BUILD Act
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
In Committee
Summary
This bill would create a Distressed Communities Grant Program to provide _college-led economic revitalization grants_ for projects in economically distressed ZIP codes and counties. The Secretary of Commerce would list qualifying institutions and approve planning and implementation grants based on submitted plans.
Show full summary
- Colleges: Eligible institutions receive planning grants up to $100,000 per year for up to 2 years to develop an implementation plan. After plan approval they can receive implementation grants of $25 million to $50 million over a 5-year term.
- Local communities and families: Funds must be used in the distressed community and can pay for housing, renovation of community-serving buildings, cultural institutions, or public health clinics that serve residents.
- Workers and students: Grants can support apprenticeships, seed funding for early-stage small businesses, K-12 partnerships for graduate student teaching support, and campus-based programs that train local healthcare and other workers.
- Infrastructure and research: Eligible projects include building municipal broadband for the institution and community and funding campus research tied to local economic needs. Certain high-research universities and federal service academies are excluded from eligibility.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Big grants for college-led local projects
If enacted, the Commerce Department would fund colleges in distressed areas with two grants. Planning grants would be up to $100,000 per year for up to 2 years to write a local plan. Within 1 year of the first award, a college could ask for more planning money, and the agency would decide within 90 days. After plan approval, implementation grants would run 5 years and total $25 million to $50 million, with money paid at least once each year. Funds could only support local projects, like housing, small-business seed funds, broadband, health clinics, and community facilities. Schools would file a report each year on how they used the funds.
Who counts as a qualifying college
This bill would set who can qualify. A college would need to offer more than 50% of its courses by correspondence and have at least 50% of students in correspondence courses. It would include 1890 land-grant schools but exclude 1862 land-grant schools, very high research universities, and service academies. A community would be "distressed" if its ZIP Code or county median family income is at least 25% below the state or national median, based on whether the area is metro or not and how the state compares to the national median.
How colleges get designated for grants
This bill would set a path for schools to join. The Secretary would list colleges in distressed communities and notify them. A college that wants grants would have to send a notice of intent in the time and form the Secretary sets. The Secretary would then designate that college as eligible for planning and implementation grants.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Westerman
AR • R
Sponsored 10/21/2025
McClain Delaney
MD • D
Sponsored 2/17/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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