Federal Policy Updates Impacting the Roofing Industry: Housing, Tariffs, and Labor Rules

Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities on the following from May 2026:

Tariffs
IEEPA tariff refunds are now being fulfilled through Customs and Border Protection’s portal system.  As of May 13, over 8 million imports were in line for over $35 billion in refunds.  On Feb. 24, President Trump shifted the defunct IEEPA tariffs to 10% tariffs under Sec. 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.  However, on May 7, the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled Sec. 122 wasn’t meant to address trade deficits.  The Trump Administration appealed to the Federal Circuit which halted the injunction during the legal process.  With Sec. 122 tariffs limited to 150 days, these expire July 24.  The CIT ruling against the Sec. 122 tariffs and their short lifespan puts more pressure on the U.S. Trade Representative to complete Sec. 301 investigations into 16 economies’ structural excess capacity and production in certain manufacturing sectors to replace the IEEPA tariffs.
 
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
On May 20, the House passed an amended version of the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 396-13.  The underlying bill addresses housing affordability by lessening government regulations on housing and incentivizing state/local governments to ease land-use regulations.  The House version retained Senate language limiting institutional investors but dropped divestiture requirements for homes built-to-rent.  The House also added language partially deregulating community banks to boost local lending for home building.  The White House backs the House version and wants the Senate to quickly pass it.         
 
More Homes on the Market Act
TRIA’s DC fly-in team discussed housing bills when meeting with the National Association of Home Builders including the More Homes on the Market Act, H.R. 1340/S. 3332, which would double the capital gains exemption for selling a primary residence.  Attached is a National Association of Realtors position paper on the bill which now has 120 bipartisan House cosponsors and seven in the Senate.  But despite its growing momentum, More Homes won’t be attached to the 21st Century package but could be put in a “Reconciliation 3.0” bill.
 
Regulatory Actions

• TRIA is on the attached letter urging Supreme Court review of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) which is currently suspended for domestic businesses.
• On May 14, DOL formally repealed the Biden Administration’s overtime rule, reverting back to the OT rule put in place during Trump 1.0.
• On April 22, DOL published a rulemaking to restore the Trump 1.0 rule clarifying when two or more entities are “joint employers” under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

For more information on the TRIA Alliance and our Government Relations efforts, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org.