The $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) included the “Build America, Buy America Act” which applies a domestic preference to all taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects. The Office of Management and Budget released new guidance on these rules on April 18th, 2022. The new guidelines are meant to assist federal agencies in the application of “Buy America” requirements and the waiver processes for all federally funded infrastructure projects and not just those funded by the IIJA. The requirements are currently set to be in effect starting May 14th.

Construction Official Says New Guidance will Undermine New Bipartisan Infrastructure Measure’s Benefits, Adds the Kind of Red Tape that Betrays Americans’ Confidence in Federal Spending

Earmarks Also Set to Return after a Decade Hiatus

Allows Congress More Time to Negotiate Full-Year Bill, Including Funding for New Infrastructure Programs

As previously reported by AGC, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes new Buy America requirements, that could delay infrastructure projects funded by the law. The IIJA provides funding for physical infrastructure like roads, water systems, the electric grid, and more. The new and expanded Buy America requirements apply to all federally funded programs and include manufactured products, like iron and steel, and also construction materials used on projects within those programs.

Accepts Many AGC Recommendations

Funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Supplemental

AGC was successful in its effort to strip several harmful construction provisions from the annual defense bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). For military construction projects, those provisions would have: