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PCCA Journal|3

rd

Quarter 2015

12

they are taking reasonable steps to offer

broadband throughout the entire service

area. Remaining questions and ambigu-

ity led PCCA to reach out to FCC to learn

more about the CAF program and how

CAF resources are distributed and ac-

cessed by the appropriate parties.

PCCA met with FCC staff on Octo-

ber 14, but it became clear that an-

other meeting would be necessary with

representatives of the FCC’s Wireline

Competition Bureau. We held that

meeting on November 16 (after press

time) to discuss how best to promote

the CAF program and educate interested

stakeholders about the program and the

federal assistance dollars associated with

it.

Federal Motor Carriers

Safety Administration

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s

Federal Motor Carriers Safety Adminis-

tration (FMCSA) oversees Hours-of-Ser-

vice (HOS) regulations subject to com-

mercial drivers. PCCA members maintain

large numbers of utility fleets that are

obviously impacted by HOS regulations

and have a particular interest in pending

electronic logging device (ELD) regula-

tions. The PCCA team knew that forging

an effective relationship with FMCSA

was a must. Soon after PCCA folks

headed home from their Washington

visit, they had FMCSA staff on a confer-

ence call to ensure that the power and

communications industry fell under the

exemption for “Utility Service Vehicles”

from HOS requirements when respond-

ing to utility service calls to maintain

and repair essential utility services.

After a productive discussion with

FMSCA’s Driver and Carrier Operations

Division, PCCA was pleased to report

to its membership that utility vehicles

maintained by contractors fall under the

HOS exemptions, which apply when

USV’s are “repairing, maintaining, or

operating” utility facilities. (See article

on HOS exemptions on page 15.)

It is worth noting that during that call,

PCCA was able to explain to FMCSA

staff that the majority of electric power

and communications construction work

is contracted out, a point that surprised

some FMCSA representatives on the call.

The increasing role that contractors are

playing in the industry is an important

and often neglected point to make when

discussing these issues with congres-

sional and regulatory audiences. FMCSA

appreciated this fact and agreed to add

PCCA to its list of industry stakeholders

that periodically evaluate HOS initiatives

and updates.

Suiting Up for

Future Advocacy

At press time, PCCA was preparing for

its second trip to D.C. only weeks after

the very successful fly-in event in Octo-

ber. Six PCCA representatives were head-

ing back to Washington to learn more

about NTCA programs and support this

important part of our industry’s custom-

er base with their efforts on Capitol Hill.

Over the next several months, PCCA

will refine and expand its legislative

agenda to include other issues of im-

portance to the industry. Some of these

include:

• Support of public policy that provides

a level playing field for union and

non-union contractors in the federal

procurement process;

• Support for comprehensive energy

legislation, including provisions to:

»

Streamline the permitting pro-

cess for power transmission and

distribution infrastructure improve-

ments;

»

Reform the pipeline permitting pro-

cess to expedite projects to deliver

natural gas, a commonly used fuel

for the generation of electricity;

»

Incentivize upgrades to electric

transmission and distribution infra-

structure; and

»

Support efforts to recruit and retain

workers to provide a strong “21st

Century Workforce.”

PCCA will also engage other govern-

ment and industry audiences, including

the Broadband Opportunity Council, the

National Rural Electric Cooperative, and

the Common Ground Alliance.

On a personal note, after being

involved in Washington business for

almost 25 years, I have to say witness-

ing the enthusiasm and interest of PCCA

members in jumping into the sometimes-

intimidating world of federal lobby-

ing has been exciting to see, and I’m

honored to be a part of this important

effort. Construction contractors increas-

ingly play a bigger role in building and

maintaining a wide range of critical

infrastructure, and the power and com-

munication sector must be considered

among the highest of importance. I look

forward to working with all of you.

Eben Wyman, PCCA’s new government

relations representative, has worked in

Washington, D.C., for 24 years, starting

at the DOT’s Office of Pipeline Safety,

followed by 12 years as Government

Relations Director for the National Util-

ity Contractors Association. In 2012, he

founded E. Wyman Associates, which

represents several association clients

that serve contractors, manufacturers,

and distributors operating in various

segments of the construction industry.

His other clients include the Distribution

Contractors Association, the Plastics Pipe

Institute, and the Sustainable Water In-

frastructure Coalition. He can be reached

at

eben@wymanassociates.net .

Inside Washington

Continued from page 11