ACSM Government
Affairs Update
October 2007
IN THIS ISSUE …
1.
Lobby Day 2007
2.
National Surveyor’s Week Resolution Introduced in the House
3.
COFPAES Federal Market Conference Cancelled
4.
Fundraising Event for House Transportation Committee Chairman Oberstar
5.
H.R. 3374 the Small Community Visioning Improvement Act
Lobby Day 2007. ACSM had another successful Lobby
Day as part of the Fall Meeting on Sept. 27. Over 25 participants met with over
40 Members of Congress and discussed a wide variety of issues including a
proposed National Surveyor’s Week Resolution, Federal Prison Industries reform
legislation, FEMA Floodmap Modernization legislation,
and Small Business Health Plan legislation. Interestingly, as we were meeting
with Members of Congress and discussing the Floodmap
Modernization bill, H.R. 3121 and asking them to vote in favor of it, the bill
was being debated and voted upon on the House floor. It subsequently passed.
National Surveyor’s Week Resolution
Introduced in the House. On Tuesday, October 2, the National Surveyor’s Week
Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Chris
Van Hollen (D-MD) and Congressman Charlie Dent
(R-PA). The Concurrent Resolution has number H. Con. Res. 223 and can be viewed
at http://thomas.loc.gov Take a moment to review the bill and ask your
Congressman to co-sponsor it. Senator Ted Stevens will introduce the Senate
version of the resolution on or about October 15, 2007.
COFPAES Federal Market Conference
Cancelled. The
COFPAES Federal Market Conference scheduled for October 23 that was discussed
in the August Government Affairs Update has been cancelled. No new date has
been set. The Fall COFPAES Delegates Meeting will be held on that date with an
A/E Forum in the morning and the Delegates Meeting in the afternoon.
Fundraising Event for House
Transportation Committee Chairman Oberstar. ACSM
recently attended a fundraising event for House Transportation Committee
Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN). The event was attended by a number of other
organizations interested in transportation and infrastructure issues and ACSM
had the opportunity to make contact with key individuals interested in
transportation issues similar to our issues. We look forward to developing a
relationship with Chairman Oberstar and providing our input to transportation
and infrastructure issues affecting ACSM members.
H.R. 3374 the Small Community
Visioning Improvement Act.
Legislation
was recently introduced that gave ACSM concern because it gives the landscape
architects a superior position and unfair advantage over surveyors and mapping
professionals in competition for community beautification projects.
The stated
purpose of the Small Community Visioning Improvement Act is to improve the
ability of small communities to coordinate with universities and design
professionals in developing a vision to address their local needs. However,
ACSM has concerns with the language of the bill. It is our opinion that the
language of the bill is confusing and at some points conflicting. We would like
to work with the sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Zack Space, to change the
language so that it is fair to the surveying and mapping community.
The bill
places landscape architects in a superior position over licensed professionals
like surveyors. Only a handful of states license landscape architects, while
all 50 states license surveyors. Section (2) (6) of the bill states that
landscape architects “have the education, training and skills including in the
areas of community involvement and public participation, land use planning,
design, project visualization techniques, scenic resource assessment, mapping
and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), environmental analysis, and
environmental psychology, that ideally qualify them to lead community visioning
efforts.” As a declaratory statement, it is not accurate. Many of the services
listed in this and other sections of the bill are specifically defined in state
law as the practice of surveyors and other A/E professionals and are therefore
limited to such licensed professionals.
In many
states, if a landscape architect is not also a licensed as a surveyor,
architect or engineer, that landscape architect would be guilty of practicing
without a license if he or she were to carry out the services in H.R. 3374.
ACSM also
objects with the language in the bill associated with universities,
particularly in its definition of an “eligible grant recipient”. All of the
services in H.R. 3374 are commercially available and are not appropriate
activities for universities. As currently drafted, the bill would result in
unfair university competition with the private sector --- sanctioned by the
federal government. The bill, as it currently stands, conflicts with state
licensing laws in a number of ways.
Lobby Day
participants discussed this legislation with Members of Congress. We requested
that they oppose H.R. 3374 unless and until the language in it is changed in a
way to comply with state law and supports fair competition between universities
and the private sector.