March 24, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Crapo) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
To establish a contracting preference for public buildings that use innovative wood products in the construction of those buildings, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Made in America Mass Timber
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Administrator
The term Administrator means the Administrator of General Services.
(2) Innovative wood product
The term innovative wood product has the meaning given the term in section 8641 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 7655c note; Public Law 115–334).
(3) Innovative wood product facility
The term innovative wood product facility has the meaning given the term in section 9013(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113(a)).
(4) Mass timber
The term mass timber has the meaning given the term in section 8641 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 7655c note; Public Law 115–334).
(5) Public building
(A) In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term public building has the meaning given the term in section 3301(a) of title 40, United States Code.
(B) Inclusion
The term public building includes a military installation (as defined in section 2801(c) of title 10, United States Code).
(6) Restoration practices
The term restoration practices means forest management practices based on forest type that re-establish or enhance ecosystem functions by—
(A)
modifying or managing the composition, structure, and spatial arrangement of forest components for complexity and diversity; and
(B)
establishing or re-establishing processes necessary to make forest and connected aquatic ecosystems ecologically functional, resilient to disturbance, or adaptive.
(7) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Defense.
(b) Made in America mass timber public buildings contracting preference
(1) Contracting preference
(A) In general
In entering into a contract for the construction, alteration, acquisition, or lease of a public building, the Administrator or the Secretary, as applicable, shall give priority to public buildings that use, to the maximum extent achievable as determined by the Administrator or the Secretary, as applicable, innovative wood products in the construction of those buildings that are—
(i)
procured from an innovative wood product facility located within the United States; and
(ii)
harvested from forestlands located within the United States, consistent with responsible sources.
(B) Responsible sources
For purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), innovative wood products produced from responsible sources are—
(i)
produced according to an independently certified procurement standard; or
(ii)
from jurisdictions with regulatory or quasi-regulatory programs to implement best management practices, including from Federal, State, and Tribal land.
(2) Contracts and priority
(A) In general
In procuring innovative wood products for purposes of carrying out the requirements of paragraph (1), the Administrator or the Secretary, as applicable, shall—
(i)
consider appropriate contracting options; and
(ii)
give preference to innovative wood products that are sourced from—
(I)
restoration practices;
(II)
forest management actions designed to protect communities and critical infrastructure against catastrophic wildfire; or
(III)
underserved forest owners, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, including Tribally owned forests and small family forests.
(B) Documentation required
For purposing of verifying that an innovative wood product is sourced in accordance with subclause (I), (II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(ii), the Administrator or the Secretary, as applicable, shall seek appropriate documentation.
(3) Lifecycle assessment; report
(A) In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall conduct a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment considering the global warming potential, in compliance with International Organization for Standardization standards 14044 and 14020, of new public buildings that use innovative wood products in the construction of those buildings.
(B) Report
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the whole-building lifecycle assessment required under subparagraph (A) is completed, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report describing the results of that assessment.