Timber Innovation Act of 2017

Summary: Timber Innovation Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting through the Research and Development and the State and Private Forestry deputy areas of the Forest Service, to conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance to facilitate the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction in the United States. Such activities shall give priority to: (1) improving the commercialization of such products, (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials, (3) calculating and reducing the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, and (4) analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife. &quot;Tall wood building&quot; means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction, including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber.  USDA shall carry out an annual competition for FY2017-FY2021 for a tall wood building design, or other innovative wood product demonstration, in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980.  The Forest Service, in carrying out a wood innovation grant program, may make grants to advance the use of innovative wood products, with priority to grant proposals that include the use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Timber Innovation Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Innovative wood product.--The term ``innovative wood 
        product'' means a type of building component or system that 
        uses large panelized wood construction, including mass timber.
            (2) Mass timber.--The term ``mass timber'' includes--
                    (A) cross-laminated timber;
                    (B) nail laminated timber;
                    (C) glue laminated timber;
                    (D) laminated strand lumber; and
                    (E) laminated veneer lumber.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Research and Development 
        deputy area and the State and Private Forestry deputy area of 
        the Forest Service.
            (4) Tall wood building.--The term ``tall wood building'' 
        means a building designed to be--
                    (A) constructed with mass timber; and
                    (B) more than 85 feet in height.

SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOOD 
              BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct performance-driven 
research and development, education, and technical assistance for the 
purpose of facilitating the use of innovative wood products in wood 
building construction in the United States.
    (b) Activities.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall--
            (1) after receipt of input and guidance from, and 
        collaboration with, the wood products industry, conservation 
        organizations, and institutions of higher education, conduct 
        research and development, education, and technical assistance 
        at the Forest Products Laboratory or through the State and 
        Private Forestry deputy area that meets measurable performance 
        goals for the achievement of the priorities described in 
        subsection (c); and
            (2) after coordination and collaboration with the wood 
        products industry and conservation organizations, make 
        competitive grants to institutions of higher education to 
        conduct research and development, education, and technical 
        assistance that meets measurable performance goals for the 
        achievement of the priorities described in subsection (c).
    (c) Priorities.--The research and development, education, and 
technical assistance conducted under subsection (a) shall give priority 
to--
            (1) ways to improve the commercialization of innovative 
        wood products;
            (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials;
            (3) calculations by the Forest Products Laboratory of the 
        life cycle environmental footprint, from extraction of raw 
        materials through the manufacturing process, of tall wood 
        building construction;
            (4) analyzing methods to reduce the life cycle 
        environmental footprint of tall wood building construction;
            (5) analyzing the potential implications of the use of 
        innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife; 
        and
            (6) one or more other research areas identified by the 
        Secretary, in consultation with conservation organizations, 
        institutions of higher education, and the wood products 
        industry.
    (d) Timeframe.--To the maximum extent practicable, the measurable 
performance goals for the research and development, education, and 
technical assistance conducted under subsection (a) shall be achievable 
within a 5-year timeframe.

SEC. 4. TALL WOOD BUILDING COMPETITION.

    Subject to availability of appropriations, not less frequently than 
once during each fiscal year for the period of fiscal years 2017 
through 2021, the Secretary shall carry out a competition for a tall 
wood building design, or other innovative wood product demonstration, 
in accordance with section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719).

SEC. 5. WOOD INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) an individual;
                    (B) a public or private entity (including a center 
                of excellence that consists of one or more partnerships 
                between forestry, engineering, architecture, or 
                business schools at one or more institutions of higher 
                education); or
                    (C) a State, local, or tribal government.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
    (b) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary, in carrying out the wood 
innovation grant program of the Secretary described in the notice of 
the Secretary entitled ``Request for Proposals: 2016 Wood Innovations 
Funding Opportunity'' (80 Fed. Reg. 63498 (October 20, 2015)), may make 
a wood innovation grant to one or more eligible entities each year for 
the purpose of advancing the use of innovative wood products.
    (c) Incentivizing Use of Existing Milling Capacity.--In selecting 
among proposals of eligible entities under subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall give priority to proposals that include the use or 
retrofitting (or both) of existing sawmill facilities located in 
counties in which the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the 
national average unemployment rate by more than 1 percent in the 
previous calendar year.
    (d) Matching Requirement.--As a condition of receiving a grant 
under subsection (b), an eligible entity shall provide funds equal to 
the amount the eligible entity receives under the grant, to be derived 
from non-Federal sources.