BuyAmerican.gov Act of 2021
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Trade.
BuyAmerican.gov Act of 2021
This bill directs the President and specified federal agencies to take steps to increase transparency and limit the use of waivers of Buy American laws. Generally, Buy American requires agencies to procure domestic goods.
The bill requires (1) the Department of Commerce to report periodically to Congress and the President on the implementation of, and compliance with, Buy American laws; (2) Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to assess the impacts of all U.S. free trade agreements and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement on the operation of such laws; and (3) the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a free, publicly available BuyAmerican.gov website. Public interest waivers from Buy American laws shall be construed to ensure the maximum utilization of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States.
The President shall develop a mechanism to collect information on requests to waive Buy American laws and other domestic content restrictions for purposes of providing early notice to possible waivers via the website. Executive agencies shall make information concerning the intention to issue a waiver or exception in connection with a federal procurement available to the GSA at least 20 days prior to waiving a Buy American law.
The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress within two years of this bill's enactment describing the bill's implementation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on September 28, 2021. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 28, 2021: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 117th Congress (2021-22), 362 of the 15,242 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Antonio Delgado (D-NY) introduced it on September 28, 2021, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 28, 2021, 1808 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1808 days ago, on September 28, 2021.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 117th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2023 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers