Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2024

Government Operations and Politics

senate

house

president

Introduced on April 17, 2024 by Jeff Merkley

Legislation Details

Establishes a contracting preference for public buildings that utilize innovative wood products in their construction.
Defines key terms such as “Administrator,” “innovative wood product,” “mass timber,” and “public building.”
Prioritizes the use of innovative wood products that are procured from facilities within the United States and harvested from U.S. forestlands, adhering to responsible sourcing standards.
Responsible sources are defined as those produced according to independently certified procurement standards or from jurisdictions with programs implementing best management practices.
Encourages the sourcing of innovative wood products from restoration practices, forest management actions aimed at protecting against wildfires, or underserved forest owners, including Tribally owned and small family forests.
Requires appropriate documentation to verify the sourcing of innovative wood products in accordance with specified criteria.
Mandates a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment to be conducted within 180 days of the Act’s enactment, focusing on the global warming potential of new buildings using innovative wood products.
Requires a report describing the results of the lifecycle assessment to be submitted to Congress and made publicly available within 180 days after the assessment’s completion.

Last updated 8/8/2024

Establishes a contracting preference for public buildings that utilize innovative wood products in their construction.
Defines key terms such as “Administrator,” “innovative wood product,” “mass timber,” and “public building.”
Prioritizes the use of innovative wood products that are procured from facilities within the United States and harvested from U.S. forestlands, adhering to responsible sourcing standards.
Responsible sources are defined as those produced according to independently certified procurement standards or from jurisdictions with programs implementing best management practices.
Encourages the sourcing of innovative wood products from restoration practices, forest management actions aimed at protecting against wildfires, or underserved forest owners, including Tribally owned and small family forests.
Requires appropriate documentation to verify the sourcing of innovative wood products in accordance with specified criteria.
Mandates a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment to be conducted within 180 days of the Act’s enactment, focusing on the global warming potential of new buildings using innovative wood products.
Requires a report describing the results of the lifecycle assessment to be submitted to Congress and made publicly available within 180 days after the assessment’s completion.