Sponsors (2)
The bill brings yellow organic pigments under Buy America rules—boosting procurement opportunities for fully domestic pigment producers and clarifying guidance quickly, while risking higher public project costs, supply‑chain exclusions, and additional compliance burden for producers and government buyers.
State and local governments buying road, highway, and airport surface‑marking paint can count yellow organic pigments as domestic construction materials, making it easier for federally funded infrastructure projects to meet Build America, Buy America requirements.
U.S. manufacturers that produce yellow organic pigments entirely domestically gain a procurement advantage on federally funded infrastructure contracts, increasing sales opportunities for domestic producers and potentially supporting jobs in chemical and pigment manufacturing.
The Office of Management and Budget must update Made in America guidance within 90 days, giving procurement officers and suppliers faster clarity on compliance and reducing near‑term uncertainty.
Taxpayers, state and local governments may face higher project costs if qualifying domestic yellow pigments are more expensive or in limited supply, increasing the price of infrastructure projects paid with public funds.
Manufacturers that rely on foreign intermediate inputs or overseas chemical synthesis could be excluded from procurement, disrupting existing supply chains and causing procurement delays for projects that depend on those suppliers.
A two‑year phase‑in extends compliance costs and verification responsibilities for producers of non‑water‑based formulas and for purchasers who must confirm origin, increasing administrative burden for businesses and government buyers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Designates yellow organic pigments for road/highway/airport surface-marking paints as Build America, Buy America construction materials and defines U.S. production standards.
Official title: Amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include certain yellow coloring as construction materials for purposes of the Build America, Buy America Act, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 10, 2026 by Elissa Slotkin · Last progress February 10, 2026
Classifies yellow organic pigments used in paints for road, highway, and airport surface markings as "construction materials" under Build America, Buy America rules and requires updated OMB guidance. Immediately after enactment the rule applies to yellow organic pigments used in water-based paints for surface markings; two years later it applies to yellow organic pigments used in all paint formulas for those markings. The bill also defines "produced in the United States" for these pigments and directs the OMB Director to update Made in America implementation guidance within 90 days.