Bill · H.R. 2979· House(119-HR-2979)
BUILD Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 4/21/2025
- Last activity
- 4/22/2025 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Sponsored by
- Chris Pappas
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 5
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The BUILD Act of 2025 aims to support infrastructure investment for small law enforcement agencies and small fire departments. It establishes a grant program for law enforcement agencies in jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents to modify, upgrade, or construct facilities. This program also provides grants to career, combination, and volunteer fire departments serving jurisdictions of 50,000 people or fewer. Funds are intended for projects involving emergency services, training, recruitment, retention, community engagement, and safety. The Attorney General and the FEMA Administrator are responsible for overseeing the distribution and reporting of these grants.
Yes· 3 of 8
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?+4
The bill empowers FEMA through grants to improve fire department infrastructure.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+4
The bill specifically targets small jurisdictions with populations under 50,000, which are often rural.
Does this invest in rural communities?+3
The bill targets small jurisdictions with populations under 50,000, often in rural areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Law Enforcement Infrastructure Improvements: Law enforcement agencies in jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents can use grants to modify, upgrade, or construct facilities related to emergency services, training, recruitment, retention, community engagement, or safety (Section 2, Sec. 3062).
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Fire Department Infrastructure Improvements: Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments in jurisdictions of 50,000 people or fewer can use grants to improve emergency services, firefighting or EMS capabilities, training, personnel recruitment/retention, community engagement, and community safety (Section 3, subsection (e)).
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Equitable Resource Distribution: The Attorney General and the Administrator are directed to ensure, to the extent practicable, an equitable geographic distribution of grants across the regions of the United States (Section 2, Sec. 3064; Section 3, subsection (f)).
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Data-Driven Infrastructure Planning: The Attorney General, FEMA, and the GAO are tasked with conducting studies to identify the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of law enforcement and fire departments (Section 2, Sec. 3064; Section 2, subsection (b)(1); Section 3, subsection (i)(1); Section 3, subsection (i)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Restrictions on Fund Usage: Law enforcement agencies are prohibited from using these grant funds for any portion of a project that does not have a substantial nexus to the specific categories of improvement listed in the bill (Section 2, Sec. 3062(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+4Improves Rural Development+3
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2Increases Federal Power+1
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+3
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+1
- 3/25/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/27/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/6/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/22/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- 4/21/2025
- 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.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Maggie GoodlanderDemocrat · New Hampshire
Thomas KeanRepublican · New Jersey
Jennifer KiggansRepublican · Virginia
Julia LetlowRepublican · Louisiana
Jimmy PanettaDemocrat · California
Derrick Van OrdenRepublican · Wisconsin