MBI Opposes Oregon House Bill 2688A

For over 40 years, Modular Building Institute (MBI) has been the leading voice for the modular building industry, representing over 600 modular builders, designers, and suppliers throughout the United States and across the globe. Our members in Oregon include women-owned businesses that can complete public works projects faster and in a more environmentally conscious way than traditional construction firms. We oppose Oregon House Bill 2688A and encourage all state legislators to vote against this bill.

House Bill 2688A is convoluted to the point that MBI and other policy experts are not certain if volumetric construction is covered under the parameters it sets out. Should BOLI determine that volumetric construction falls under this bill’s purview, the overhead costs for compliance would immediately eliminate Oregon-based modular businesses from bidding on public contracts. Yet out of state businesses, who fall outside of BOLI’s enforcement capabilities, may still be able to bid on these contracts without complying with the law.

Modular construction provides the opportunity to complete building projects faster, and with significantly less waste.  These factors often lead to lower overall project cost than traditional construction.

Additionally, modular factory employees enjoy a number of benefits not found in traditional construction employment. Modular employees perform their duties indoors, away from most environmental hazards found on traditional construction sites. They also work regular full-time hours throughout the year, providing a healthy work life balance.

Should House Bill 2688A become law, building projects would increase in price, face longer completion timelines, and produce significantly more waste. The bill also incentivizes contract awards to out of state businesses who would not reinvest their earnings into the local Oregon economy. For all these reasons, we ask the Oregon state legislature to vote against House Bill 2688A.