TRIA Government Relations Update: Tariffs, Housing Legislation, and Labor Policy Changes

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

Tariffs – IEEPA Refunds
IEEPA tariff refunds are being fulfilled by Customs and Border Protection and as of May 27, CBP had cleared $20.6B in refunds.  However, on May 29 the Trump Administration said it will appeal a federal court order to refund all the IEEPA tariffs paid and not just unliquidated tariff entries.
 
Tariffs – Sec. 122
President Trump shifted IEEPA tariffs to tariffs under Sec. 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, but on May 7 a federal court ruled 122 wasn’t meant to address trade deficits.  Also, the 122 tariffs expire July 24 even if the Administration wins on appeal.  As such, the U.S. Trade Representative is racing to finish Sec. 301 investigations into 16 economies’ excess manufacturing capacity to replace the defunct IEEPA and current 122 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 federal regulations and incentivizing state and local governments to ease land-use regulations.  The House version kept Senate language limiting institutional investors but dropped divestiture requirements for built-to-rent homes and added language partially deregulating community bank lending for home building.  The White House backs the House version.
 
More Homes on the Market Act
TRIA’s DC fly-in team discussed housing bills 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.  The legislation now has 121 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate.  However, More Homes probably won’t be attached to the 21st Century package but could be passed as a stand-alone bill.
 
Regulatory Actions

• TRIA is on the attached letter to Treasury/DOJ urging Supreme Court review of the Corporate Transparency Act which is currently suspended for domestic businesses.
• On May 14, DOL repealed the Biden Administration’s overtime rule, reverting back to Trump 1.0’s OT rule.
• On April 22, DOL moved to restore the Trump 1.0 joint-employer rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

 
Congressional and Other Meetings
In May, Mr. Brightup attended events for Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Rep. Mark Begich (R-AK).  He also participated in U.S. Chamber Labor Relations Committee meetings and an OSHA Roundtable hosted by the SBA.

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