Paving the Way for American Industry Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 3933
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-12: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-31T09:05:31Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "Paving the Way for American Industry Act" (H.R. 3933) aims to promote domestic manufacturing by amending the Build America, Buy America (BABA) provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It expands the definition of "construction materials" to include specific U.S.-produced yellow organic pigments used in infrastructure projects, ensuring federal funding prioritizes American-made products.
Key Provisions
- Amendment to BABA Definition: Modifies Section 70917(c)(1) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include yellow organic pigments as construction materials if all manufacturing processes—from initial material combination to the chemical reaction creating the pigment—occur in the United States. (A chemical reaction here means a process that changes a molecule's structure by breaking or forming bonds or altering atom arrangements, including biochemical processes.)
- Applicability Timeline:
- Pigments used in water-based paints for road, highway, or airport surface markings must comply starting on the date of enactment.
- All formulas for such markings containing these pigments must comply within 2 years of enactment.
- Implementation Guidance: The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must update relevant guidance, including from the Made in America Office, within 90 days of enactment to reflect the new requirements.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Previously, BABA excluded certain items from the "construction materials" definition that required domestic sourcing for federally funded infrastructure projects. This bill reverses that for yellow organic pigments by explicitly including them if fully manufactured in the U.S., broadening the scope of mandatory "Buy American" rules without altering core BABA waivers or exemptions.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Federal agencies overseeing infrastructure funding (e.g., Department of Transportation) will need to enforce updated sourcing rules, potentially increasing administrative oversight but supporting domestic supply chains.
- Citizens and Economy: Encourages U.S. jobs in pigment manufacturing and related industries; may raise short-term costs for projects using non-U.S. pigments but aims to boost long-term economic growth through domestic production.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, but reinforces U.S. trade policies favoring American goods, which could subtly affect relations with pigment-exporting countries.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Pigment Manufacturers: Benefit from preferential treatment in federal contracts, potentially increasing market access and production.
- Infrastructure Contractors and Suppliers: Must source compliant U.S.-made yellow pigments for road, highway, and airport markings, affecting procurement costs and timelines.
- Federal Funding Recipients: State and local governments using federal infrastructure funds will face new compliance requirements.
- Taxpayers: Indirectly affected through potential shifts in project costs and emphasis on domestic economic benefits.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens BABA's implementation by clarifying definitions, reducing ambiguity in what qualifies as domestic content; no major challenges to existing waivers for non-availability.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I, Section 8, to condition federal funds on domestic preferences without raising equal protection or commerce clause issues.
- Political: Advances "Buy American" initiatives, appealing to domestic industry supporters; introduced by bipartisan sponsors (Ms. Scholten and Mr. Barrett), signaling cross-party interest in manufacturing revival, though it may face debate on implementation costs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
Cosponsors (6)
Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7], Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2], Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8], Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-12: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2025-06-11: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-06-11: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-06-11: Introduced in House
- 2025-06-11: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Paving the Way for American Industry Act — issued 2025-06-11 — PDF (3 pages)