Inside Washington: December 2025

The Government Affairs Team, recently took Mike Starner, NECA’s Director of Outside Safety and Ron Stewart, Director of Helicopter Operations at Wilson Construction, to the hill to educate congress on FAA’s proposed rule Part 108.

The team met with key congressional allies and advocated for a final rule that preserves safe operating space for helicopters doing transmission and line work. Discussions focused on the need for clear coordination protocols between drones and crewed aircraft, as well as a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) framework that encourages innovation while maintaining the proven safety practices relied upon in the field.

Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) inquired directly with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on the rule as a result of the team's engagement. Click the video below to watch.

NECA will continue to work with Congress and the FAA to finalize a rule that strikes a balance between safety and technological advancement.

NECA New York Chapters Work to Modernize Antiquated Scaffold Law

NECA’s Albany, Long Island, and New York City Chapters recently welcomed the Government Affairs team to Manhattan. The team was joined by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), for a roundtable on New York’s Scaffold Law (Labor Law §240). The meeting focused on strategies to support federal reforms, chiefly the Infrastructure Expansion Act, which would mitigate absolute-liability exposure on federally funded projects and reduce insurance premiums and overall construction costs across New York. NECA remains committed to pursuing meaningful legislative and regulatory solutions to modernize New York’s outdated Scaffold Law.

(Pictured L-R: Peter Rescigno of NECA NY, Kristine DiNapoli of KND Electrical Contracting Corp., and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.; and James Payne and Ryan McGuire, NECA Directors of Government Affairs, address the NECA NY Chapter) 

House Passes NECA-Endorsed Permitting and Grid Supply Chain Reforms

The House of Representatives recently passed the PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898), SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), Reliable Power Act (H.R. 3616), and Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R. 3638). Together, these NECA-supported bipartisan measures advance permitting reform for major infrastructure projects and bolster the supply chain needed to support reliable electricity generation and transmission.

PERMIT Act (H.R.3898)(Sponsor: Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.))

The PERMIT Act focuses on modernizing federal environmental review and permitting for major infrastructure projects by establishing firm timelines and clearer lines of accountability for agency decisions. By requiring agencies to coordinate on a single, project-level schedule, the bill would reduce uncertainty and prevent duplicative reviews. These reforms would provide greater predictability in project planning and bidding for NECA contractors, helping ensure that large-scale energy, transportation, and infrastructure projects move forward on more reliable schedules.

SPEED Act (H.R.4776) (Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.))

The SPEED Act seeks to streamline permitting by shortening timelines, curbing frivolous litigation, and simplifying NEPA review requirements to ease the burden on agencies. The bill would also set clear judicial review limits—establishing a 150-day deadline for filing claims, creating a new standard of review, and eliminating procedural tactics that can delay projects. H.R. 4776 is currently before the House Natural Resources Committee and is expected to move toward a vote on the House floor in the near future.

Reliable Power Act (H.R. 3616) (Sponsor: Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio)) 

The Reliable Power Act improves federal rulemaking to ensure that future regulations affecting power generation will not harm electric reliability, especially in regions already vulnerable to blackouts. For NECA contractors, safeguarding grid reliability supports steady demand for electrical construction and maintenance work and minimizes disruption risks for major infrastructure projects that depend on consistent power performance. 

Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R. 3638) (Sponsor: Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio)) 

Unlike broader permitting reforms, the Electric Supply Chain Act is focused on strengthening the long-term reliability of the nation’s electric grid. The legislation directs the Department of Energy to regularly assess the domestic supply chain for electricity generation and transmission and report findings to Congress. By identifying vulnerabilities and barriers to manufacturing, transporting, and installing critical grid components, the bill supports strategic investments that align with NECA members’ role in building and maintaining resilient electrical infrastructure.

NECA has long supported these measures and will continue to closely monitor Senate consideration and any legislative changes as the bills advance.

Chairman's Challenge Update

There are only two weeks remaining in the 2025 Chairman's Challenge!

AS OF 12/9/25

Chapters are encouraged to send over any photos to help illustrate our robust voice across the country to [email protected]. The chapter that has the most points by December 31, 2025, will win the Chairman's Challenge.

New York City Chapter Hosts Rep. Richie Torres (D-N.Y.)

The New York City NECA Chapter recently met with Representative Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) to discuss the critical role electrical contractors play in strengthening infrastructure, expanding clean energy, and modernizing the nation’s power grid. Chapter leaders highlighted workforce development, apprenticeship programs, and the need for policies that support reliable, affordable energy in dense urban environments like New York City. Rep. Torres engaged in a productive conversation on the importance of skilled labor and continued federal investment in infrastructure to meet growing energy demand. The meeting reinforced the value of strong collaboration between policymakers and the electrical contracting industry to deliver safe, resilient, and future-ready projects.