W-2 Reporting Requirement in Health Care Law

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) March 29 issued interim guidance on a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will require employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on each employee’s W-2 form. The reporting becomes mandatory in 2012 and will have to be included on 2012 W-2 forms. 

The Guidance covers how to report the information, what coverage to include and how to determine the cost of the coverage. The IRS stressed that the reporting to employees is to inform them of the cost of their health coverage and the amounts reportable are not taxable.

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NJECPAC Supported Legislation Becomes Law

Governor Signs Oroho Bill Reforming Government Regulations Into Law

Legislation sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho (R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon) that would simplify and stabilize the rulemaking processes for state agencies was signed into law by Governor Christie. The Measure Was Originally Recomended by the Governor’s Red Tape Review Group

A-2721/S-2013 extends the expiration date of state regulations to seven years from five and establishes a new procedure for the re-adoption of rules without substantive changes.

“The five-year sunset provision is an unnecessarily burdensome requirement for well-established rules, ” stated Oroho. “Under this requirement, agencies must undertake the full rule-making process for established rules, regardless of whether any issues have arisen or been identified with the current regulatory scheme. Read More

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EPA Admits It Doesn’t Care About Jobs

EPA Admits they Do Not Care About Jobs

The Environmental Protection Agency, with its approximat 18,000 full-time employees, and a $10 billion budget, with the power to impose virtually unlimited economy-crippling regulatory power granted to it by the Obama Administration, admitted that to them, jobs just don’t matter.

In a April 14th hearing before the House Environment and Economy Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Co) questioned EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus on the Agency’s economic analyses related to legislation. Specifically, Rep. Gardner asked if the EPA considers the effect its regulations have on jobs, Mr Stanislaus danced around the issue with the most definative answer being "not directly" and he "will get back to you". The overall take away from the testimony is NO they do not directly examine regulations’ impacts on jobs.

                            

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1099 REPEAL SIGNED INTO LAW

On April 14, 2011, President Obama signed H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011, into law. This legislation repeals the expanded IRS 1099 reporting requirements enacted as part of the healthcare reform law HR 3590. This is a major victory for small businesses around the country that would have been severely impacted by the new requirements.

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4 on March 3, 314-112. After considering an alternative repeal bill, the Senate passed the House approved bill on April 5, 87-12. To see how your Senators voted click here or Representative click here.   Read More at IECI.org

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Hearing Finds Flawed Implementation of Davis-Bacon Poses Risk to Taxpayers and Workers

The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), held a hearing this week to examine the Department of Labor’s implementation of the Davis-Bacon Act. According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, a number of challenges affecting the department’s execution of the Act could potentially reduce earnings for workers or increase project costs to taxpayers.

Chairman Walberg called the GAO report “deeply troubling,” and stated, “These are stunning conclusions for a law that governs how hundreds of billions of taxpayer-dollars are spent. In fact, the failed stimulus committed an estimated $300 billion to federal construction projects that could potentially be covered by Davis-Bacon wage rates. In 2009 alone, federal construction and rehabilitation projects totaled roughly $220 billion.”

Chairman Walberg's full remarks, witness testimony, and an archived webcast are available here: "Examining the Department of Labor's Implementation of the Davis-Bacon Act"

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Senate Majority Again Ignores Property Tax Relief In New Jersey

NJ Senate Chamber

Senate President Fails To Act On Any Property Tax Relief Legislation, opting instead to continue picking petty fights with the Governor.

Once again the Democrat Majority led by Senate President Steve Sweeney failed to post any Property tax relief legislation for a vote. How long will NJ Residents have to wait for relief from exorbitant property taxes. Tax relief first has to be passed by the Senate and Assembly before the Governor can sign it into law.

Responding to the lack of action on any tax relief bills pending before the State Senate. Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. said Senate leadership must provide taxpayers with an explanation: “Senate Leadership has thrown away yet another opportunity to do the right thing for New Jersey taxpayers.”

NJ Senate President
 Steve Sweeney (D)



“New Jersey residents deserve an explanation from those who control the agenda in the Legislature as to why committees were not called to address well-connected lobbyists helping themselves to the public pension trough, municipalities being forced to bond for jackpot sick leave payouts for public workers, and legislation that would enable towns and counties to share services.”  Read More

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Only Electrical Contractors Can Legally Install Solar Voltaic Panels In New Jersey

There is considerable confusion about whether an Electrical Contractor's License and Business Permit is required for solar-photovoltaic (SPV) installations in New Jersey.

The answer, direct from the NJ Electrical Licensing Board is, with the exception of owners of single family homes installing PV panels on their own home is yes. See letter published in the NJ Construction Code Communicator Here

N.J.S.A. 45:5A-1 et seq., known as "The Electrical Contractors Licensing Act of 1962", States; "No person shall advertise, enter into, engage in, or work in a business as an electrical contractor unless they have secured a business permit and a license from the New Jersey Board of Electrical Contractors (the Board)."

The term "electrical contractor" is defined as a person who engages in the business of contracting to install, erect, repair, or alter electrical equipment for the generation, transmission, or utilization of electrical energy (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-2(d)).

SPV systems, by definition, are electrical work. They are a series of components that generate (the SPV panels), transmit, and/or utilize electrical energy. Any person engaged in installing, erecting, repairing, etc. such equipment must be an electrical contractor under the provisions of the Act. Read More

The Law applies to all Residential, Commercial, and Institutional, and Industrial installations of Photo Voltaic Panels.

Additionally any person who engages in these activities without a valid Electrical Contractors Business Permit may be charged with a Felony in the State of New Jersey. (151_C.2C21-33 of the New Jersey Statutes)

Read Felony Law Here

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Senate Passes Repeal of 1099 Mandate in Health Care Bill As Another Looms

The U.S. Senate has passed H.R. 4, that includes the repeal of the expanded 1099 reporting requirement included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The health care law mandated that, beginning in 2012, businesses would have to file a 1099 to ALL Vendors, both incorporated and unincorporated, to which they pay at least $600 annually for goods and services.  

The president is expected to sign the measure to remove the requirement from the Health Care bill H.R.3590. However, it is only a partial and possibly temporary victory. The president has included a portion of the requirement in his budget that is currently being debated in Washington.

It’s time this Administration gets serious about helping small businesses by eliminating other oppressive taxes affecting small business, such as the 3% Withholding tax on all Federal Construction Contracts and the business killing Estate Tax that puts many businesses out of business resulting in jobs lost when the heirs of an estate involving a business have to cut back operations or close the business just to pay the Federal Tax.

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Republican Budget Plan to Eliminate National Debt!

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan,
holds a copy of his budget proposal

Rep. Paul Ryan presents the Republican's budget proposal that will eliminate the national debt and preserve entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

Speaking just hours before the spending plan gets its formal introduction before Congress, Ryan, head of the House Budget Committee, said the debt will peak at 74.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2014 and then drop from there.

"We've got to show the country that we can get this situation under control and grow the economy, and that's what we're doing," he said. "So whether (Democratic Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid is willing to pass this bill or Barack Obama is ready to sign it, I don't know the answer to that question. Read More

By Joseph Hovanec Jr

Meanwhile Obama spoke to the media after meeting at the White House with Leaders of both parties. He indicated that the proposals presented thusfar to avoid a government shutdown are non starters.

It is a sad state of affairs when the President and Democrats are insisting on compromise now when they were not willing to compromise while they had total control of both houses and the White House. 

They also failed to pass a budget last year when it was due and they had that control. They could have passed a budget at any time last year and there would have been nothing the Republicans could have done to stop them. Instead of doing their job they chose to ignore the budget while they played politics in their failed attempt to hold onto power in the House. 

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2009 International Energy Conservation Code Now In Effect In New Jersey

Permit Applicants Must Prove Compliance With New Energy Codes

The six-month grace period allowing compliance with previous energy conservation codes ends March 7, 2011, in favor of new codes.

Last September, New Jersey adopted two standards regarding energy conservation, each affecting different types of buildings:

• 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for low-rise residential buildings (one- and two-family dwellings and multiple-family buildings three stories or less in height).
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 – 2007 for all other buildings, including commercial buildings, new buildings and their systems, new portions of buildings and their systems, and new systems and equipment in existing buildings.
• Read More
• Read IECC Mandatory Electrical Power and Lighting Systems Here

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