I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8451 

To establish a grant program for certain institutions of higher education 

to plan and implement projects for economic and community development 

in economically distressed communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2024 

Mr. COSTA (for himself and Mr. WESTERMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program for certain institutions of higher education to plan and implement projects for economic 

and community development in economically distressed 

communities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Boosting University 

5 Investments in Low-Income Districts Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘BUILD Act’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8451 IH

1 SEC. 2. DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

3 a program to award grants to institutions of higher edu4 cation designated under subsection (b) to plan and imple5 ment eligible projects for economic and community devel6 opment in economically distressed communities. 

7 (b) DESIGNATION OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER

8 EDUCATION.— 

9 (1) LIST OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU10 CATION.—The Secretary shall develop a list of every 

11 institution of higher education that the Secretary de12 termines is located in a distressed community, in ac13 cordance with the criteria described in paragraph 

14 (2). 

15 (2) DISTRESSED COMMUNITY CRITERIA.—The 

16 Secretary shall determine that an institution of high17 er education is located in a distressed community if 

18 one of the following circumstances applies to such 

19 institution: 

20 (A) In the case of an institution of higher 

21 education that is located in a metropolitan or a 

22 micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the 

23 Office of Management and Budget, and in a 

24 State in which the median family income is 

25 higher than the national median family income, 

26 the institution of higher education is located in 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8451 IH

1 a ZIP Code in which the median family income 

2 is at least 25 percent lower than the median 

3 family income for such State. 

4 (B) In the case of an institution of higher 

5 education that is located in a metropolitan or a 

6 micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the 

7 Office of Management and Budget, and in a 

8 State in which the median family income is 

9 lower than the national median family income, 

10 the institution of higher education is located in 

11 a zip code in which the median family income 

12 is at least 25 percent lower than the national 

13 median family income. 

14 (C) In the case of an institution of higher 

15 education that is not located in a metropolitan 

16 or micropolitan statistical area and is located in 

17 a State in which the median family income is 

18 higher than the national median family income, 

19 the institution of higher education is located in 

20 a county in which the median family income is 

21 at least 25 percent lower than the median fam22 ily income for such State. 

23 (D) In the case of an institution of higher 

24 education that is not located in a metropolitan 

25 or micropolitan statistical area and is located in 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8451 IH

1 a State in which the median family income is 

2 lower than the national median family income, 

3 the institution of higher education is located in 

4 a county in which the median family income is 

5 at least 25 percent lower than the national me6 dian family income. 

7 (3) DESIGNATION.— 

8 (A) NOTIFICATION TO INSTITUTIONS OF

9 HIGHER EDUCATION.—Upon development of the 

10 list of institutions of higher education located in 

11 a distressed community under paragraph (1), 

12 the Secretary shall notify each institution of 

13 higher education that is included in such list 

14 that such institution may be designated under 

15 this paragraph to receive a planning grant and 

16 an implementation grant under this section. 

17 (B) NOTIFICATION TO SECRETARY.—An 

18 institution of higher education that receives a 

19 notification from the Secretary under subpara20 graph (A) that intends to receive a planning 

21 grant and an implementation grant under this 

22 section shall submit to the Secretary a notifica23 tion of such intent in such form and at such 

24 time as the Secretary determines appropriate. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (C) GRANT ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary 

2 shall designate each institution of higher edu3 cation that submits a notification under sub4 paragraph (B) as eligible to receive a planning 

5 grant and an implementation grant under this 

6 section. 

7 (c) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

9 a grant to each institution of higher education des10 ignated under subsection (b) for such institution to 

11 develop an implementation plan describing— 

12 (A) the eligible projects that such institu13 tion intends to carry out with an implementa14 tion grant under subsection (d); and 

15 (B) how such projects will support eco16 nomic and community revitalization in the com17 munity in which such institution is located. 

18 (2) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a plan20 ning grant under this subsection shall complete 

21 the implementation plan required under para22 graph (1) not later than 2 years after the date 

23 on which the Secretary provides a planning 

24 grant to such recipient. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (B) APPROVAL.—Upon completion of an 

2 implementation plan with a planning grant pro3 vided under this subsection, the Secretary shall 

4 review such plan for approval. 

5 (3) GRANT AMOUNTS.— 

6 (A) GRANT TERM.—The Secretary may 

7 distribute funds for a grant provided under this 

8 subsection for a period of not more than 2 

9 years. 

10 (B) TOTAL GRANT AMOUNTS.—Each grant 

11 awarded under this subsection shall be in an 

12 amount that does not exceed $100,000 for each 

13 year of the grant term. 

14 (C) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.— 

15 (i) APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL

16 GRANT FUNDS.—Not later than 1 year 

17 after a grant funds are first awarded 

18 under subparagraph (A), a grant recipient 

19 may submit to the Secretary an application 

20 to receive additional funds to complete the 

21 implementation plan required under para22 graph (1). 

23 (ii) DEADLINE TO RECEIVE ADDI24 TIONAL GRANT FUNDS.—Not later than 90 

25 days after a grant recipient submits an apVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:30 Jun 29, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8451.IH H8451

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 8451 IH

1 plication for additional grant funds under 

2 clause (i), the Secretary shall determine 

3 whether to award additional grant funds to 

4 such recipient and shall distribute such ad5 ditional grant funds to such recipient. 

6 (D) FORMULA.—The Secretary shall estab7 lish a formula by which the Secretary shall dis8 tribute funds for each grant under this sub9 section in accordance with this paragraph. 

10 (d) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Upon approval of an imple12 mentation plan under subsection (c)(2), the Sec13 retary shall provide a grant to the institution of 

14 higher education to carry out eligible projects de15 scribed in such plan. 

16 (2) GRANT TERM.—The term of a grant pro17 vided under this subsection shall be 5 years. 

18 (3) GRANT AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall es19 tablish a formula by which the Secretary shall dis20 tribute funds for each grant under this subsection in 

21 accordance with the following requirements: 

22 (A) The Secretary shall provide each re23 cipient of a grant under this subsection with a 

24 grant in an amount that is not less than 

25 $25,000,000 and not more than $50,000,000. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (B) The Secretary shall distribute funds 

2 for each grant under this subsection at least 

3 once during each year of the grant term. 

4 (4) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant 

5 under this subsection may only use such grant to 

6 carry out an eligible project in the distressed com7 munity in which such recipient is located, as deter8 mined by the Secretary under subsection (b)(2). 

9 (5) REPORT REQUIRED.—At least once each 

10 year during the term of a grant provided under this 

11 subsection, a recipient of such grant shall submit to 

12 the Secretary a report describing the activities for 

13 which such grant was used during such year. 

14 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 (1) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—The term ‘‘eligible 

16 project’’ means a project that will spur economic de17 velopment in the community in which such project is 

18 carried out, including a project to— 

19 (A) renovate, construct, or maintain build20 ings that will benefit and be accessible to the 

21 community, including— 

22 (i) commercial buildings located on 

23 the campus of the institution of higher 

24 education carrying out the project; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (ii) housing for students, faculty, 

2 staff, or members of the community; 

3 (iii) cultural institutions such as mu4 seums, theaters, and arts centers; and 

5 (iv) facilities such as laboratories or 

6 libraries; 

7 (B) establish programs, hosted by the in8 stitution of higher education carrying out the 

9 project, that provide seed money to early-stage 

10 companies for small business development; 

11 (C) develop and fund apprenticeships, 

12 hosted by the institution of higher education 

13 carrying out the project, in local industries to 

14 decrease unemployment in the community; 

15 (D) build and maintain municipal 

16 broadband networks and related infrastructure 

17 for the institution of higher education that is 

18 carrying out the project and the community; 

19 (E) build and maintain health clinics ac20 cessible to the public on or near the campus of 

21 the institution of higher education that is car22 rying out the project; 

23 (F) establish programs at local health clin24 ics to educate, recruit, and train members of 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 8451 IH

1 the community to become healthcare profes2 sionals; 

3 (G) establish partnerships between the in4 stitution of higher education carrying out the 

5 project and local school districts to provide— 

6 (i) graduate student teaching support; 

7 (ii) administrative support to such 

8 school districts; and 

9 (iii) access to facilities of such institu10 tion of higher education to local elementary 

11 and secondary schools; and 

12 (H) fund research on the campus of the in13 stitution of higher education carrying out the 

14 project that is relevant to the economic needs of 

15 the community. 

16 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘institution 

18 of higher education’’ means an institution of 

19 higher education (as defined in section 101(a) 

20 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

21 1001(a))), including an institution of higher 

22 education established under the Morrill Act of 

23 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), that— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (i) offers more than 50 percent of 

2 such institution’s courses by correspond3 ence; and 

4 (ii) enrolls 50 percent or more of the 

5 institution’s students in correspondence 

6 courses. 

7 (B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘institution of 

8 higher education’’ does not include an institu9 tion of higher education that— 

10 (i) is an institution of higher edu11 cation established under the Morrill Act of 

12 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); 

13 (ii) has very high research activity 

14 status, as designated by the Carnegie Clas15 sification of Institutions of Higher Edu16 cation; or 

17 (iii) is a service academy. 

18 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

19 the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the As20 sistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Devel21 opment. 

22 (4) SERVICE ACADEMY.—The term ‘‘service 

23 academy’’ means the following: 

24 (A) The United States Military Academy. 

25 (B) The United States Naval Academy. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 8451 IH

1 (C) The United States Air Force Academy. 

2 (D) The United States Coast Guard Acad3 emy. 

4 (E) The United States Merchant Marine 

5 Academy. 

6 (F) Any college or university designated by 

7 the Secretary of Defense as a military college. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS