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Committee approves bill requiring American-made iron and steel on public works with specified exceptions
Summary
House Bill H.4709 would require iron and steel permanently incorporated in public works projects to be produced in the United States, with limited exceptions and guidance to be developed by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority; the committee moved the bill unanimously to the Senate floor.
A Senate committee unanimously reported House Bill H.4709, a measure modeled on federal Buy America provisions that would require iron and steel products permanently incorporated in state public works projects to be produced in the United States, subject to enumerated exceptions.
A presenter walked the committee through the bill’s definitions (head of procurement unit, what constitutes iron or steel products, public entity, and public works project), the contract language that would require use of U.S.-produced iron and steel, and exceptions for certain circumstances. The presenter also noted an instructive role for the State Fiscal Accountability Authority (SFAA) to develop implementing guidelines and procedures. The bill expressly excludes Department of Transportation procurements that are already governed by federal Buy America rules (as referenced in committee discussion of 23 C.F.R. requirements).
A senator observed that the SCDOT already follows analogous federal procurement rules and said the bill’s approach "just makes sense" to ensure American-made materials are used in state projects. The committee voted to move the bill favorably to the Senate floor by a unanimous voice vote.
What happens next: The bill will proceed to the full Senate for consideration; SFAA would be tasked under the bill with developing implementation guidance if the bill is enacted.
