In June 2026, Congress, in a bi-partisan action, passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (the “Act”) which is widely viewed as the most significant federal housing legislation in decades. While President Trump did not sign the Act into law, neither did he timely veto the Act and so, as of July 11, 2026
Oregon Senate Bill 426 Would Make Owners and Prime Contractors Liable for Unpaid Wages Owed by Those They Hire
Developers, owners, and contractors would all be wise to take note of Senate Bill 426, currently under consideration in the Oregon legislature.
SB 426 addresses wage theft in the construction industry. If enacted, it would impose joint and several liability on the owner and prime contractor for unpaid employee wages – including fringe benefits
4 New Washington Bills Affecting Common Interest Communities That Developers Should Be Aware Of
Washington’s legislators had their eye on common interest communities (CICs) during the 2023 regular session, which ended on April 23, 2023. Three bills relating to or affecting CICs become effective on July 23, 2023. One became effective immediately. Here is a brief summary of the new laws.
New Oregon Law Complicates Retainage on Construction Projects
If you do not follow the Oregon legislature closely, you may have missed a new law, which went into effect January 1, 2020, that impacts the treatment of retainage on private and public construction projects over $500,000.
For private and public construction contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2020 that include a contract
Three “Basic Best Practices” New Year Resolution Tips for Construction Projects
Ultimately, improving our companies, like improving ourselves, is up to us and our own diligence and persistence in identifying and implementing improvements on an ongoing basis. A strong market as we start 2019 means a great opportunity to review for and ensure solid implementation of legal compliance and financial goals for your construction projects –
Developers and Builders Gain Time from Permit Expiration in California with AB 2913
After decades of dealing with a hodgepodge of local adoption (or not) of administrative codes relating to building permit extensions, California Governor Brown’s September 21, 2018 signature on AB 2913 is a welcome addition of at least six months to the existing statutory commencement of work period. AB 2913 allows a uniform 12-month period across
Joint Washington/Oregon Construction Law Seminar – November 4, 2016
On November 4, 2016, my colleague, Andrew Gibson (from the Portland office of Stoel Rives), and I will co-chair a joint OSBA/WSBA construction law CLE, entitled Two States of Construction Law: Working in Both Washington and Oregon, located at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, Washington. This seminar will include a panel of knowledgeable lawyers
2016 Utah Legislative Session Summary
This post was guest authored by Stoel Rives partner Martin Banks.
A record number of bills were introduced during the 45-day Utah Legislative Session for 2016. While many of the bills dealt with education and legalizing medical marijuana, a few dealt with the foreclosure and the mortgage lending industry. The bills listed below were
Yes, Contractor Licensing May Be Required Under California Law Even if the Contractor Does Not Physically Build Anything Itself
It seems that almost weekly, and certainly monthly, I receive a call or inquiry from colleagues and/or prospective clients as to whether a license is really required if the prospective “contractor” is not actually building anything but is merely facilitating a “deal” or is hiring otherwise qualified and licensed contractors and trades. Virtually every time
New Amendment to Washington’s Contractor Registration Act
A recent legislative amendment to the Washington Contractor Registration Act (the “CRA”) underscores the need for residential property developers to assess whether the development activities they perform on their Washington projects constitute those of a “contractor” and thus require registration with the Department of Labor and Industries. On April 22, 2015, Washington Governor Jay Inslee