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S. 538: Timber Innovation Act of 2017

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S. 538: Timber Innovation Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-07 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-07 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Timber Innovation Act of 2017

Plain summary

Timber Innovation Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting through the Research and Development and the State and Private Forestry deputy areas of the Forest Service, to conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance to facilitate the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction in the United States. Such activities shall give priority to: (1) improving the commercialization of such products, (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials, (3) calculating and reducing the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, and (4) analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction, including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall carry out an annual competition for FY2017-FY2021 for a tall wood building design, or other innovative wood product demonstration, in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. The Forest Service, in carrying out a wood innovation grant program, may make grants to advance the use of innovative wood products, with priority to grant proposals that include the use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Timber Innovation Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] · 19 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Crapo (R-ID), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James E. Risch (R-ID), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Steve Daines (R-MT), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-s538 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115