Nation's Building News Online

Plain Text Version (Click Here for Graphical Version)

Sponsored by Countrywide Home Loans National Builder Division
and 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

www.NAHB.org
Week of April 14, 2003

Front Page

President's Message

* Housing Have-Nots Deserve a Boost From Congress

Housing Forum

* Letters to the Editor

Environment

* Pygmy Owl Data Sets Precedent for Landowners

Housing Politics

* House Passes Major Home Energy Bill
* Health Plan Bill Advances in Congress
* Bill Would Speed Up Apprenticeship Program Reviews

Housing and Economics

* Spotlight on: Chicago
* Eye on the Economy
* Economists to Examine How Housing Is Holding Up

For Consumers

* High Ceilings a Trend in Reshaping American Homes

Member Dividends

* NAHB Team Helps Builders Win Political Challenges

Green Building

* New Mexico Builder Slashes Construction Waste Costs
* Construction Debris Diverted From Landfills in Milwaukee
* Soy-Bean Based Insulation Wins Green Product Award

Multifamily

* Multifamily Sector Looking at a Mixed Picture
* Job Growth Key to Apartment Market
* Slowdown Expected in Multifamily Lending
* Tax Credit Legwork a Must for Success

Business Management

* Know Your Technology Needs Before You Invest

Construction Safety

* Toolbox Talk: Don’t Overlook Scaffold Safety

Housing Finance

* Discussions on Rural Housing Needs Continue

Labor

* HBI Helping Builders Find Skilled Workers

Building Products

* Performance of CPVC Piping System Unmatched

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* NAHB Board to Meet in Early May
* May 5 Is National Membership Day

NBN Back Issues

 

Health Plan Bill Advances in Congress

A bill that would enable small businesses to band together to reduce their employee health insurance costs continues to move forward in the Congress.

A House subcommittee on employer-employee relations approved “The Small Business Health Fairness Act,” H.R. 660, on April 8. It will now be considered by the full House Education and the Workforce Committee, probably during the week of April 28.

The bill would enable home builders who are faced with soaring health care costs for their employees to join associations to obtain the same economies of scale, purchasing power and administrative efficiencies that large employers have. This could reduce their health insurance costs by an estimated 15%-30%.


Sponsored by: 2-10 Home Buyer's Warranty

Need to Buy General Liability Insurance?
Are You Controlling Your Exposure to Moisture, Mold and Fungus?
Structural Defects, Can They Happen to You?
Insurance Coverage a Challenge?

More than 120 House members now stand by the bill, including Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL).

NAHB President Kent Conine said the legislation “is key to bringing Fortune 500 health benefits to Main Street small businesses, their employees and their families.”

To read the full bill, click here, and enter H.R. 660 in the box in the upper left hand corner.
[ Go to Top ]


Sponsored by: Countrywide Home Loans

Find out how our forward commitments program can lock in rates for extended periods.
See how you can get a loan with as little as no down payment through Countrywide’s Zero Down Plus Program.

To unsubscribe or to manage your subscription, CLICK HERE

Nation's Building News Online is produced and distributed by the National Association of Home Builders