When Congress passed the multi-year transportation bill, one of the requirements was that all purchases made with Federal transportation grant funds must comply with the Buy America Act (23 U.S.C. 101). The Buy America compliance had previously been required for all steel and iron used in highway construction projects, but the law was modified to require that all manufactured goods also be made in America.
Here is the text of the law:
SEC. 101. FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY BUY AMERICA PROVISIONS. |
| In General.–Section 313 of title 23, United States Code, is amended to read as follows
Sec. 313. Buy America |
| Domestic Source Requirement for Steel, Iron, and Manufactured Goods.– |
| In general.–Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds made available to carry out this title may not be obligated for a project unless the steel, iron, and manufactured goods used for the project are produced in the United States. |
Although there is a process for receiving an exemption from these requirements, it is not feasible to receive an exemption for a small purchase. In practice, all items purchased with Federal Transportation grants, which pass through the Governor’s Highway Safety Offices or other delegated agencies in the states, must be produced in the United States.
The good news is that all MPH Industries speed measurement products are produced in the United States. That is not true of all of the radar and lidar products in the marketplace. Please note: Each MPH product manufactured in our Owensboro, Kentucky factory is marked with a Buy America logo on the relevant webpage.
An official letter, confirming this information, is available. The letter can be used when making a purchase of any of these items, to document that your purchase is in compliance with the Buy America rules of the grant program. If you need documentation on your State’s grant form, please contact your MPH sales manager.