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42 <br />Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure <br />Build America, Buy America Act <br />Recipients and subrecipients must comply with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), which <br />was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act §§ 70901-70927, Pub. L. No. 117-58 <br />(2021); and Executive Order 14005, Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America’s <br />Workers. See also OMB Memorandum M-22-11, Initial Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy <br />America Preference in Federal Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure. <br />None of the funds provided under this program may be used for a project for infrastructure unless the iron <br />and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in that infrastructure are produced in <br />the United States. <br />The Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, <br />incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does not apply to tools, equipment, <br />and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction site and removed at or before the <br />completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America preference apply to equipment and <br />furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks, and portable computer equipment, that are used at or within <br />the finished infrastructure project but are not an integral part of the structure or permanently affixed to the <br />infrastructure project. <br />To see whether a particular FEMA federal financial assistance program is considered an infrastructure <br />program and thus required to include a Buy America preference, please see Programs and Definitions: <br />Build America, Buy America Act | FEMA.gov and Build America, Buy America Act Frequently Asked <br />Questions (FAQs) | FEMA.gov. Additional information is found in Buy America Preference in FEMA <br />Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure, FEMA Interim Policy #207-22-0001. <br />Waivers <br />When necessary, recipients (and subrecipients through their pass-through entity) may apply for, and <br />FEMA may grant, a waiver from these requirements. <br />A waiver of the domestic content procurement preference may be granted by the agency awarding official <br />if FEMA determines that: <br />•Applying the domestic content procurement preference would be inconsistent with the public <br />interest. <br />•The types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials are not produced in the <br />United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality. <br />•The inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials produced in the <br />United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25%. <br />For FEMA awards, the process for requesting a waiver from the Buy America preference requirements <br />can be found on FEMA’s website at “Buy America” Preference in FEMA Financial Assistance Programs <br />for Infrastructure | FEMA.gov. <br />Definitions <br />Construction materials: an article, material, or supply—other than an item primarily of iron or steel; a <br />manufactured product; cement and cementitious materials; aggregates such as stone, sand, or gravel; or <br />aggregate binding agents or additives—that is or consists primarily of non-ferrous metals, plastic and <br />polymer-based products (including polyvinylchloride, composite building materials, and polymers used in <br />fiber optic cables), glass (including optic glass), lumber, paint, and drywall.