Paving the Way for American Industry Act

The Paving the Way for American Industry Act would amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements to yellow organic pigments. Specifically, it would require that yellow organic pigments produced in the United States—covering all manufacturing steps from the initial material combination through the final pigment, including chemical or biochemical reactions that create new molecular structures—be treated as domestic construction materials for BABA purposes. The change would apply immediately to pigments used in water-based paints for road, highway, or airport surface markings, and would extend to all formulas containing these pigments two years after enactment. The bill also directs the federal Office of Management and Budget to update guidance within 90 days to reflect these changes. In short, the bill is aimed at broadening the set of materials deemed domestically produced for federal infrastructure projects, focusing specifically on yellow organic pigments used in road and airport markings, with a phased implementation and a requirement to update guidance to reflect the new rule.