DES MOINES – A bill requiring the use of American products for public improvement projects in Iowa advanced in the Iowa Senate on Tuesday.
According to the bill, each contract for the construction of a public improvement made by a governmental unit shall contain a provision requiring that the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used or supplied in the performance of the contract or any subcontract there to be manufactured in the United States.
The requirement may be waived if certain products or materials necessary for completion of the project are not available from American companies or not available in sufficient quantities or if the use of American-made products or materials increases the cost of the contract by more than five percent.
Several lobbyists oppose the bill, including a lobbyist representing Lafarge North America, the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in the U.S. and Canada.
The act applies to public improvement contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2013.
