HB2979, the BUILD Act of 2025, would create two new federal grant programs aimed at helping small public-safety agencies pay for capital projects. One program would be administered by the Attorney General for state and local law enforcement agencies serving jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents. The other would be administered by FEMA for career, combination, and volunteer fire departments serving jurisdictions of 50,000 people or fewer. In both cases, grant money could be used to modify, upgrade, or construct facilities, with eligible project purposes tied to emergency service delivery, training, recruitment and retention, community engagement, and community safety.
The bill sets a maximum grant award of $4 million per recipient and authorizes $250 million annually for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 for each program. It also requires the Attorney General and FEMA to issue guidance or distribute program information, award funds with equitable geographic distribution to the extent practicable, and report to Congress on the grants. In addition, the bill directs the Attorney General, FEMA, and the Government Accountability Office to study the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of small law enforcement and fire agencies, including projected needs over the short, medium, and long term.
If enacted, the bill would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to add a new federal grant authority for small law enforcement agencies, and it would establish a parallel FEMA grant program for small fire departments. It would create new federal spending authority and reporting requirements, while also defining eligible agencies and limiting use of funds to facility-related infrastructure projects connected to public safety functions. The measure would primarily affect small local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and fire departments in rural or smaller jurisdictions, as well as the Department of Justice and FEMA as program administrators.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and programmatic rather than contentious. The bill is framed as assistance for under-resourced local agencies, with bipartisan sponsorship indicated by the listed cosponsors. The structure of the bill emphasizes need-based grants, geographic equity, and data collection, suggesting a consensus-oriented approach to infrastructure support for first responders.
No formal opposition, amendments, or vote history is provided, so no specific controversy is documented in the available record. Potential points of policy interest inherent in the bill include the size of the authorization, the use of federal funds for local public-safety facilities, and the jurisdiction-size cutoff of fewer than 50,000 residents, which determines eligibility. Another possible area of discussion is administrative discretion in awarding grants and ensuring equitable geographic distribution, but no speaker or stakeholder objections are included in the materials.