The National Wood Flooring Association has announced that President Barack Obama’s Home Star program, also known as “Cash for Caulkers,” has been amended to recognize wood products. Final passage is expected to take some time, but having the wood provision in both bills is a positive first step for the wood industry, the NWFA said.

The Home Star program is aimed at kick-starting the homebuilding industry and creating green jobs through rebates for energy-saving home improvements. The amended legislation is receiving support in both the House and the Senate. In the House version, Representative Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) introduced the legislation and has won the support of the House Energy Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif). Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) supported the legislation in the Senate.

The legislation was supported by the Hardwood Federation, a coalition of more than 30 associations, including the NWFA, representing the interests of the United States hardwood industry. The U.S. hardwood industry employs millions of families throughout the country, representing thousands of jobs in nearly every state and hundreds of Congressional districts.