the 2017 Tax Relief to Help Hardworking Americans.” Witnesses include small-business owner Michael Ervin of Coal River Coffee Company; former Sen. Phil Gramm; Dr. Paul Winfree of the Economic Policy Innovation Center; Austin Ramirez of Husco International; and labor economist Dr. Kathryn Anne Edwards. NRCA helped to prepare members of the committee for this hearing, ensuring our priority tax issues of permanency of the 199A small-business deduction and restoration of the ability of businesses to immediately deduct their research and development expenses are discussed favorably.
H-2B visas available for 2024
The departments of Homeland Security and Labor still are accepting petitions for supplemental H-2B seasonal workforce visas for certain periods in fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30. Under a final rule issued in fall 2023, the departments made available an additional 64,716 visas for 2024, with 20,000 visas reserved for nationals from Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras, regardless of whether the individuals are returning workers. A portion of the 20,000-visa allocation remains unallocated, and these supplemental visas are available only to U.S. employers who can attest they will suffer irreparable harm without the ability to employ the H-2B workers requested in their petition. View more information about the availability of these supplemental H-2B visas. Employers interested in employing H-2B workers from Haiti are encouraged to apply given the current civil unrest in that nation. Please contact Duane Musser in NRCA’s Washington, D.C., office at dmusser@nrca.net for more information.
