Building Civic Bridges Act
Sponsored By: Representative Houlahan
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a new Office of Civic Bridgebuilding inside the Corporation for National and Community Service to advance civic bridgebuilding nationwide through grants, training, research, and public engagement.
Show full summary
- Communities: funds local programs aimed at reducing conflict and improving social cohesion while addressing unmet human, educational, health, environmental, or public safety needs.
- National service participants and organizations: provides training in civic bridgebuilding skills for participants in national service programs and for organizations that receive or oversee funded programs.
- Grant applicants and program design: establishes a competitive Civic Bridgebuilding Pilot Grant Program with 3-year pilot cycles, 1-year grant awards, required reporting, and standardized, research-based criteria for measuring results.
- Researchers and policymakers: supports research, evaluations, and a publicly accessible research base, and requires a Comptroller General review within 18 months after each 3-year pilot cycle.
- Funding structure: bars use of federal funds for the pilot and requires the program to be carried out only with private donations under section 196.
*Because the bill bars federal funding and relies on private donations, it is designed not to add direct federal spending.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Pilot rules and independent review
If enacted, the bill would define key terms, including what counts as civic bridgebuilding, who is an eligible entity, and what the research base is. These rules would guide who can apply and what activities qualify. It would also require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on results within 18 months after each three-year pilot period.
New office to fund civic bridgebuilding
If enacted, the bill would create an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding at the Corporation for National and Community Service. The office would run a grant program, set research-based standards, support research, and keep a public collection of studies. It would provide training for national service participants and, on request, for groups that receive or host national service funding. It would also use a stakeholder consultation process to guide priorities and standards and could work with other federal agencies to share best practices.
Pilot grants to reduce community conflict
If enacted, CNCS would run a competitive three-year pilot grant program through the new office. Grants would be one-year awards, issued in three cycles per three-year pilot period, and the pilot could repeat. Nonprofits, colleges, libraries, public agencies, and consortia could apply. Applications must show how projects bridge divides, use research-based safety practices, and report results using standardized criteria.
No federal funds; donations only
If enacted, the program could not use federal appropriations. It would rely only on donated funds under section 196. This could limit the size and certainty of grants and activities.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Houlahan
PA • D
Cosponsors
Barr
KY • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
McBath
GA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Thompson (PA)
PA • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Carbajal
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Kim
CA • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Moore (UT)
UT • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Timmons
SC • R
Sponsored 7/17/2025
Levin
CA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Case
HI • D
Sponsored 7/25/2025
Brownley
CA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
McIver
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/26/2025
Bacon
NE • R
Sponsored 9/8/2025
Peters
CA • D
Sponsored 9/15/2025
McCaul
TX • R
Sponsored 9/15/2025
Goodlander
NH • D
Sponsored 9/23/2025
Morrison
MN • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Landsman
OH • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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