BUILDS Act
Sponsored By: Representative Bonamici
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create competitive federal grants for industry-sector partnerships to build workforce training, career pathways, and retention in targeted infrastructure industries. It focuses on aligning employers, labor, education, and training providers to expand paid work-based learning and nationally recognized credentials.
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- Workers: Would fund expanded paid work-based learning and registered apprenticeships to improve training, retention, and advancement. Grants must recruit diverse workers and address barriers for individuals with barriers to employment.
- Employers and industry: Would convene multiple businesses, labor organizations, local boards, and training providers to align curricula and credentials, aggregate training needs for economies of scale, and boost competitiveness. Targeted industries include transportation, construction, energy, information technology, and utilities.
- Grants and applicants: Would award up to three-year grants with caps of $2.5 million for implementation grants and $1.5 million for renewal grants. Renewal applicants that show long-term sustainability and provide a non-Federal share get priority, and awards must reflect geographic diversity and include performance measures, timelines, and credential plans.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Paid training grants for infrastructure jobs
This bill would fund competitive grants to local partnerships to train workers for infrastructure jobs. The government could provide $500 million a year in FY2026 and the next four years. Grants could be up to $2.5 million (renewals up to $1.5 million) for up to three years, with no more than $250,000 for first‑year planning. Grantees would offer paid, work‑based learning with classroom instruction that leads to recognized credentials and ongoing jobs; they could cover wages and benefits for up to six months when they are the employer of record, and give retention help for at least 12 months. Target sectors would include transportation, construction, energy, information technology, and utilities, with outreach to WIOA, SNAP, TANF, and other workers facing barriers. Awards would be spread across regions, with renewal priority for partnerships that show staying power and add non‑federal funds.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bonamici
OR • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
PA • R
Sponsored 9/11/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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