Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025 seeks to establish a contracting preference for public buildings that use innovative wood products. This preference applies to the construction, alteration, acquisition, or lease of public buildings, including military installations. Under the bill, the Administrator of General Services or the Secretary of Defense would give priority to innovative wood products sourced from facilities and forestlands within the United States. The bill emphasizes using products from responsible sources and specific forest management actions. Additionally, it requires a lifecycle assessment regarding the global warming potential of these buildings.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +5
Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change?
The bill mandates lifecycle assessments for global warming potential and promotes wood products which can sequester carbon.
- Scored +5
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill gives preference to products from Tribally owned forests.
- Scored +4
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill encourages forest management practices designed to protect communities from wildfire and enhance ecosystem functions.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Priority for Domestic Wood Products: The bill establishes a preference for innovative wood products procured from facilities and harvested from forestlands located within the United States (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
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Support for Community Protection: The bill directs officials to give preference to wood products sourced from forest management actions designed to protect communities and critical infrastructure against catastrophic wildfire (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(ii)).
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Support for Underserved Forest Owners: Priority is given to innovative wood products sourced from underserved forest owners, which includes small family forests and Tribally owned forests (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(ii)).
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Environmental Assessment: The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, must conduct a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment considering global warming potential (Section 2(b)(3)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill mandates lifecycle assessments for global warming potential and promotes wood products which can sequester carbon. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill encourages forest management practices designed to protect communities from wildfire and enhance ecosystem functions. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The bill encourages specific management actions on Federal, State, and Tribal lands. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill promotes forest management intended to protect communities from catastrophic wildfires. Does this invest in rural communities? — The focus on domestic timber and small family forests supports rural economies.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill gives preference to products from Tribally owned forests. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill benefits rural economies through the prioritization of domestic timber and small forest owners. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides new contracting preferences for businesses specializing in mass timber. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill supports forest owners and those engaged in forest management.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill explicitly gives preference to small family forests and underserved forest owners. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill promotes the use of domestic innovative wood products which could stimulate growth in the domestic timber industry. Is this likely to grow the economy? — By prioritizing domestic procurement, the bill supports the domestic manufacturing and forestry sectors.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires a lifecycle assessment report to be made publicly available. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the role of federal agencies in prioritizing specific types of domestic procurement.
- 3/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mike CrapoRepublican · Idaho
James RischRepublican · Idaho
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon