BUILD Act of 2025

Bill Number: H.R. 2979
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-04-22: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Last Updated: 2026-03-26T08:06:37Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Building Up Infrastructure for Local Departments Act of 2025 (BUILD Act of 2025) aims to provide federal grant funding to support the construction, modification, and upgrading of facilities for small law enforcement agencies and fire departments serving jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents. This investment targets improvements in emergency services, personnel training, recruitment, community engagement, and overall community safety in underserved areas.

Key Provisions

Law Enforcement Grant Program (Administered by the Attorney General under the Department of Justice):
Authorizes grants to state and local law enforcement agencies serving populations under 50,000 for projects to build, upgrade, or modify facilities. Eligible projects must directly support emergency services, officer training and development, recruitment and retention, community engagement, or community safety improvements.
Applications require cost estimates and proof of financial need.
Grant limits: Up to $4,000,000 per award.
Attorney General duties include issuing guidance within 120 days of enactment, distributing program information, ensuring equitable geographic distribution of funds, and submitting biennial reports to Congress for six years.
Funding: $250,000,000 authorized annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
Studies: The Attorney General must periodically assess national construction and renovation needs of law enforcement agencies (potentially integrated with existing Bureau of Justice Statistics programs). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must conduct a one-time study within one year of enactment on infrastructure sufficiency, including projections for needs over 1-5 years, 5-10 years, and beyond 10 years.

Fire Department Grant Program (Administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator):
Authorizes grants to career fire departments (fully paid staff), combination fire departments (mix of paid and volunteer), and volunteer fire departments serving populations under 50,000 for facility modifications, upgrades, or construction.
Funds can support emergency services (including firefighting and emergency medical services, or EMS), personnel training, recruitment and retention (e.g., safety enhancements), community engagement, or community safety.
Applications must include jurisdiction size, project cost estimates, and financial need demonstrations.
Grant limits: Up to $4,000,000 per award.
Ensures equitable geographic distribution and requires biennial reports to Congress for six years.
Studies: FEMA must periodically evaluate national construction and renovation needs for fire departments. GAO must conduct a one-time study within one year of enactment, similar to the law enforcement study, focusing on infrastructure, needs, and emergency services projections.
Funding: $250,000,000 authorized annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Amends Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 by adding a new Part PP, creating a dedicated grant program specifically for infrastructure in small law enforcement agencies—a new mechanism not previously outlined in that act.
Establishes an entirely new grant program for fire department infrastructure under FEMA authority, which does not previously exist in current federal law for this targeted purpose and population size. This expands beyond existing FEMA fire assistance programs (e.g., Assistance to Firefighters Grants) by emphasizing capital infrastructure for small jurisdictions.

Potential Impacts

On Government Agencies: Enhances capacity for the Department of Justice and FEMA to administer targeted grants, potentially increasing administrative workloads for application reviews and reporting. It promotes better-equipped small agencies, which could reduce long-term federal emergency response burdens in rural areas.
On Citizens: Improves public safety in small communities by modernizing facilities, leading to faster emergency responses, better-trained personnel, and stronger community ties. Rural and suburban residents in jurisdictions under 50,000 may see direct benefits in firefighting, law enforcement, and EMS services.
On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses solely on domestic infrastructure for U.S. local agencies.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Primary Beneficiaries: Small state and local law enforcement agencies and fire departments (career, combination, and volunteer) serving fewer than 50,000 residents, particularly in rural or underserved areas facing financial constraints for facility upgrades.
Federal Entities: Department of Justice (Attorney General), FEMA (Administrator), and GAO, responsible for program implementation, oversight, and studies.
Other: Congress (receives reports); local communities and taxpayers in small jurisdictions, who gain from improved services; and potentially personnel (officers and firefighters) through better training and retention support.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Relies on Congress's spending power under the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) to authorize federal grants for state and local purposes, with clear eligibility criteria to ensure funds are used appropriately (e.g., prohibiting unrelated project portions). No major legal challenges anticipated, but equitable distribution requirements could invite scrutiny if implementation favors certain regions.
Constitutional: Aligns with federalism principles by providing voluntary grants to states and localities without mandating compliance, preserving local control over public safety operations.
Political: Supports bipartisan priorities for rural infrastructure and public safety, potentially aiding small-town economies and addressing recruitment challenges in law enforcement and firefighting. The time-limited authorizations (through 2028) may pressure future Congresses for reauthorization or expansion, while GAO studies could inform broader policy debates on federal aid to local services.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]

Cosponsors (7)

Rep. Letlow, Julia [R-LA-5], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2], Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

Recent Actions

2025-04-22: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
2025-04-21: 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.
2025-04-21: 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.
2025-04-21: 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.
2025-04-21: Introduced in House
2025-04-21: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Building Up Infrastructure for Local Departments Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-21 — PDF (9 pages)