I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4329 
To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish 
an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the Corporation for National 
and Community Service, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 10, 2025 
Ms. HOULAHAN (for herself, Mr. BARR, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mrs. KIM, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. 
MOORE of Utah) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 
to establish an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Civic Bridges 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING. 
Subtitle H of title I of the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘PART VI—CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING 
‘‘SEC. 198T. OFFICE OF CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be in the Cor-
poration an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding (in this section 
referred to as the ‘Office’). The Office shall be headed by 
an Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding, who shall be designated 
by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to section 195(b). 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding 
shall carry out each of the following: 
‘‘(1) Administer the grant program described in 
subsection (d) to support civic bridgebuilding across 
the United States, including by establishing stand-
ardized criteria (based on principles of scientific re-
search and input through the consultation process 
under subsection (c)) to track the effectiveness of 
projects and activities funded under such program. 
‘‘(2) Support the Corporation in providing 
training in skills and techniques relevant to civic 
bridgebuilding (based on principles of scientific re-
search and input through the consultation process 
under subsection (c))— 
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‘‘(A) for participants (including individuals 
who have been selected to be participants) of a 
program receiving funding under the authority 
of the national service laws; and 
‘‘(B) upon request by an organization that 
receives funding under the authority of the na-
tional service laws or that is carrying out a pro-
gram in which participants described in sub-
paragraph (A) are participating, for such orga-
nization. 
‘‘(3) Support research and evaluations on civic 
bridgebuilding and the dissemination of related in-
formation, including through— 
‘‘(A) evaluation and oversight of the grant 
program described in subsection (d); 
‘‘(B) as the Corporation determines nec-
essary, collaboration (including through the 
evaluation of the activities of the Corporation 
relating to civic bridgebuilding and civic en-
gagement) between the Office and— 
‘‘(i) other offices (such as the Office 
of Research and Evaluation), teams, or in-
dividuals within the Corporation; and 
‘‘(ii) other Federal agencies, including 
the Community Relations Service of the 
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Department of Justice, the United States 
Agency for International Development, and 
the United States Institute of Peace; and 
‘‘(C) the establishment of a publicly avail-
able collection of publications for a research 
base for the purpose of assembling research fo-
cused on evaluating the extent to which civic 
bridgebuilding and civic engagement activities 
strengthen or weaken other civic bridgebuilding 
and civic engagement activities and outcomes in 
the United States. 
‘‘(4) Activate and sustain a public conversation 
about the importance of civic bridgebuilding by con-
vening and coordinating civic bridgebuilding pro-
grams and providing resources, networking, and col-
laboration opportunities to individuals and entities in 
the civic bridgebuilding field for the purpose of dis-
seminating and refining best practices based on 
principles of scientific research and input through 
the consultation process under subsection (c). 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the duties 
under 
this 
section, 
the 
Officer 
of 
Civic 
Bridgebuilding shall consult with members of the 
civic bridgebuilding field, including for purposes of— 
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‘‘(A) identifying strategic priorities for the 
Office; 
‘‘(B) developing the standardized criteria 
required under subsection (b)(1); 
‘‘(C) supporting the development and dis-
semination of research under subsection (b)(3); 
‘‘(D) developing best practices for civic 
bridgebuilding under subsection (b)(4); and 
‘‘(E) administering the grant program de-
scribed in subsection (d). 
‘‘(2) DIVERSITY
IN
CONSULTATION.—In car-
rying out the consultation under paragraph (1), the 
Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding shall consult mem-
bers of the civic bridgebuilding field who represent 
diverse ideological, religious, racial, regional, profes-
sional, or ethnic communities, including such mem-
bers— 
‘‘(A) who represent eligible entities en-
gaged in civic bridgebuilding; 
‘‘(B) who represent existing or potential 
programs and grantees receiving funding under 
the authority of the national service laws, in-
cluding State Service Commissions; 
‘‘(C) who are researchers producing work 
based on principles of scientific research related 
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to civic bridgebuilding in the United States and 
internationally; and 
‘‘(D) who represent other Federal agencies 
or public institutions engaged in or supporting 
work related to civic bridgebuilding in the 
United States and internationally, such as— 
‘‘(i) the Community Relations Service 
of the Department of Justice; 
‘‘(ii) the United States Agency for 
International Development; and 
‘‘(iii) the United States Institute of 
Peace. 
‘‘(d) CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING PILOT GRANT PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Corporation (acting 
through the Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding with 
input through the consultation process under sub-
section (c))— 
‘‘(A) shall carry out a pilot program for a 
3-year period to award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible entities to support civic 
bridgebuilding programs across the United 
States for purposes of— 
‘‘(i) reducing conflict and improving 
social cohesion; and 
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‘‘(ii) addressing a public concern such 
as unmet human, educational, health care, 
environmental, or public safety needs; and 
‘‘(B) may carry out such a pilot program 
for additional 3-year periods. 
‘‘(2) GRANT PERIOD.—A grant awarded under 
this subsection shall be for a 1-year period. Grants 
shall be awarded under this subsection in 3 grant 
cycles for each 3-year period of the pilot program 
carried out under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall 
submit an application to the Corporation at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as the Corporation may require, 
including— 
‘‘(A) a description of the project that will 
be funded with the grant; 
‘‘(B) an explanation of how that such 
project will— 
‘‘(i) engage communities across lines 
of polarization; 
‘‘(ii) facilitate the establishment or 
continuation of civic bridgebuilding and so-
cial cohesion, which may include address-
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ing the root causes of polarization and con-
flict as described in the publicly available 
collection of publications for a research 
base 
established 
under 
subsection 
(b)(3)(C); 
‘‘(iii) reflect research supporting the 
efficacy and impact of the proposed ap-
proach for the project; and 
‘‘(iv) ensure physical, social, and psy-
chological well-being and safety for all par-
ticipants involved in the project, including 
for such participants from historically 
marginalized communities; 
‘‘(C) a description of best practices 
grounded in principles of scientific research for 
how such safety will be achieved; and 
‘‘(D) an assurance that the eligible entity 
will report outcomes of such project to track ef-
fectiveness based on standardized criteria estab-
lished by the Office of Civic Bridgebuilding 
under subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(4) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity re-
ceiving a grant under this subsection shall use the 
grant funds to carry out a project to advance civic 
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bridgebuilding in communities across the United 
States. 
‘‘(e) COMPTROLLER
GENERAL.—The Comptroller 
General of the United States shall, not later than 18 
months after the end of the 3-year period of the program 
carried out under subsection (d)(1)(A) and, as applicable, 
not later than 18 months after each 3-year period of the 
program carried out under subsection (d)(1)(B), submit 
to Congress a report, which summarizes and assesses the 
effectiveness and impact of the activities carried out under 
grants awarded under subsection (d). 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING.—The term ‘civic 
bridgebuilding’— 
‘‘(A) means an activity, grounded in prin-
ciples of scientific research, that— 
‘‘(i) fosters respect between diverse 
communities; 
‘‘(ii) supports social cohesion and di-
minishes polarization; 
‘‘(iii) forges a sense of common civic 
purpose; and 
‘‘(iv) seeks to address a public con-
cern such as unmet human, educational, 
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health care, environmental, or public safety 
needs; and 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) activities that take place in local 
communities, where individuals and insti-
tutions come together to build empathy 
and social cohesion, strengthen belonging, 
and address local issues; and 
‘‘(ii) activities at the field level, where 
civic bridgebuilding leaders work together 
to share research and best practices, learn 
from one another, and grow other civic 
bridgebuilding. 
‘‘(2) CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING FIELD.—The term 
‘civic bridgebuilding field’ means— 
‘‘(A) the programs, leaders, and commu-
nity groups involved in civic bridgebuilding ac-
tivities; 
‘‘(B) researchers producing work based on 
principles of scientific research related to civic 
bridgebuilding in the United States and abroad; 
and 
‘‘(C) Federal agencies and public institu-
tions engaged in or supporting work related to 
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civic bridgebuilding in the United States and 
internationally. 
‘‘(3) CIVIC
BRIDGEBUILDING
LEADER.—The 
term ‘civic bridgebuilding leader’ means an indi-
vidual who leads civic bridgebuilding programs or ef-
forts. 
‘‘(4) CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.—The term ‘civic en-
gagement’ means an individual or collective action 
designed to address a public concern such as an 
unmet human, educational, health care, environ-
mental, or public safety need. 
‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means a nonprofit entity, community- or faith- 
based organization, institution of higher education 
(as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), public in-
stitution, or consortium of any such entities. 
‘‘(6) PUBLIC INSTITUTION.—The term ‘public 
institution’ means a library or unit of State, local, 
or special purpose government. 
‘‘(7) RESEARCH
BASE.—The term ‘research 
base’ means any publications that contain observa-
tions, analysis, and conclusions based on principles 
of scientific research with respect to the challenges 
of political and social polarization in the United 
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States, and practical approaches to strengthen social 
cohesion, foster a sense of national connection, or 
improve intergroup relations in divided communities. 
‘‘(g) FUNDING.—No Federal funds are authorized to 
be made available to carry out this section. Such section 
shall be carried out exclusively using amounts donated 
under section 196.’’. 
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the National 
and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by insert-
ing at the end of the item relating to subtitle H of title 
I, the following: 
‘‘PART VI—CIVIC BRIDGEBUILDING 
‘‘Sec. 198T. Office of Civic Bridgebuilding.’’. 
Æ 
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