ACEC-AZ Advocates for Arizona in Washington, D.C.

ACEC National Convention & Legislative Summit

This past week, ACEC-AZ Board members, Amerigo, and I joined engineering leaders from across the country at the ACEC National Convention & Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. The event brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of infrastructure, innovation, workforce development, and federal policy impacting the engineering industry.

The week also included meetings with Arizona’s Congressional Delegation on May 5th and 6th to advocate for Arizona infrastructure priorities and the engineering industry. As we move forward through the legislative process, your ACEC-AZ team will continue to interact with our delegation and advocate for the best interests of the State of Arizona and our member companies. 

Learn more about the event:
ACEC National Convention & Legislative Summit

Federal Surface Transportation Reauthorization

A major focus of our Congressional meetings was the upcoming federal surface transportation re-authorization set to expire in September 2026. Your ACEC team continues advocating for long-term funding certainty to support transportation planning, safety improvements, and economic growth across Arizona and the nation.

Key discussions included:

• Long-term infrastructure funding stability
• Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)
• Faster local grant delivery
• Innovation in project delivery and digital design

Water Infrastructure & Colorado River Discussions

Water infrastructure and long-term sustainability were also major priorities during our meetings. ACEC National focused on federal investment in drinking water, wastewater, and WRDA programs, while ACEC-AZ added to that effort and elevated the importance of Colorado River sustainability and Arizona’s long-term water future with our Arizona Representation.

Reliable water infrastructure remains essential to Arizona’s economic growth, resiliency, and future development.

Permitting Reform to Deliver Infrastructure Faster

We also continued advocating for balanced permitting reform that improves accountability and accelerates project delivery while maintaining environmental protections.

Key reform priorities include:

• Streamlining duplicative reviews
• Improving agency coordination
• Modernizing permitting technology
• Increasing permit certainty - maximum number of reviews, time specific deadlines, etc.
• Expanding FAST-41 program eligibility

Advocacy Matters

One consistent message throughout the week was the importance of ACEC National PAC investments and advocacy efforts that help ensure the engineering industry has a seat at the table during major federal policy discussions. These meetings with our delegation are assisted by your National PAC donations and help advance the critical issues that are important to the country, but also to us directly in Arizona. 

These efforts help advance policies that support:

• Arizona infrastructure investment
• Water reliability
• Transportation funding
• Efficient project delivery
• Economic growth

Thank you to the ACEC-AZ Board members who dedicated their time last week advocating for the best interests of Arizona and our engineering industry.

Together, ACEC-AZ continues working to ensure Arizona’s voice is heard at both the state and federal levels.