Freedom to Build Act
Sen. Hagerty Introduces Bill to Reward Cities That Cut Red Tape on Housing Construction
The Freedom to Build Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
While both parties want more housing, the bill includes many rules that Democrats usually oppose, like blocking rent control and environmental mandates.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
The bill encourages localities to drop wage and workforce-composition mandates on housing projects beyond what state law requires. Construction unions could see fewer prevailing wage requirements and local hiring mandates on residential projects in designated communities, reducing union bargaining leverage and potentially lowering wages for construction workers in those areas.
“prohibiting wage, residency, or workforce-composition mandates on housing development projects beyond those imposed by generally applicable State law”
Programs
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
4 articles
Senate Republican pushes crackdown on California-style 'bureaucrat tax' adding $100K to new homes
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced the Freedom to Build Act to slash the 'bureaucrat tax'—regulations adding nearly $100,000 to home costs. The bill creates a HUD certification for localities that cut red tape, offering priority for federal grants to cities that streamline construction rules.
Proposed legislation would reward communities that ease construction rules
Industry groups like the NAHB and MBA have endorsed Sen. Hagerty’s Freedom to Build Act. The bill incentivizes local governments to adopt pro-supply reforms, such as faster permit approvals and modern building methods, by granting them priority status for existing HUD housing grants.
White House Economic Report Proposes Deregulation to Address 10 Million Home Shortage
The 2026 Economic Report of the President identifies a 'bureaucrat tax' contributing to a massive housing shortage. Sen. Hagerty’s Freedom to Build Act aims to codify recommendations to roll back restrictive zoning and green energy mandates that significantly inflate construction costs.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Freedom to Build Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.