Current status is Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2979

1. Short title
2. Building up infrastructure for local departments grant program
3061. Grant authorization
3062. Use of funds
3063. Application
3064. Duties of Attorney General
3065. Grant amount
3066. Authorization of appropriations
3. Building up infrastructure for local departments—fire grant program

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Building Up Infrastructure for Local Departments Act of 2025" or the "BUILD Act of 2025".

2. Building up infrastructure for local departments grant program

(a) Grant program - Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 is amended by adding at the end the following:

(b) Reports

(1) Attorney General - The Attorney General shall periodically conduct and publish a study of the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of a national sample of law enforcement agencies. Such study may be conducted as a supplement to the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics program operated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

(2) GAO - Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that examines the sufficiency of existing capital infrastructure of law enforcement agencies that serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents, including the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of such law enforcement agencies. Such report shall include projections relating to such needs over the following periods:

(A) - One to five years.

(B) - Five to ten years.

3061. Grant authorization

The Attorney General is authorized to make grants to State and local law enforcement agencies that serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents for use in accordance with section 3062.

3062. Use of funds

(a) In general - Funds made available to a State or local law enforcement agency under this part shall be used for a project to modify, upgrade, or construct a facility of the law enforcement agency, which project shall have a substantial nexus to—

(1) - the improvement of the provision of emergency services;

(2) - the training and development of law enforcement officers;

(3) - the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers;

(4) - community engagement; or

(5) - the improvement of community safety.

(b) Clarification - A portion of a project to modify, upgrade, or construct a facility of a law enforcement agency that does not have a substantial nexus to any of paragraphs (1) through (5), such portion may not use funds made available under this part.

3063. Application

The head of a State or local law enforcement agency seeking a grant under this part shall submit to the Attorney General at such time and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require, including an estimate of the cost of the project for which the grant will be used, as well as a demonstration of financial need for the grant.

3064. Duties of Attorney General

(a) Guidance - Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this part, the Attorney General shall issue guidance to carry out the grant program under this part.

(b) Distribution of information - The Attorney General shall distribute information about the grant program under this part to eligible State and local law enforcement agencies.

(c) Equitable distribution - In awarding grants under this part, the Attorney General shall ensure, to the extent practicable, an equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United States.

(d) Report - On the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this part, and biannually thereafter until the date that is 6 years after the date of enactment of this part, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report on the grant program under this part.

3065. Grant amount

A grant under this part may not exceed $4,000,000.

3066. Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

3. Building up infrastructure for local departments—fire grant program

(a) Grant authorization - The Administrator is authorized to make grants to entities described in subsection (b) to modify, upgrade, or construct fire department facilities.

(b) Entities described - Entities described in this subsection are career fire departments, combination fire departments, and volunteer fire departments which serve jurisdictions of 50,000 people or fewer.

(c) Distribution of information - The Administrator shall distribute to entities described in subsection (b) information regarding the grant program.

(d) Applications - An entity described in subsection (b) seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time and containing such information as the Administrator may reasonably require, including the size of the jurisdiction served by such applicant, an estimate of the cost of the project for which the grant will be used, and a demonstration of financial need for the grant.

(e) Uses of funds - In carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a), a recipient of a grant under this section may use funds received for the following:

(1) - The improvement of the provision of emergency services, including either firefighting or affiliated EMS capabilities.

(2) - The training and development of firefighting or EMS personnel.

(3) - The recruitment and retention of such personnel, including by improving safety.

(4) - Community engagement.

(5) - The improvement of community safety.

(f) Equitable distribution - In awarding grants under this part, the Administrator shall ensure, to the extent practicable, an equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United States.

(g) Grant amount - A grant under this section may not exceed $4,000,000.

(h) Reports on grants - Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter for six years, the Administrator shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report on grants made under this section.

(i) Reports on construction and renovation needs

(1) FEMA - To the greatest extent possible, the Administrator shall periodically conduct and publish a study of the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of a national sample of career fire departments, combination fire departments, and volunteer fire departments.

(2) GAO - Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the sufficiency of existing capital infrastructure for career fire departments, combination fire departments, and volunteer fire departments that serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents that includes a representative sample nationwide, and includes the met and unmet construction and renovation needs and the provision of emergency services. Such report shall include projections relating to such needs and services over the following periods:

(A) - One to five years.

(B) - Five to ten years.

(j) Authorization of appropriations - There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out this section.

(k) Definitions - In this section:

(1) Administrator - The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(2) Career fire department - The term "career fire department" means a fire department that has an all-paid force of firefighting personnel other than paid-on-call firefighters.

(3) Combination fire department - The term "combination fire department" means a fire department that has—

(A) - paid firefighting personnel; and

(B) - volunteer firefighting personnel.

(4) EMS - The term "EMS" means emergency medical services.

(5) Volunteer fire department - The term "volunteer fire department" means a fire department that has an all-volunteer force of firefighting personnel.

119-HR2979

BUILD Act of 2025