Timber Innovation Act of 2016

Timber Innovation Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a performance-driven research and development program to advance tall wood building construction in the United States. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction (mass timber), including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall for FY2017-FY2021 carry out an annual competition for a tall wood building design in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. In carrying out a wood innovation grant program, USDA may make a wood innovation grant to one or more specified eligible entities in order to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies in the development of innovative wood products for tall wood building construction. USDA shall give priority to grant proposals which include the use or retrofitting (or both) of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year. USDA shall carry out a program of education and technical assistance for mass timber applications. USDA shall collaborate and partner with one or more nonfederal entities, including governments of other countries, to: enhance tall wood building commercialization of the United States, develop technical assistance related to tall wood building commercialization, and carry out the program.