June 1, 2026 • View in browser | | NLBMDA Weekly is our newsletter covering everything from the latest activity in Washington to updates from our members. This is the premier source of federal legislative, regulatory, and industry news for NLBMDA members. | | House Passes Bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act | |
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a sweeping bipartisan housing package aimed at addressing barriers to housing production and persistent affordability challenges. The House approved the amended legislation by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 396-13, sending the bill back to the Senate for further consideration. House passage represents an important step toward advancing pro-supply housing policies that have long been a priority for NLBMDA and the industry.
NLBMDA supports the House-passed legislation and believes the revised text strengthens the package by keeping the focus on expanding housing supply, reducing regulatory barriers, and encouraging new construction. Notably, the House-passed version removes the Senate provision that would have required certain build-to-rent properties to be sold after seven years, a change that helps avoid discouraging private investment in new housing development. While no single bill can solve America’s housing affordability challenges overnight, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would advance common-sense reforms that support housing production and the businesses and supply chains that make construction possible.
NLBMDA recently held a webinar breaking down the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, its potential impact on the LBM industry, and how members can help support the bill as it moves through Congress. Those interested can register to receive a recording of the webinar here. NLBMDA will continue working with lawmakers to make the case for policies that expand housing supply, strengthen the construction supply chain, and support the LBM industry.
| | NLBMDA Urges OCC to Reconsider Illinois Swipe Fee Preemption Order | |
Last week NLBMDA submitted comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) urging the agency to withdraw its Interim Final Order preempting the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA). IFPA is a state law that prohibits interchange, or “swipe,” fees from being charged on the tax and gratuity portions of electronic payment transactions. While the law applies in Illinois, NLBMDA is weighing in because the OCC’s action could have broader implications for interchange fee reform efforts in other states and for dealers who routinely process credit card transactions. In our comments, NLBMDA emphasized that dealers should not be charged swipe fees on funds they never retain, including taxes collected on behalf of state and local governments.
NLBMDA also pushed back on claims that IFPA presents insurmountable compliance challenges for the banking industry, noting that payment networks, card issuers, processors, and financial institutions have had approximately two years to prepare for the law’s requirements. The letter warns that the OCC’s order adopts an overly broad view of federal preemption that could discourage state-level policy decisions and further entrench a payment system in which merchants have little ability to negotiate or control card acceptance costs.
NLBMDA also noted President Trump’s stated support for swipe fee reform and urged the OCC to avoid insulating excessive interchange fee practices from meaningful competition or scrutiny. NLBMDA is working with aligned associations to monitor the OCC’s rulemaking and evaluate potential advocacy responses to the agency’s decision. NLBMDA’s letter to the OCC can be found here.
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Registration is now open for the ProDealer Industry Summit, October 5-7 in Chicago, Illinois! Join us for an exclusive live educational forum designed to advance the growth of lumber and building product dealers, distributors, wholesalers, and their supplier partners. The event will be held at The Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago and is co-hosted by NLBMDA and HBSDealer.
Join us for enlightening sessions such as Declarations of Independents: Success Stories; AI Today: Making Better, Faster Decisions; and A State of Play from Washington, D.C.: An Insider Look into the Political Landscape. This is an event you won't want to miss!
| | New Home Sales Drop in April as Affordability Pressures Persist | Sales of new single-family homes fell in April as elevated mortgage rates and affordability challenges continued to weigh on buyer demand. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, new home sales declined 6.2 percent from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 622,000 and were down 11.3 percent compared to April 2025. The median sales price for new homes rose to $422,500, while inventory increased to 489,000 homes, representing a 9.4-month supply. The data underscores the continued pressure facing the housing market, as higher borrowing costs and elevated home prices keep many prospective buyers on the sidelines. Read more from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD here. | | OSHA Penalty Amounts Remain Unchanged for 2026 | | The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it will not adjust civil monetary penalties for inflation in 2026, meaning OSHA penalty amounts will remain unchanged from 2025 levels. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act generally requires federal agencies to update civil penalties annually, but DOL stated that the October 2025 inflation data needed to calculate this year’s adjustment was unavailable due to the lapse in federal appropriations. As a result, OSHA’s maximum penalties will remain at $16,550 per serious, other-than-serious, or posting violation, $16,550 per day for failure to abate, and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation. | | 5-Year Surface Infrastructure Bill Advances Out of House Transportation Committee | |
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved the BUILD America 250 Act, a bipartisan five-year infrastructure package, following a lengthy 14-hour committee markup. The roughly $580 billion proposal would authorize federal highway, bridge, transit, freight, passenger rail, and safety programs for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with a major focus on maintaining and improving the nation’s highway and bridge network. The bill now moves forward for consideration by the full House as Congress works to reauthorize surface transportation programs before current infrastructure law expires at the end of September.
Importantly for NLBMDA, the Committee adopted an NLBMDA-backed amendment offered by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) to create a voluntary 10-year pilot program allowing participating states to permit six-axle trucks up to 91,000 pounds on federal interstates. Increasing the limit from 80,000 to 91,000 pounds would allow qualifying trucks to carry up to 11,000 additional pounds, a 13.75 percent increase in allowable gross vehicle weight. The provision has been a long-standing NLBMDA priority, as federal truck weight limits have remained largely unchanged for more than five decades despite significant advancements in vehicle technology and safety systems. Increasing the allowable weight for qualifying six-axle trucks would help dealers move more building materials per trip, improving delivery efficiency for trips taken on the interstate network.
BUILD America 250 also includes targeted log and forest-products hauling provisions, allowing Louisiana to issue special permits for certain vehicles transporting raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, biomass, and woodchips, up to 88,000 pounds on the Interstate System, and allowing Arkansas to permit covered logging vehicles up to 85,000 pounds for trips of up to 20 Interstate miles from origin to a storage or processing facility. NLBMDA will continue to engage with lawmakers in the House and Senate as the infrastructure package advances and will keep members updated on provisions affecting our industry.
| | House THUD Appropriations Bill Advances Out of Subcommittee | |
The House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year 2027 funding bill, advancing the measure to the full Appropriations Committee for further consideration. The bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $92.224 billion, including $71.377 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The legislation includes funding for several key housing programs, including $500 million for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, $3.3 billion for Community Development Block Grants, and continued support for rental assistance, homelessness assistance, and housing programs serving elderly and disabled Americans.
NLBMDA will remain engaged throughout the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process as the bill moves through the House and as Senate appropriators begin advancing their own funding proposals. The Senate is expected to advance its own proposal this summer. NLBMDA will continue monitoring HUD housing programs, as well as transportation-related funding relevant to the industry. Funding for HUD expires at the end of this fiscal year on September 30th.
| | House Small Business Committee Advances Main Street Policy Package | |
The House Small Business Committee reported nine bills favorably to the full House following a recent committee markup focused on small business oversight, competitiveness, cybersecurity, technology, contracting, and access to resources. The package includes the Main Street Competes Act, which would require the SBA Office of Advocacy to provide recommendations to Congress on how federal antitrust enforcement affects small business competitiveness, based on data submitted by the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.
The Committee also advanced bills addressing SBA disaster loan oversight, small business cybersecurity resources, SBA use of artificial intelligence, federal contracting protections, and awareness of Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements. The markup reflects continued congressional attention to issues affecting Main Street businesses, including competition, regulatory oversight, access to modern business tools, and broader federal policies shaping the small business environment.
| | House Small Business Committee Highlights Role of Small Home Builders in Addressing Housing Shortage | |
The House Small Business Committee recently held a hearing titled “Building the Future: How Small Home Builders are Closing America’s Housing Gap,” focused on the role small builders play in expanding housing supply and addressing affordability challenges. Witnesses and lawmakers discussed how regulatory barriers, construction costs, financing challenges, and supply constraints continue to limit the ability of small builders to meet growing housing demand.
The hearing comes as Congress continues to consider broader housing supply legislation, including the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. During the hearing, witnesses highlighted the importance of policies that reduce unnecessary barriers to construction and support additional housing inventory. A recording of the hearing can be viewed here.
| | NLBMDA Remembers Former WBMA President Chuck Stout | | |
NLBMDA joins the Western Building Material Association (WBMA) in remembering Chuck Stout, a longtime leader in the industry who passed away on May 17 in Boise, Idaho. Chuck was widely respected for his decades of service to the industry, his leadership within WBMA, and his lasting contributions to the building community in Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
Chuck spent his career in construction and home design, beginning in the industry at Irrigator’s Lumber Company in Caldwell, Idaho, where he joined the company in 1977 as an outside salesman estimating whole-home packages. He later became co-owner and helped support residential construction throughout the Treasure Valley. Chuck remained active in the industry through his work with Capital Lumber, Lloyd Lumber, and Sunpro in Nampa, ID. He was also involved with WBMA, serving as President of the Young Westerners Club and later as WBMA President in 1998, in addition to serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
NLBMDA extends its condolences to Chuck’s family, friends, former colleagues, and the entire WBMA community.
| | Hammond Lumber Supports Robbins Lumber Exposition Victims | | |
Hammond Lumber Company announced a $100,000 donation to support victims and families impacted by the fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine. The donation will go to the Maine Strong Memorial Foundation to provide direct assistance for medical expenses, recovery and rehabilitation needs, funeral costs, lost income, and other hardships faced by those affected.
NLBMDA joins the entire LBM industry in offering sincere condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of Andrew Cross, a firefighter who tragically lost his life while responding to the explosion. Our thoughts are also with the several others who remain injured from the incident. Those seeking to support the individuals and families impacted by the explosion may donate to the Maine Strong Memorial Foundation below.
| | LBM Advantage Launches Women’s Alliance | LBM Advantage has launched its Women’s Alliance, a new initiative designed to support connection, collaboration, professional development, and leadership opportunities for women across its member network and the broader lumber and building materials industry. The alliance will provide a forum for women in the industry to build relationships, share experiences, and engage with peers on common challenges and opportunities. The program is expected to include networking opportunities, peer engagement, leadership-focused programming, and other resources aimed at strengthening participation and visibility for women throughout the LBM sector. | | Bliffert Lumber Announces Leadership Transition | Bliffert Lumber & Design announced a leadership transition, naming Josh Brown as CEO and president and appointing Jay Walsh as chief operating officer, effective July 1. Longtime company leader Eli Bliffert will transition from CEO and president to chairman of the board, where he will remain involved in the company’s long-term strategy and direction. | | | | |
