This legislation, titled the "Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025," aims to establish a contracting preference for public buildings that utilize innovative wood products , including mass timber, in their construction. The General Services Administration Administrator and the Secretary of Defense are directed to prioritize such buildings, ensuring the wood products are procured from facilities and forestlands located within the United States. The bill specifies that these U.S.-sourced innovative wood products must come from responsible sources , defined as those adhering to independently certified procurement standards or regulatory programs for best management practices. Furthermore, when procuring these products, preference must be given to those derived from forest restoration practices , forest management actions designed to protect against catastrophic wildfire, or from underserved forest owners, including Tribal and small family forests. To ensure accountability and understanding of environmental impact, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, is required to conduct a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment for new public buildings using innovative wood products. Following this assessment, a comprehensive report detailing its results must be submitted to Congress and made publicly available.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Government Operations and Politics
Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-1094| Senate
| Updated: 3/24/2025
This legislation, titled the "Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act of 2025," aims to establish a contracting preference for public buildings that utilize innovative wood products , including mass timber, in their construction. The General Services Administration Administrator and the Secretary of Defense are directed to prioritize such buildings, ensuring the wood products are procured from facilities and forestlands located within the United States. The bill specifies that these U.S.-sourced innovative wood products must come from responsible sources , defined as those adhering to independently certified procurement standards or regulatory programs for best management practices. Furthermore, when procuring these products, preference must be given to those derived from forest restoration practices , forest management actions designed to protect against catastrophic wildfire, or from underserved forest owners, including Tribal and small family forests. To ensure accountability and understanding of environmental impact, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, is required to conduct a cradle-to-gate whole-building lifecycle assessment for new public buildings using innovative wood products. Following this assessment, a comprehensive report detailing its results must be submitted to Congress and made publicly available.