What is Happening With the BSCES Government Affairs & Professional Practice Committee?

Patrick Tierney, PE, ENV SP, Project Manager, Environmental Partners Group and Government Affairs & Professional Practice Committee Chair

The BSCES Government Affairs & Professional Practice (GA&PP) Committee has been meeting bi-weekly to discuss ongoing efforts, including legislative outreach activities, fiscal year 2025 events, and a Massachusetts State Infrastructure Report Card. Attendance at committee meetings has grown by over 50% since last year! 

Report Card Scope of Work
With the support of ASCE national staff, GA&PP Committee members have drafted a scope of work for creating the first Massachusetts State Infrastructure Report Card. The process to draft a report card mirrors the national level effort to update the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure and the Infrastructure Reports by State, which were last completed in 2021.

Information in this report is utilized in advocacy efforts to pursue policies and funding that positively impact the civil engineering industry. Each state drafts a unique report card that is tailored to the state’s needs and issues. Massachusetts is one of the few states in the country that does not participate in the effort to increase awareness for funding needs. Even New York has a report!

The process to draft the state report card will begin in the 2025 fiscal year, with kickoff training tentatively in November 2024. The training will be facilitated by ASCE national staff and include an overview of the schedule, scope of work and media relations. 

Leadership, data analysis, presentation, and report writing are some of the skills you can develop through the process. If you would like to be involved or have input into the scope of work, please reach out by sending an email to reportcard@asce.org or to me at Govern.Affairs.Comm@bsces.org to be added to the committee.