II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4149 

To establish a contracting preference for public buildings that use innovative 

wood products in the construction of those buildings, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 17, 2024 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. RISCH) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To establish a contracting preference for public buildings 

that use innovative wood products in the construction 

of those buildings, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mass Timber Federal 

5 Buildings Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MADE IN AMERICA MASS TIMBER. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of General Serv3 ices. 

4 (2) INNOVATIVE WOOD PRODUCT.—The term 

5 ‘‘innovative wood product’’ has the meaning given 

6 the term in section 8641 of the Agriculture Improve7 ment Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 7655c note; Public Law 

8 115–334). 

9 (3) INNOVATIVE WOOD PRODUCT FACILITY.— 

10 The term ‘‘innovative wood product facility’’ has the 

11 meaning given the term in section 9013(a) of the 

12 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 

13 U.S.C. 8113(a)). 

14 (4) MASS TIMBER.—The term ‘‘mass timber’’ 

15 has the meaning given the term in section 8641 of 

16 the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 

17 7655c note; Public Law 115–334). 

18 (5) PUBLIC BUILDING.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

20 subparagraph (B), the term ‘‘public building’’ 

21 has the meaning given the term in section 

22 3301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 

23 (B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘public build24 ing’’ includes a military installation (as defined 


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1 in section 2801(c) of title 10, United States 

2 Code). 

3 (6) RESTORATION PRACTICES.—The term ‘‘res4 toration practices’’ means forest management prac5 tices based on forest type that re-establish or en6 hance ecosystem functions by— 

7 (A) modifying or managing the composi8 tion, structure, and spatial arrangement of for9 est components for complexity and diversity; 

10 and 

11 (B) establishing or re-establishing proc12 esses necessary to make forest and connected 

13 aquatic ecosystems ecologically functional, resil14 ient to disturbance, or adaptive. 

15 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of Defense. 

17 (b) MADE IN AMERICA MASS TIMBER PUBLIC

18 BUILDINGS CONTRACTING PREFERENCE.— 

19 (1) CONTRACTING PREFERENCE.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—In entering into a con21 tract for the construction, alteration, acquisi22 tion, or lease of a public building, the Adminis23 trator or the Secretary, as applicable, shall give 

24 priority to public buildings that use, to the 

25 maximum extent achievable as determined by 


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1 the Administrator or the Secretary, as applica2 ble, innovative wood products in the construc3 tion of those buildings that are— 

4 (i) procured from an innovative wood 

5 product facility located within the United 

6 States; and 

7 (ii) harvested from forestlands located 

8 within the United States, consistent with 

9 responsible sources. 

10 (B) RESPONSIBLE SOURCES.—For pur11 poses of subparagraph (A)(ii), innovative wood 

12 products produced from responsible sources 

13 are— 

14 (i) produced according to an inde15 pendently certified procurement standard; 

16 or 

17 (ii) from jurisdictions with regulatory 

18 or quasi-regulatory programs to implement 

19 best management practices, including from 

20 Federal, State, and Tribal land. 

21 (2) CONTRACTS AND PRIORITY.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—In procuring innovative 

23 wood products for purposes of carrying out the 

24 requirements of paragraph (1), the Adminis25 trator or the Secretary, as applicable, shall— 


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1 (i) consider appropriate contracting 

2 options; and 

3 (ii) give preference to innovative wood 

4 products that are sourced from— 

5 (I) restoration practices; 

6 (II) forest management actions 

7 designed to protect communities and 

8 critical infrastructure against cata9 strophic wildfire; or 

10 (III) underserved forest owners, 

11 as determined by the Secretary of Ag12 riculture, including Tribally owned 

13 forests and small family forests. 

14 (B) DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED.—For 

15 purposing of verifying that an innovative wood 

16 product is sourced in accordance with subclause 

17 (I), (II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(ii), the 

18 Administrator or the Secretary, as applicable, 

19 shall seek appropriate documentation. 

20 (3) LIFECYCLE ASSESSMENT; REPORT.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

22 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

23 the Administrator, in consultation with the Sec24 retary of Agriculture, shall conduct a cradle-to25 gate whole-building lifecycle assessment considVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:33 Apr 27, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4149.IS S4149

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1 ering the global warming potential, in compli2 ance with International Organization for Stand3 ardization standards 14044 and 14020, of new 

4 buildings that use innovative wood products in 

5 the construction of those buildings. 

6 (B) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

7 after the date on which the whole-building 

8 lifecycle assessment required under subpara9 graph (A) is completed, the Administrator, in 

10 consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, 

11 shall submit to Congress, and make publicly 

12 available, a report describing the results of that 

13 assessment. 

Æ 


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