I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6198 
To support infrastructure investment in small law enforcement agencies and 
small fire departments. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 2, 2023 
Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Ms. LETLOW, and Mr. KEAN of New Jersey) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To support infrastructure investment in small law 
enforcement agencies and small fire departments. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Up Infra-
structure for Local Departments Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘BUILD Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. BUILDING UP INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LOCAL DE-
PARTMENTS GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—Title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘PART PP—BUILDING UP INFRASTRUCTURE FOR 
LOCAL DEPARTMENTS GRANT PROGRAM 
‘‘SEC. 3061. GRANT AUTHORIZATION. 
‘‘The Attorney General is authorized to make grants 
to State and local law enforcement agencies that serve ju-
risdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents for use in ac-
cordance with section 3062. 
‘‘SEC. 3062. USE OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Funds made available to a State 
or local law enforcement agency under this part shall be 
used for a project to modify, upgrade, or construct a facil-
ity of the law enforcement agency, which project shall have 
a substantial nexus to— 
‘‘(1) the improvement of the provision of emer-
gency services; 
‘‘(2) the training and development of law en-
forcement officers; 
‘‘(3) the recruitment and retention of law en-
forcement officers; 
‘‘(4) community engagement; or 
‘‘(5) the improvement of community safety. 
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‘‘(b) CLARIFICATION.—A portion of a project to mod-
ify, upgrade, or construct a facility of law enforcement 
agency that does not have a substantial nexus to any of 
paragraphs (1) through (5), such portion may not use 
funds made available under this part. 
‘‘SEC. 3063. APPLICATION. 
‘‘The head of a State or local law enforcement agency 
seeking a grant under this part shall submit to the Attor-
ney General at such time and containing such information 
as the Attorney General may reasonably require, including 
an estimate of the cost of the project for which the grant 
will be used, as well as a demonstration of financial need 
for the grant. 
‘‘SEC. 3064. DUTIES OF ATTORNEY GENERAL. 
‘‘(a) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of enactment of this part, the Attorney General shall 
issue guidance to carry out the grant program under this 
part. 
‘‘(b) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION.—The Attor-
ney General shall distribute information about the grant 
program under this part to eligible State and local law 
enforcement agencies. 
‘‘(c) 
EQUITABLE
DISTRIBUTION.—In 
awarding 
grants under this part, the Attorney General shall ensure, 
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to the extent practicable, an equitable geographic distribu-
tion among the regions of the United States. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—On the date that is 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this part, and biannually thereafter 
until the date that is 6 years after the date of enactment 
of this part, the Attorney General shall submit to Con-
gress and make publicly available a report on the grant 
program under this part. 
‘‘SEC. 3065. GRANT AMOUNT. 
‘‘A grant under this part may not exceed $4,000,000. 
‘‘SEC. 3066. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Attor-
ney General to carry out this section $250,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026.’’. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney Gen-
eral shall periodically conduct and publish a study of 
the met and unmet construction and renovation 
needs of a national sample of law enforcement agen-
cies. Such study may be conducted as a supplement 
to the Law Enforcement Management and Adminis-
trative Statistics program operated by the Bureau of 
Justice Statistics. 
(2) GAO.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen-
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eral of the United States shall conduct a study on 
the sufficiency of existing capital infrastructure for 
law enforcement agencies serving jurisdictions with 
fewer than 50,000 residents, including the met and 
unmet construction and renovation needs of such 
law enforcement agencies. Such report shall include 
projections relating to such needs over the following 
periods: 
(A) One to five years. 
(B) Five to ten years. 
(C) More than ten years. 
SEC. 3. BUILDING UP INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LOCAL DE-
PARTMENTS—FIRE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANT AUTHORIZATION.—The Administrator is 
authorized to make grants to entities described in sub-
section (b) to modify, upgrade, or construct fire depart-
ment facilities. 
(b) ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—Entities described in 
this subsection are career fire departments, combination 
fire departments, and volunteer fire departments which 
serve jurisdictions of 50,000 people or fewer. 
(c) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION.—The Adminis-
trator shall distribute to entities described in subsection 
(b) information regarding the grant program. 
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(d) APPLICATIONS.—An entity described in sub-
section (b) seeking a grant under this section shall submit 
to the Administrator an application at such time and con-
taining such information as the Administrator may rea-
sonably require, including the size of the jurisdiction 
served by such applicant, an estimate of the cost of the 
project for which the grant will be used, and a demonstra-
tion of financial need for the grant. 
(e) USES OF FUNDS.—In carrying out the purpose 
described in subsection (a), a recipient of a grant under 
this section may use funds received for the following: 
(1) The improvement of the provision of emer-
gency services, including either firefighting or affili-
ated EMS capabilities. 
(2) The training and development of fire-
fighting or EMS personnel. 
(3) The recruitment and retention of such per-
sonnel, including by improving safety. 
(4) Community engagement. 
(5) The improvement of community safety. 
(f) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding grants 
under this part, the Administrator shall ensure, to the ex-
tent practicable, an equitable geographic distribution 
among the regions of the United States. 
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(g) GRANT AMOUNT.—A grant under this section 
may not exceed $4,000,000. 
(h) REPORTS ON GRANTS.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act and biennially 
thereafter for six years, the Administrator shall submit to 
Congress and make publicly available a report on grants 
made under this section. 
(i) REPORTS ON CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION 
NEEDS.— 
(1) FEMA.—To the greatest extent possible, 
the Administrator shall periodically conduct and 
publish a study of the met and unmet construction 
and renovation needs of a national sample of career 
fire departments, combination fire departments, and 
volunteer fire departments. 
(2) GAO.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress and make publicly available a report on the 
sufficiency of existing capital infrastructure for ca-
reer fire departments, combination fire departments, 
and volunteer fire departments nationwide serving 
jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents, in-
cluding the met and unmet construction and renova-
tion needs and the provision of emergency services. 
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Such report shall include projections relating to such 
needs and services over the following periods: 
(A) One to five years. 
(B) Five to ten years. 
(C) More than ten years. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
$250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026 
to carry out this section. 
(k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. 
(2) CAREER
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The term 
‘‘career fire department’’ means a fire department 
that has an all-paid force of firefighting personnel 
other than paid-on-call firefighters. 
(3) COMBINATION
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The 
term ‘‘combination fire department’’ means a fire 
department that has— 
(A) paid firefighting personnel; and 
(B) volunteer firefighting personnel. 
(4) EMS.—The term ‘‘EMS’’ means emergency 
medical services. 
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(5) 
VOLUNTEER
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The 
term ‘‘volunteer fire department’’ means a fire de-
partment that has an all-volunteer force of fire-
fighting personnel. 
Æ 
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