August 10, 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.

NLBMDA Releases Its Washington Mid-Year Report

As Congress begins its August state work period this week, NLBMDA is taking stock of a consequential first half of the year and looking ahead to a compressed fall legislative calendar. Our latest Washington Update covers implementation of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, continued advocacy for the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, OSHA’s proposed heat standard, trade and building material costs, highway reauthorization and federal truck weight limits, swipe fee reform, workforce development, and the political outlook heading into the midterm elections.

Read the full Washington Update here for a detailed look at the issues shaping the remainder of 2026 and what they mean for the LBM industry.

Credit Card Competition Act Gains Three New Senate Cosponsors

Momentum behind the Credit Card Competition Act (S. 3623) grew last week as Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Angus King (I-ME) joined the legislation as cosponsors. Their support brings additional bipartisan backing to the bill, which would require large credit card-issuing banks to provide merchants with a choice between competing payment networks when processing transactions. The new cosponsors are particularly notable because Lummis and Moreno serve on the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation.

NLBMDA has made credit card swipe fee reform a sustained advocacy priority throughout the 119th Congress, repeatedly urging lawmakers to support greater competition in the credit card processing market and provide relief from rising transaction costs facing dealers and other Main Street businesses. The latest congressional support follows President Trump’s renewed endorsement of the legislation last week, his second public endorsement of the Credit Card Competition Act this year. With lawmakers returning to Washington after the August recess, NLBMDA will continue working with its coalition partners and congressional offices to build support for the legislation and identify opportunities to advance swipe fee reform before the end of the year.

Translating Special Operations Excellence into Private Sector Success at the 2026 ProDealer Industry Summit

Technology is no longer a support function in the lumber and building material (LBM) industry—it is a core driver of efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. The most successful organizations are those that focus not on adopting technology for its own sake, but on deploying solutions that deliver measurable return on investment.

Real ROI comes from eliminating friction in daily operations: faster quoting, more accurate inventory management, streamlined delivery logistics, and better customer communication. Integrated systems that connect sales, operations, and finance reduce manual work and improve decision-making speed and quality. From CRM platforms to ERP systems, mobile apps for the field, and ecommerce integrations, technology enables teams to do more with fewer resources while improving service levels. The key is alignment—ensuring each tool solves a defined business problem and contributes directly to efficiency, margin improvement, or customer satisfaction.

Kristin Andrews is the Director of Process Optimization at Mans Lumber & Home, where she leads the company's adoption of AI and emerging technology. With more than twenty-five years in the building industry spanning Sales, Operations, Project Management, and Technology, she brings a rare cross-functional view of how LBM businesses actually put new tools to work.

Call for Silent Auction Donations at ProDealer 2026

Support NLBMDA by donating to this year’s Silent Auction! Each contribution helps strengthen our advocacy efforts in Washington while giving members the chance to bid on exciting items. Half of this year's Silent Auction donations will go to a charity to support the LBM Community.

Popular donations in past years have included sports memorabilia, electronics, outdoor gear, cigars, jewelry, art, wine and spirits, and more. If you’d like to showcase your support and generosity, simply complete the donation form below and help make this year’s auction a success.

Recording Available: What Comes Next for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act?

NLBMDA members can now access the recording of our recent webinar examining what comes next following enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. With the landmark bipartisan housing legislation now law, attention is turning to implementation and when its dozens of provisions could begin affecting housing production, affordability and the residential construction industry.

During the webinar, NLBMDA Government Affairs Coordinator Matthew Delaney was joined by Aaron Shroyer, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, for a discussion of the law’s major provisions and the work that remains ahead. The presentation covered expected federal agency rulemakings and guidance, new studies and pilot programs, provisions requiring additional congressional funding, and the broader timeline for translating the law into changes that could affect housing development and supply.

Members who were unable to participate live, or who would like to revisit the discussion, can access the full webinar recording here.

July Jobs Report Shows Hiring Slowdown as Unemployment Holds Steady

U.S. employers shed 23,000 jobs in July as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent, according to data released last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The report also included significant downward revisions to previous months, with May and June payroll gains revised lower by a combined 103,000 jobs. Following the revisions, employers added just 63,000 jobs in May and 20,000 in June, pointing to a notable slowdown in hiring in recent months. The number of unemployed workers remained largely unchanged at 6.9 million.

Construction employment continued to outperform the broader labor market, adding approximately 22,000 jobs in July. However, employment in residential building construction was essentially unchanged, declining by about 500 jobs during the month. Construction wages also continued to rise, with average hourly earnings reaching $41.46 in July, up from $39.73 one year earlier. The full report can be accessed here.

Three States Drive Over 20% of Remodeling Activity, NAHB Research Finds

The National Association of Home Builders’ latest State Projections of Remodeling (SPR) shows California, Texas and Florida continued to lead the nation in remodeling activity during the first quarter of 2026, accounting for the largest shares of total spending. California ranked first with $22.2 billion in remodeling volume (8% market share), followed by Texas at $20.2 billion (7.3%) and Florida at $15.4 billion (5.5%). Despite signs of cyclical weakness reflected in recent GDP data, NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz noted that inflation-adjusted remodeling spending rose more than 10% between 2023 and 2025, supported by an aging housing stock and record levels of home equity among existing homeowners. Confidence in the sector also remains strong, with NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index staying above 60 for the past year.

The SPR also highlighted strong growth in several states, led by Michigan, where remodeling spending increased by $637.6 million, or 10.1%, in the first quarter. Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington rounded out the top five states for remodeling spending growth. NAHB Remodelers Chairman Elliott Pike said many of the fastest-growing remodeling markets are in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, where older homes and rising homeowner equity are driving demand. Looking ahead, NAHB expects remodeling activity to continue expanding as homeowners invest in upgrades, including aging-in-place renovations. The remodeling industry’s footprint has grown substantially as well, with the number of remodeling firms increasing from 69,000 in 2000 to 128,000 at the start of 2025.

Homebuilding Materials Tariff Relief Act Introduced in U.S. House

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, recently introduced the Homebuilding Materials Tariff Relief Act, legislation that would exempt a defined group of products used in residential construction from tariffs imposed on or after January 20, 2025. Since the bill’s introduction, NLBMDA has met with Beyer’s office to discuss the proposal and its pathway through Congress. The legislation identifies eligible products through specific Harmonized Tariff Schedule classifications and would exempt them from covered tariffs. Antidumping and countervailing duties, safeguard measures and duties imposed through trade-agreement dispute settlement would remain in place.

The legislation would also establish a two-part test before a covered tariff could be reimposed. First, the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index would have to average 160 or higher for the preceding 12 months. An index of 100 means a family earning the national median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment. A reading of 160 means the median-income family earns 160 percent of the income needed to qualify, or 60 percent more than required. For comparison, NAR’s national index stood at 102.3 in June 2026, well below the bill’s threshold. Even after the affordability test is met, Congress would still have to enact a joint resolution approving the tariff before it could be reimposed.



While the legislation faces long odds of advancing this Congress given the current political dynamics, it is the second bill introduced this Congress to recognize the connection between housing affordability and a stable, affordable supply of building materials. The other, introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Chris Coons (D-DE), was developed with input from NLBMDA and similarly seeks to address housing costs through the availability and price of construction products.

Senate Approves Stopgap Funding Bill Through December 11

The Senate voted 90-6 early Saturday to approve a bipartisan continuing resolution that would keep the federal government funded through December 11, moving Congress closer to avoiding a shutdown when current funding expires September 30. The measure, H.R. 6500, continues existing funding while providing limited adjustments for selected programs and extending several expiring health, veterans, infrastructure and other authorities. The Senate-passed measure differs from the continuing resolution approved by the House in July, which would fund the government only through December 4. The House will therefore need to take additional action on the Senate version when lawmakers return to Washington. If enacted, the stopgap would give Congress additional time to negotiate the twelve full-year fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills, pushing the next major government funding deadline into the post-election lame-duck session.

Senate Passes Common Cents Act as Penny Phaseout Moves Forward

The Senate passed the Common Cents Act, S. 1525, by unanimous consent on August 8^th prior to departing for August recess. The legislation would establish federal rules for the transition away from newly produced pennies. It would direct the Treasury Department to stop minting pennies for circulation and require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. In practice, a cash total ending in one or two cents would generally round down, while a total ending in three or four cents would round up. Electronic payments can still be processed to the exact cent.

The legislation follows the U.S. Mint’s decision to end production of circulating pennies in November 2025 as the cost of manufacturing each penny rose to 3.69 cents. Existing pennies remain legal tender and can continue to be used. The House passed its version of the Common Cents Act, H.R. 3074, by voice vote on July 14. Because the chambers passed separate versions, further congressional action is needed before a final bill can reach the President.

NLBMDA Joins Coalition Objection to Proposed Visa-Mastercard Settlement

NLBMDA has joined the Merchants Payments Coalition and other merchant organizations in objecting to the proposed settlement in the longstanding In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation. The coalition is urging the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to reject final approval, arguing that the agreement would require merchants to give up overly broad current and future legal claims against Visa, Mastercard and card-issuing banks while providing only limited and temporary relief. Because merchants currently cannot opt out of the proposed class settlement, its liability release could bind businesses that accept Visa or Mastercard cards.

Among other concerns, the objection argues that the settlement’s five-year, 0.1 percentage-point reduction in average interchange rates is insufficient and that other proposed reforms contain loopholes that could limit their effectiveness. In addition to merchant trade associations, individual dealers and other businesses are eligible to sign on to the objection letter. The full letter and sign-on form can be found here.

Meet the NextGen Award honorees

It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of developing future generations of leaders in any industry. But here in LBM, the importance is magnified by a number of factors: succession challenges, industry consolidation, the graying of existing leadership and the emerging digital landscape. 

Also unique to the LBM industry – there’s no adequate textbook, let alone a full-blown college major to generate future leaders. 

But take courage. The newly enhanced HBSDealer NextGen Awards program has uncovered a class of leaders with impeccable credentials and inspiring references.

Four Weyerhaeuser forest carbon projects rated ‘A’ or higher by BeZero Carbon

For years, leaders in our Climate Solutions business have emphasized the importance of developing high-integrity forest carbon projects to support the growth and credibility of the voluntary carbon market. This market is an essential mechanism for organizations pursuing net-zero strategies because it enables the purchase of credits to offset unavoidable or difficult-to-reduce emissions.

But what makes for a high-integrity project?

At Weyerhaeuser, our Carbon Credit Principles outline our fundamental approach to developing carbon projects and define high-integrity projects as those meeting the following three criteria. They must: 1) represent real, measurable change; 2) ensure durable climate benefits; and 3) demonstrate transparency. Our Forest Carbon team works diligently to ensure the projects we develop meet these high standards, and independent third parties then validate our methodology, measurements and governance.

LMC Women Shine in HBSDealer's Top Women Class of 2026

The hardware and building supply industry depends on people who know how to solve problems, build relationships and lead through change. In a male-dominated industry, many of the people making an impact — on their businesses, their customers and their communities—are women.

HBSDealer's 2026 Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply class includes nine women from the LMC network, and LMC is proud to celebrate their achievement.

“These outstanding women aren’t just keeping pace with the hardware and building supply industry; they’re setting the tempo for where it’s going next,” said Amy Grant, associate publisher of HBSDealer. “From trailblazing veterans to sharp emerging stars, this year’s class proves that the future of LBM is dynamic, innovative, and driven by exceptional talent. Honoring their impact is a privilege, and watching them ignite the next generation is a huge reward.”

22nd Annual Federated Challenge® Raises $5,488,000 to Support Big Brothers Big Sisters®

The Federated Challenge® raised $5,488,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters® during its 22nd annual event on Sunday, July 26. Federated Insurance® Chairman, President and CEO Nicholas Lower and his wife, Jessica, served as co-chairs, and the gala drew nearly 800 attendees and 131 sponsoring businesses, including 31 first-time sponsors.

“This year’s Federated Challenge theme, Building Big Futures, reflects our shared commitment to creating a strong foundation from which young people can pursue their dreams and develop into successful adults,” said Lower. “Together, we are creating meaningful impact and helping shape brighter futures for young people all across the country.”