Opportunity
Federal Register #2026-21634
Federal agencies seek input on extending a Buy America manufactured-products waiver for Tribal assistance
Buyer
Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary
Posted
October 23, 2026
Respond By
November 23, 2026
Identifier
2026-21634
Federal agencies are considering extending a Buy America waiver for infrastructure assistance to Indian Tribes and are seeking public input on its effects. - Government agencies: The Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Secretary, is coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Education (ED), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Department of Commerce (DOC). - Proposed policy: Extend the public interest waiver of the Build America, Buy America Act manufactured-products requirement for qualifying federal financial assistance agreements to Indian Tribes. The waiver would allow eligible recipients to purchase manufactured products that do not meet the domestic-content requirement. - Input sought: Feedback on critical manufactured products used in infrastructure projects, availability of compliant vendors (including Native enterprises), domestic product availability, and domestic production and supply chains. - Procurement scope: This is a request for comments, not a solicitation for products or services. No specific products, part numbers, quantities, OEMs, or vendors are identified.
Description
The Department of the Interior and the other named agencies propose to extend the manufactured products element of the general applicability joint public interest waiver to Indian Tribes, originally issued January 10, 2025. The proposed extension would waive the Build America, Buy America Act manufactured products requirement for Federal financial assistance agreements awarded to Indian Tribes through December 31, 2026, allowing recipients to purchase non-compliant manufactured products regardless of assistance amount. The waiver would apply to eligible funds not yet expended and to assistance obligated during the waiver period. The agencies seek comments, including on critical infrastructure products, compliant vendors, domestic product availability, and production and supply chains; comments are due November 23, 2026.