In his recent State of the Union address, President Biden once again talked about the importance of the Buy American rule, or the mandate for domestic production of construction materials for federal infrastructure projects. In furtherance of the said initiative, the White House recently released proposed guidance related to the requirement.

The Reuters reported:

The proposed guidance “will strengthen implementation of domestic content standards, while also improving federal financial assistance management, consistency, transparency, and oversight,” said Livia Shmavonian, who runs a White House office aimed at spurring U.S. government purchases of more American goods.

The proposed OMB guidance sets standards to ensure manufacturing processes for construction material occur in the United States, including standards for “plastic and polymer-based products, glass (including optic glass), lumber, and drywall,” Shmavonian added.

OMB is seeking input on whether to include additional construction materials, including paint and stain, bricks and engineered wood products. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed guidance.