OMB Releases Final Guidance on Expanded Requirements to Use U.S. Made Construction Materials on Federally-Assisted Projects
President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released new final guidance implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s (BIL) expanded “Build America, Buy America” Act (BABA) requirements to use U.S. made iron, steel, glass, wood and other construction materials and manufactured products on all construction that receives federal financial assistance where federal funds are appropriated or otherwise made available and used for a project.
This includes, but is not limited to, projects funded through the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act. SWACCA has been tracking the development of these expanded BABA requirements since enactment of the BIL and provided updates when OMB requested information to implement these requirements in April 2022, and when OMB issued proposed guidance in February of this year. We have also been tracking agency-specific implementation of BABA requirements at agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development.