Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Jeff Roy sponsored bills before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight urging a procurement preference for U.S.‑made steel, iron and fabricated structural components on taxpayer‑funded projects.

Senator Lovely said the bills aim to preserve local economic activity and jobs lost when public projects use fabricated steel sourced and processed abroad. "Taxpayer‑funded school projects and other public projects have been able to save, on average, $15,000,000 per year by purchasing fabricated steel from foreign businesses," she told the committee.

Steel industry witnesses told the committee that Canadian fabricators, in particular, have captured most public structural steel work in New England and create competitive pressure that local shops cannot match. John Devries of Central Steel Supply said Canadian trucks regularly deliver fabricated steel to New England job sites and return empty, and accused Canadian firms of benefiting from a weaker currency and different employer benefit structures. "Keep our tax dollars here in The U.S. where they belong," Devries said.

Tim Gendron, president of Tim's Fabricators in Fitchburg, described the local landscape: about 100‑plus fabricators in Massachusetts but only a small share are large automated shops capable of the highest‑tonnage public projects. He said smaller and midsize shops cannot match the Canadian price advantage and that Canadian firms had captured roughly 95 percent of structural fabrication work for public projects in the region.

Several witnesses cited tariffs and international trade rules as complicating factors and urged state policy to prioritize local manufacturers regardless of federal tariff status. Steven Capone of Capone Iron said the economic multiplier from keeping fabrication local preserves jobs, tax revenue and reduces carbon footprint from long‑distance shipments.

Committee members asked for data on market share, the role of tariffs and the potential effects on public project costs. Several witnesses emphasized that the industry's infrastructure exists in Massachusetts and New England and could be used for public projects without new factory investment if procurement favored domestic fabrication.

No formal action was taken at the hearing. Legislators requested further written materials from witnesses and stakeholders on market share, the effect of current and potential tariffs, and lifecycle cost comparisons between domestic and foreign fabrication.