IIBEC Helps Defeat Florida Legislative Language Expanding Cooperative Purchasing May 05, 2023 In April, IIBEC sent a letter opposing legislation expanding cooperative purchasing to the members of the Florida Appropriations Committee. IIBEC has long opposed bills that expand cooperative purchasing to include construction design services. Recently, IIBEC submitted testimony opposing a Missouri bill that crossed the threshold and notched a victory when North Dakota exempted all construction services from their cooperative purchasing bill after IIBEC had submitted testimony to the North Dakota Senate State and Local Committee in support of QBS. Read More
IIBEC Leaders Join the 2023 Roofing Day in DC April 21, 2023 Roofing industry professionals descended upon Washington, DC, April 18–19, 2023, to participate in the 2023 Roofing Day in DC. IIBEC’s delegation, led by Amy Peevey, president, and Brian Pallasch, executive vice president and chief executive officer, was joined by Chris Giffin, immediate past president, and Melissa Lieb, IIBEC Advocacy Committee chair, as well as John Boling, IIBEC’s director of government relations. Read More
IIBEC Opposes Missouri Bill Expanding Cooperative Purchasing to Include Design Services April 18, 2023 On April 6, 2023, IIBEC submitted testimony to the Missouri State Senate Committee on Governmental Accountability outlining opposition to S. 544, which would expand cooperative purchasing authorizations to include architectural, engineering, and design services. Read More
IIBEC Provides Maine Legislative Panel With Comments on Solar-Ready Mandate April 12, 2023 IIBEC submitted testimony to a Maine legislative panel as part of the panel’s April 4 discussion of solar-ready mandates for future commercial buildings, ensuring that building enclosure consultants’ interests were made known to the panel. Read More
Canadian Government Confirms Support for Transition to Net Zero March 23, 2023 Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault outlined Canada’s support for a net-zero emissions economy through the fostering of economic environmentalism and a range of policies, including the launch of the independent Net-Zero Advisory Body, which will provide advice on the most likely pathways for Canada to reach net zero. Guilbeault made his remarks during a March 20, 2023, speech at the Americana 2023 environmental conference. Read More
Canada Opens Applications for Two Initiatives to Accelerate Building Retrofits February 16, 2023 On February 9, 2023, Natural Resources Canada issued a statement announcing Calls for Applications for two new initiatives to accelerate building retrofits: the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative (DRAI) and the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program (GNPP). Read More
IIBEC Asks North Dakota Senate Panel to Protect QBS in Cooperative Procurement Bill February 16, 2023 On February 8, 2023, IIBEC submitted to the North Dakota Senate State and Local Committee testimony in support of qualifications-based selection (QBS) for the procurement of construction design services. Specifically, IIBEC asked the committee to amend SB 2370 “to protect taxpayers and ensure compliance with state requirements regarding the procurement of architecture, engineering, and land surveying services, as outlined by N.D.C.C. Chapter 54-44.7, by inserting a provision prohibiting the purchase of such services via a cooperative purchasing program.” Read More
Canadian Advisory Body Submits Report to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 February 03, 2023 On January 27, 2023, Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change of Canada, announced that the Net-Zero Advisory Board had submitted its first annual report, “Compete and Succeed in a Net-Zero Future.” The report contains 25 recommendations to speed Canada’s transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. Composed of nine experts from across Canada, the board was authorized by the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. Read More
IIBEC Scores a Victory as Alabama DOT Changes Procurement Regulation December 01, 2022 By John Boling IIBEC is pleased to report that the Alabama Department of Transportation (AL DOT) agreed to modify regulations implementing changes to the state’s procurement law. The revised regulation that becomes effective on January 14, 2023, eliminates provisions requiring the procurement of architecture, engineering, and design services based on price (low-bid) for state-funded projects […] Read More
IIBEC Organizes Opposition to Proposed Alabama Regulation Gutting QBS November 09, 2022 In early October IIBEC became alarmed after reading Alabama Department of Transportation (AL DOT) proposed draft regulations overhauling state procurement procedures. Specifically, the proposal instituted a new procedure for architecture, engineering, and design services based on price (low-bid) for state-funded projects, while maintaining the requirement that qualifications-based selection (QBS) is used for projects that use federal funds. IIBEC reached out to organizations in the state that also support QBS to raise the alarm and confirm the proposal was, in fact, gutting QBS for state funded projects. IIBEC submitted comments on November 4, 2022, opposing the proposal. Read More
