I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4649 
To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in communities, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2025 
Ms. DELBENE (for herself and Ms. CLARKE of New York) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, Education and Workforce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in 
communities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Smart Cities and Communities Act of 2025’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purpose. 
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Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—ENHANCING FEDERAL COORDINATION AND 
INVESTMENT IN SMART CITY OR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 
Sec. 101. Coordination of activities among Federal agencies. 
Sec. 102. Smart city and community resource guide. 
TITLE II—PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO CITIES AND COMMUNITIES 
Sec. 201. Technology demonstration grant program. 
Sec. 202. Cybersecurity Working Group. 
Sec. 203. TechHire Workforce Training and Development Program. 
Sec. 204. GAO study on innovative financing. 
Sec. 205. Technical assistance, smart city voucher, and technologist in resi-
dence programs. 
TITLE III—IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND INTEROPERABILITY 
Sec. 301. Standards and interoperability framework. 
TITLE IV—INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND BEST PRACTICES 
Sec. 401. Development of global smart city or community best practices. 
Sec. 402. Trade program. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to promote smart tech-
nologies and systems to improve community livability, 
services, communication, safety, mobility, energy produc-
tivity, and resilience to natural and manmade disasters, 
to reduce civic costs, traffic congestion, and air pollution, 
and to promote equity, economic growth, and opportuni-
ties for communities of all sizes by— 
(1) improving Federal Government coordination 
and outreach with respect to smart city or commu-
nity technologies; 
(2) promoting the quality and performance of 
smart city or community technologies while pro-
tecting— 
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(A) the security of data and systems; and 
(B) privacy; 
(3) demonstrating the value and utility of 
smart, local government-owned and -operated serv-
ices through the development and implementation of 
performance standards; 
(4) providing assistance to local governments 
interested in implementing smart city or community 
technologies; 
(5) developing a workforce skilled in smart city 
or community technologies; and 
(6) expanding international cooperation and 
trade in smart city or community technologies. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 
Interagency Council on Smart Cities established 
under section 101(a)(1)(A)(i). 
(2) DATA.—The term ‘‘data’’ includes informa-
tion and images. 
(3) EQUITY; EQUITABLE.—The terms ‘‘equity’’ 
and ‘‘equitable’’ mean the consistent and systematic 
fair, just, and impartial treatment of individuals 
who— 
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TITLE I—ENHANCING FEDERAL 
COORDINATION AND INVEST-
MENT IN SMART CITY OR 
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 
SEC. 101. COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES AMONG FEDERAL 
AGENCIES. 
(a) COORDINATION.— 
(1) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.— 
(A) FEDERAL COUNCIL.— 
(i) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Secre-
taries shall establish a council of Federal 
agencies, to be known as the ‘‘Interagency 
Council on Smart Cities’’, to promote the 
coordination of the activities and funding 
from Federal agencies relating to smart 
cities or communities. 
(ii) 
MEMBERSHIP.—The 
Council 
shall— 
(I) be led by the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy; 
(II) be co-chaired by the Director 
of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy and the Secretary; and 
(III) include— 
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(aa) the Secretary of En-
ergy; 
(bb) the Secretary of Hous-
ing and Urban Development; 
(cc) the Secretary of Trans-
portation; 
(dd) the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation; and 
(ee) the heads of such other 
Federal agencies as the Secretary 
determines to be appropriate, in-
cluding— 
(AA) the Secretary of 
Homeland Security; 
(BB) the Secretary of 
Labor; and 
(CC) the Secretary of 
State. 
(B) PRIORITIZATION.—For purposes of co-
ordinating Federal activities under subpara-
graph (A), the Secretaries shall prioritize the 
conduct of Federal activities that would— 
(i) demonstrate smart city or commu-
nity technologies in repeatable ways that 
can rapidly be scaled; 
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(ii) encourage public, private, re-
gional, national, and international sharing 
of data and best practices; 
(iii) encourage private sector innova-
tion by promoting industry-driven tech-
nology standards, open platforms, tech-
nology-neutral requirements, and inter-
operability; 
(iv) promote— 
(I) a skilled workforce; 
(II) an open and competitive 
global market for smart city or com-
munity technologies; 
(III) inclusion of all citizens, in-
cluding minority or disadvantaged 
groups; 
(IV) protocols and standards that 
allow for the measurement and valida-
tion of the cost savings and perform-
ance improvements associated with 
the installation and use of smart city 
or community technologies and prac-
tices; and 
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(V) equitable distribution of ben-
efits gained from the use of smart 
technologies; 
(v) foster the growth of the smart city 
or community technology industry and 
workforce in the United States; 
(vi) encourage the adoption of smart 
city or community technologies by commu-
nities; 
(vii) safeguard cybersecurity, includ-
ing by promoting industry practices relat-
ing to cybersecurity; and 
(viii) safeguard privacy and, in con-
sultation with cities, communities, and in-
dustry entities, establish parameters and 
best practices for the full life cycle man-
agement of all types of smart city or com-
munity data, including— 
(I) best practices for the collec-
tion, storage, disposal, ownership, and 
sharing of data; and 
(II) best practices for data trans-
parency and data use limitations. 
(C) CONSIDERATIONS.—The Secretaries 
shall— 
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(i) ensure that the Federal activities 
described in subparagraph (B) relating to 
safeguarding cybersecurity take into ac-
count existing Federal, State, and local 
frameworks, guidelines, and best practices 
when considering the application of those 
frameworks, guidelines, and best practices 
to smart city technologies; 
(ii) ensure that the Federal activities 
described in subparagraph (B) take into 
consideration software quality, especially 
as software quality impacts reproducibility, 
maintainability, reliability, and security of 
systems, especially high-confidence sys-
tems; 
(iii) conduct privacy impact assess-
ments for Federal activities that could neg-
atively affect privacy; and 
(iv) ensure the privacy of individuals 
by providing guidelines for— 
(I) the use of technologies with 
inherent privacy and security consid-
erations; 
(II) screening vendors and part-
ners to prevent the inclusion of orga-
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nizations and individuals that have 
been involved in, or affiliated with, il-
legal or unethical uses of data; 
(III) contractually obligating ven-
dors and partners to maintain legal 
and ethical data standards with re-
spect to privacy and data security; 
and 
(IV) monitoring for compliance 
with the requirements of this clause. 
(2) STRATEGY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries, acting 
through the Council, in consultation with indus-
try entities, cities, and communities, shall de-
velop a multiyear strategy for— 
(i) the coordination of activities and 
funding under paragraph (1)(A); 
(ii) the development of partnerships 
with the private sector relating to smart 
cities or communities; and 
(iii) the promotion of international co-
operation with respect to smart city or 
community technologies and standards. 
(B) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretaries shall 
coordinate with the heads of any applicable 
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Federal agencies to leverage private sector and 
non-Federal public investment in smart city or 
community technologies consistent with the 
strategy developed under subparagraph (A). 
(3) ASSESSMENT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the 
heads of other applicable Federal agencies, shall 
coordinate with such private and public organi-
zations and units of local government as the 
Secretary of Labor determines to be appro-
priate regarding the preparation of a smart city 
or community technology workforce needs as-
sessment. 
(B) SUBMISSION.—On completion of the 
assessment prepared under subparagraph (A), 
the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the ap-
propriate committees of Congress and the 
Council the completed assessment. 
(4) COORDINATION OF FUNDS.—In promoting 
the coordination of Federal funding relating to 
smart city or community activities under paragraph 
(1)(A) and in accordance with the strategy developed 
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under paragraph (2)(A), each of the Secretaries 
shall— 
(A) track, with respect to the appropriate 
Federal agency, the expenditures and planned 
expenditures of Federal funds for smart city- or 
community-related activities, together with le-
veraged non-Federal matching funds; and 
(B) coordinate with the head of any other 
applicable Federal agency that allocates funds 
for smart city or community activities— 
(i) to achieve greater benefits from ac-
tivities using Federal funds; 
(ii) to produce integrated projects re-
lating to those activities; and 
(iii) to leverage complementary invest-
ments of other Federal agencies in those 
activities. 
(b) SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION AND BIENNIAL 
REPORT.—During the 6-year period beginning on the date 
of enactment of this Act— 
(1) the head of each applicable Federal agency 
shall submit to the Secretary information for inclu-
sion in the report submitted under paragraph (2); 
and 
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(2) not less frequently than once every 2 years, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com-
mittees on Energy and Commerce and Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives a report, based on the information described 
in paragraph (1), that includes— 
(A) an update of the status of relevant 
smart city or community technology develop-
ments and applications, including broadband in-
frastructure; 
(B) a description of any related program 
or activity that is funded by the Federal agency 
during the period covered by the report; 
(C) the budget of the Federal agency for 
supporting smart city or community activities, 
as described in subsection (a)(4)(A); 
(D) any non-Federal cost-share contrib-
uted for activities for which Federal assistance 
is provided under this section; 
(E) a description of the strategy developed 
under subsection (a)(2)(A), including a descrip-
tion of how the relevant programs are pro-
gressing under that strategy; 
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(F) a description of outreach activities con-
ducted under section 102(d), including the 
amount and type of assistance required by cities 
and communities to overcome barriers to imple-
menting smart city or community technologies, 
and any Federal actions necessary to meet 
those needs; 
(G) a description of projects funded under 
section 201, including a description of— 
(i) project outcomes and performance; 
(ii) the use of leveraged non-Federal 
funds; 
(iii) the equitable distribution of Fed-
eral funds; and 
(iv) how each project fulfills the prior-
ities described in subsection (a)(1)(B); and 
(H) such other information as the Sec-
retary determines to be necessary. 
SEC. 102. SMART CITY AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE. 
(a) PUBLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries, in coordina-
tion with the heads of any other applicable Federal 
agencies, shall create, publish, and maintain, for a 
period of not less than 6 years beginning on the date 
that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
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Act, a resource guide designed to assist States, com-
munities, and cities in the United States in devel-
oping and implementing smart city or community 
programs. 
(2) INFORMATION INCLUDED.—The Secretaries, 
in coordination with cities, communities, and indus-
try entities, shall determine which information shall 
be included in the guide under paragraph (1). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The guide published under 
subsection (a)(1)— 
(1) shall be maintained electronically on a 
website; 
(2) shall be provided as an electronic reference 
guide available to the public free of charge; and 
(3) may include— 
(A) a compilation of existing related pro-
grams of the Federal Government available to 
communities, including technical assistance, 
education, training, research and development, 
analysis, and funding; 
(B) available examples of local govern-
ments engaging private sector entities in order 
to implement smart city or community solu-
tions, including public-private partnership mod-
els, such as the use of energy savings perform-
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ance contracts and utility energy service con-
tracts or other innovative models, that could be 
used to leverage private sector funding to in-
crease energy productivity and reduce water, 
transportation, and other costs to cities and 
communities, including the results of the study 
conducted under section 204; 
(C) available examples of proven methods 
for local governments and utilities to facilitate 
the integration of smart technologies with new 
and existing infrastructure and systems; 
(D) best practices and lessons learned 
from technology demonstrations, including re-
turn on investment, equitable distribution of 
benefits, and performance information to help 
cities and communities decide how to initiate in-
tegration of smart technologies; 
(E) Federal, State, and local best practices 
for safeguarding cybersecurity and ensuring ap-
propriate data management and data privacy; 
(F) technical specifications for wireless or 
wired broadband infrastructure to support 
smart city or community technologies; and 
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(G) such other topics as are requested by 
industry entities or local governments or deter-
mined to be necessary by the Secretaries. 
(c) EXISTING GUIDES.—In creating, publishing, and 
maintaining the guide under subsection (a)(1), the Secre-
taries shall consider Federal, State, and local guides pub-
lished before, on, or after the date of enactment of this 
Act relating to smart city or community goals, activities, 
and best practices— 
(1) to prevent duplication of efforts by the Fed-
eral Government; and 
(2) to leverage existing complementary efforts. 
(d) OUTREACH.—The Secretaries, in coordination 
with the heads of any applicable Federal agencies and in 
consultation with applicable private sector entities, shall 
conduct outreach to States, cities, and communities— 
(1) to provide interested States, cities, and com-
munities with the guide published under subsection 
(a)(1); 
(2) to promote the consideration of smart city 
or community technologies and encourage States 
and local governments to contribute smart city or 
community program and activity data to the guide 
published under subsection (a)(1); 
(3) to identify— 
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(A) barriers to smart city or community 
technology adoption; 
(B) opportunities to increase the equitable 
distribution of benefits from the use of smart 
city or community technology; 
(C) any necessary research, development, 
and assistance, including in Tribal, rural, and 
underserved communities; and 
(D) local government programs that could 
be included in the guide under subsection 
(a)(1); 
(4) to respond to requests for assistance, ad-
vice, or consultation from cities and communities; 
and 
(5) for other purposes, as identified by the Sec-
retaries. 
TITLE 
II—PROVIDING 
ASSIST-
ANCE TO CITIES AND COMMU-
NITIES 
SEC. 201. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
smart city or community regional demonstration grant 
program under which the Secretary shall conduct dem-
onstration projects focused on advanced smart city or 
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community technologies and systems in a variety of com-
munities, including small- and medium-sized cities and 
rural and Tribal communities. 
(b) GOALS.—The goals of the program established 
under subsection (a) are— 
(1) to demonstrate— 
(A) potential benefits of concentrated in-
vestments in smart city or community tech-
nologies that are repeatable and scalable across 
cities of different sizes; and 
(B) the efficiency, equity, reliability, and 
resilience of civic infrastructure and services; 
(2) to facilitate the adoption of advanced smart 
city or community technologies and collaboration be-
tween small- and medium- to large-sized cities; and 
(3) to demonstrate protocols and standards that 
allow for the measurement and validation of the cost 
savings and performance improvements associated 
with the installation and use of smart city or com-
munity technologies and practices. 
(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.— 
(1) ELIGIBILITY.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
unit of local government shall be eligible to receive 
a grant for a demonstration project under this sec-
tion. 
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(2) APPLICATION; COOPERATION.—To qualify 
for a demonstration project under this section, a 
unit of local government shall— 
(A) submit to the Secretary an application 
for a grant for a demonstration project at such 
time and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require; and 
(B) agree to follow applicable best prac-
tices identified by the Secretaries, in consulta-
tion with industry entities and institutions of 
higher education, to evaluate the effectiveness 
of the implemented smart city or community 
technologies to ensure that— 
(i) technologies and interoperability 
can be assessed; 
(ii) best practices can be shared; and 
(iii) data can be shared in a public, 
interoperable, and transparent format. 
(3) FEDERAL SHARE OF COST OF TECHNOLOGY 
INVESTMENTS.—The Secretary— 
(A) subject to subparagraph (B), shall pro-
vide to a unit of local government selected 
under this section for the conduct of a dem-
onstration project a grant in an amount equal 
to not more than 50 percent of the total cost 
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of technology investments to incorporate and 
assess qualifying smart city or community tech-
nologies in the applicable jurisdiction; and 
(B) may waive the cost-share requirement 
of subparagraph (A) as the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate. 
(d) REQUIREMENT.—In conducting demonstration 
projects under this section, the Secretary shall— 
(1) develop competitive, technology-neutral re-
quirements; 
(2) seek to award grants and distribute benefits 
from smart city technologies in an equitable manner; 
(3) seek to leverage ongoing or existing civic in-
frastructure investments; and 
(4) take into consideration the non-Federal cost 
share as a competitive criterion in applicant selec-
tion in order to leverage non-Federal investment. 
(e) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY
OF
DATA
AND
RE-
PORTS.—The Secretary shall ensure that reports, public 
data sets, schematics, diagrams, and other works created 
using a grant provided under this section are— 
(1) available on a royalty-free, non-exclusive 
basis; and 
(2) open to the public to reproduce, publish, or 
otherwise use, without cost. 
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(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out subsection (c) $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2030. 
SEC. 202. CYBERSECURITY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the work conducted by the Internet Policy 
Task Force and the Digital Economy Leadership 
Team of the Department of Commerce to foster an 
enabling environment for Internet of Things tech-
nology to grow and thrive, allow the private sector 
to lead, and promote technology-neutral standards 
and consensus-based multi-stakeholder approaches 
to policymaking at local, Tribal, State, Federal, and 
international levels on issues ranging from the secu-
rity to the competitiveness of the United States is 
valuable and should be continued; and 
(2) the work conducted by the Department of 
Commerce and the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration to create resources 
for communities seeking to adopt smart cities or 
communities technology is valuable and should be 
continued. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Council, shall convene a multistake-
holder working group, to be known as the ‘‘Cyberse-
curity Working Group’’, to develop tools for commu-
nities to use to evaluate the cybersecurity of smart 
city or community technologies. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In appointing members 
to the Working Group, the Secretary shall con-
sider appointing— 
(i) representatives of consumer groups 
and civil liberties organizations; 
(ii) representatives of small units of 
local government, as determined by the 
Secretary; 
(iii) representatives of large units of 
local government, as determined by the 
Secretary; 
(iv) manufacturers of smart city or 
community devices, equipment, and soft-
ware; 
(v) individuals with expertise in com-
munications networks; 
(vi) Federal, State, and local law en-
forcement officials; 
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(vii) individuals with other expertise 
necessary to carry out the duties of the 
Working Group; and 
(viii) such representatives of the 
Council as the Secretary determines to be 
appropriate. 
(B) 
REPRESENTATION.—In 
appointing 
members to the Working Group, the Secretary 
shall ensure that the Working Group includes 
an equitable multidisciplinary cross section of 
smart city or community stakeholders. 
(3) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall— 
(A) leverage and build on previous activi-
ties carried out by the Department of Com-
merce relating to Internet of Things technology; 
(B) develop tools for communities to evalu-
ate the cybersecurity of smart city or commu-
nity technology being considered by the commu-
nities for adoption in those communities; 
(C) develop tools for communities to pro-
tect against cybersecurity threats relevant to 
the technology the community has chosen to 
adopt; 
(D)(i) assess— 
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(I) whether Internet of Things cyber-
security standards should exist; and 
(II) whether the standards described 
in subclause (I) should be voluntary or 
mandatory; and 
(ii) identify which entity is appropriate to 
devise the standards described in clause (i)(I); 
and 
(E) submit to the Council a report that de-
scribes the findings of the Working Group. 
SEC. 203. TECHHIRE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DEVEL-
OPMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, based on findings from 
the needs assessment conducted under section 101(a)(3), 
the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary, 
shall establish a pilot program, to be known as the 
‘‘TechHire Workforce Training and Development Pilot 
Program’’, under which the Secretary of Labor, during the 
5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
Act, shall provide to eligible entities, on a competitive 
basis, grants for technology-based job training and edu-
cation programs that provide an industry-recognized cer-
tificate or certification. 
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(b) REQUIREMENTS.—A job training and education 
program that is carried out with a grant under this section 
shall— 
(1) provide technology-based training across 2 
or more sectors; 
(2) focus on equitable smart city or community 
technologies, systems, and infrastructure which may 
span across all sectors of the economy; 
(3) address privacy and cybersecurity consider-
ations; and 
(4) address smart city or community workforce 
needs identified by the Secretary of Labor, after 
consultation with other applicable Federal agencies. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an entity shall be a public organi-
zation or an organization described in section 501(c) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax-
ation under section 501(a) of that Code that— 
(1) includes an advisory board, which may be— 
(A)(i) a local workforce development board; 
(ii) a State workforce development board; 
or 
(iii) an appropriate subgroup of a local 
workforce development board or a State work-
force development board; or 
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(B) a board of proportional participation, 
as determined by the Secretary of Labor, of rel-
evant organizations, including— 
(i) relevant industry organizations, in-
cluding public and private employers; 
(ii) labor organizations; 
(iii) one or more units of local govern-
ment that are actively pursuing smart city 
or community programs; or 
(iv) postsecondary education organiza-
tions; 
(2) demonstrates experience in implementing 
and operating job training and education programs; 
(3) demonstrates the ability to recruit and sup-
port individuals who plan to work in a relevant sec-
tor on the successful completion of relevant job 
training and education programs; 
(4)(A) provides students who complete the 
training and education program with an industry- 
recognized certificate or certification; or 
(B) uses a curriculum that has received exten-
sive feedback from employers; 
(5) demonstrates the quality of the proposed 
program of job training and education, including the 
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training services that lead to an industry-recognized 
certificate or certification; and 
(6) demonstrates successful outcomes con-
necting graduates of job training and education pro-
grams to quality jobs relevant to the job training 
and education programs. 
(d) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary of 
Labor an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary of Labor 
may require. 
(e) PRIORITY.—In selecting eligible entities to receive 
grants under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall 
prioritize applicants that— 
(1)(A) are a local workforce development board 
or State workforce development board; or 
(B) demonstrate a strong partnership with a 
local workforce development board or State work-
force development board; 
(2) house the job training and education pro-
gram in— 
(A) an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), including a 
community college, that includes basic science, 
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technology, and mathematics education in the 
curriculum of the institution of higher edu-
cation; or 
(B) an apprenticeship program registered 
with the Department of Labor or a State; 
(3) work with the Secretary of Defense or vet-
erans organizations to transition members of the 
Armed Forces and veterans to careers in a relevant 
sector; 
(4) include in the application an entity that re-
ceives State funding or is operated by a State agen-
cy; 
(5) include an apprenticeship program reg-
istered with the Department of Labor or a State as 
part of the job training and education program; 
(6) provide support services and career coach-
ing; 
(7) provide entry-level technology workforce 
training aimed at matching workers with well-paying 
jobs; or 
(8) propose to serve— 
(A) young adults between the ages of 16 
and 24; or 
(B) individuals with barriers to employ-
ment (as defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
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Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102)). 
(f) ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION.—In making grants 
under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall consider 
equity and regional diversity. 
(g) LIMITATION ON APPLICATIONS.—An eligible enti-
ty may not submit, either individually or as part of a joint 
application, more than 1 application for a grant under this 
section during any 1 fiscal year. 
(h) LIMITATIONS
ON AMOUNT
OF GRANT.—The 
amount of a single grant provided under this section for 
any 1 year shall not exceed $5,000,000. 
(i) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal share 
of the cost of a job training and education program carried 
out using a grant under this section shall be not less than 
25 percent of the total cost. 
(j) REDUCTION OF DUPLICATION.—Before submit-
ting an application for a grant under this section, each 
applicant shall— 
(1) consult with the heads of appropriate Fed-
eral agencies; and 
(2) coordinate the proposed activities of the ap-
plicant with existing State and local programs. 
(k) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of 
Labor, in consultation with the Secretary, may provide 
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technical assistance to eligible entities under subsection 
(c) to leverage the existing job training and education pro-
grams of the Department of Labor and other relevant pro-
grams at appropriate Federal agencies. 
(l) REPORT.—Not less frequently than once every 2 
years, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to Congress, 
and make publicly available on the website of the Depart-
ment of Labor, a report on the program established under 
this section, including a description of— 
(1) any entity that receives a grant under this 
section; 
(2) activities carried out using the grants under 
this section; 
(3) best practices used to leverage the invest-
ment of the Federal Government under this section; 
and 
(4) an assessment of the results achieved by the 
program established under this section, including the 
equitable distribution of benefits and the rate of em-
ployment for participants after completing a job 
training and education program carried out using a 
grant under this section. 
(m) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
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SEC. 204. GAO STUDY ON INNOVATIVE FINANCING. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study to identify— 
(1) financial and procurement mechanisms cur-
rently available to public and private entities to fund 
smart city or community activities and associated 
demonstration projects, including ‘‘pay for perform-
ance’’ financing that could deliver measurable and 
verifiable market and non-market values to smart 
cities or communities; 
(2) new and innovative financial and procure-
ment mechanisms under development or used experi-
mentally that may be available, in the near term, to 
public and private entities to fund smart city or 
community activities and associated demonstration 
projects; 
(3) barriers to creative financing solutions for 
smart city or community activities and associated 
demonstration projects, including procurement bar-
riers faced by State and local governments; and 
(4) ways to leverage private sector investments 
in smart cities and communities. 
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SEC. 205. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, SMART CITY VOUCHER, 
AND TECHNOLOGIST IN RESIDENCE PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary of Energy (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall establish a program to provide technical as-
sistance to cities and communities seeking to incorporate 
smart city or community technologies. 
(b) SMART CITY VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a pilot program (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘pilot program’’) under which the Secretary shall 
provide assistance, including through vouchers, to 
cities and communities (including cities or commu-
nities partnered with a small business concern (as 
defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632))) to improve, for the purposes of pro-
moting smart city or community technologies and 
commercialization— 
(A) the access of cities and communities to 
the expertise, competencies, and infrastructure 
of National Laboratories; and 
(B) the products, services, and capabilities 
of those cities and communities. 
(2) VOUCHER.—A voucher provided under the 
pilot program may be redeemed at any National 
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Laboratory or laboratory of the Department of En-
ergy. 
(3) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall 
carry out the pilot program in collaboration with the 
Director of each National Laboratory. 
(4) COST SHARING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), section 988 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352) shall 
apply to financial assistance provided under this 
section. 
(B) 
EXCEPTION.—The 
Secretary 
may 
waive section 988 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
16352) in providing financial assistance under 
the pilot program to cities or communities that 
partner with a small business concern that is 
socially or economically disadvantaged, as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
(c) TECHNOLOGIST
IN
RESIDENCE
PILOT
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall expand 
the Technologist in Residence pilot program of the 
Department of Energy to include partnerships be-
tween National Laboratories and cities or commu-
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nities with respect to research and development re-
lating to smart cities or communities. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—For purposes of the part-
nerships entered into under paragraph (1), tech-
nologists in residence shall work with an assigned 
city or community to develop an assessment of smart 
city or community technologies available and appro-
priate to meet the smart city or community objec-
tives of the city or community. 
(d) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Commerce, shall issue guidance with re-
spect to— 
(1) the scope of the programs established under 
subsections (a) through (c); and 
(2) requests for proposals from cities and com-
munities interested in participating in those pro-
grams. 
(e) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing the programs 
under subsections (a) through (c), the Secretary shall seek 
to address the needs of small- and medium-sized cities, 
counties, and Tribal governments. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
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TITLE 
III—IMPROVING 
PER-
FORMANCE AND INTEROPER-
ABILITY 
SEC. 301. STANDARDS AND INTEROPERABILITY FRAME-
WORK. 
(a) PARTICIPATION.—To strengthen the public-pri-
vate partnership approach to smart city-related or commu-
nity-related standards development and interoperability, 
the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, shall strongly en-
courage and support participation by Federal Government 
experts in private sector-led, standards-related activities 
that convene smart city or community stakeholders, in-
cluding representatives of applicable Federal agencies. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—To promote innovation and eco-
nomic competitiveness and to achieve interoperability of 
smart city or community devices and systems, while 
strengthening the United States approach to private sec-
tor-led standardization activities and the participation of 
Federal representatives under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary, in consultation with private and public sector 
stakeholders, shall— 
(1) survey and review domestic and inter-
national smart city or community performance 
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standards, existing architectures, applications, and 
deployments, and interoperability standards; 
(2) make consensus-based recommendations— 
(A) to identify gaps in the smart city or 
community performance standards and inter-
operability standards under paragraph (1); 
(B) to harmonize existing standards and 
deployment efforts and enable greater inter-
operability across smart city or community 
technologies; 
(C) to coordinate domestic and inter-
national performance standards and interoper-
ability standards to promote uniform perform-
ance standards and interoperability standards 
worldwide, including with respect to the need 
for testing and demonstration; and 
(D) for guidelines to enable interoperability 
in the collection, storage, ownership, and shar-
ing of data; 
(3) based on the recommendations under para-
graph (2), develop a consensus-based framework 
that includes protocols and model standards for the 
management and exchange of information, including 
existing guidelines, best practices, and industry con-
sensus standards; 
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(4) ensure that cybersecurity and privacy are 
core elements of the recommended performance 
standards and interoperability standards; and 
(5) lead international coordination efforts to de-
velop industry-led, technology-neutral, voluntary, 
consensus-based global smart city or community per-
formance standards and interoperability standards. 
TITLE IV—INTERNATIONAL CO-
OPERATION AND BEST PRAC-
TICES 
SEC. 401. DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL SMART CITY OR COM-
MUNITY BEST PRACTICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries may carry out ac-
tivities— 
(1) to enable cities and communities in the 
United States and other countries to work together 
toward shared smart city- or community-related 
goals; 
(2) to promote smart city or community solu-
tions that provide measurable benefits to local gov-
ernments and residents; 
(3) to enable an open, global marketplace for 
smart city or community technologies based on vol-
untary, consensus-based, and technology-neutral 
standards; and 
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(4) to connect innovators from industry and 
academia to local governments to catalyze the emer-
gence of open and advanced technologies that— 
(A) meet community needs; and 
(B) advance innovation and open competi-
tion. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—The activities described 
in subsection (a) may include grants, contracts, chal-
lenges, prize competitions, public-private partnerships, 
and other innovative mechanisms. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretaries to carry out this sec-
tion $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2030. 
(2) LIMITATION
ON
USE
OF
FUNDS.—Funds 
made available under paragraph (1) may not be used 
to provide assistance to— 
(A) a foreign country; or 
(B) a foreign company (excluding any 
United States subsidiary of a foreign holding 
company). 
SEC. 402. TRADE PROGRAM. 
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, such other members of the Council as the Secretary 
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determines to be appropriate, and private stakeholders, 
shall establish a strategic international smart cities and 
communities trade program, which shall include trade mis-
sions— 
(1) to promote the export of United States 
smart cities or communities technologies; 
(2) to stimulate job growth in the United 
States; 
(3) to identify potential partners and strategies 
for companies in the United States in target foreign 
market sectors; 
(4) to organize events with local governments, 
businesses, associations, academia, and other stake-
holders to promote smart city or community partner-
ships; 
(5) to assist in the development of competitive 
strategies and foreign market access for smart city 
or community technology business interests of the 
United States; 
(6) to assist in developing appropriate Federal 
policy relating to interests of businesses in the 
United States and businesses in international smart 
cities or communities; 
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(7) to assist in achieving commitments of the 
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change; 
(8) to assist in lowering the cost to consumers 
of smart cities or communities technologies; 
(9) to leverage expertise in infrastructure to de-
liver solutions that can help make communities more 
efficient, equitable, livable, and sustainable; and 
(10) to work with the United States Agency for 
International Development, the United States Inter-
national Development Finance Corporation, and the 
Export-Import Bank of the United States to identify 
opportunities to finance international investment in 
smart cities or communities technology companies of 
the United States. 
Æ 
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