Building Civic Bridges Act
Bill: S.4530 | Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. (D-DE)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Building Civic Bridges Act
This bill establishes the Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer a grant program that addresses local issues and fosters social cohesion across diverse communities.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Building Civic Bridges Act''.

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 Corporation 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 standardized criteria (based on 
        principles of scientific research) 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 (with 
        the consideration of best practices collected by the Office, 
        including through input from the Advisory Committee under 
        subsection (c))--
                    ``(A) for participants (including individuals who 
                have been selected to be participants) of a program 
                receiving funding under a national service law; and
                    ``(B) upon request by an organization that receives 
                funding under a national service law or that is 
                carrying out a program in which participants described 
                in subparagraph (A) are participating, for such 
                organization.
            ``(3) Select the members of the Advisory Committee under 
        subsection (c).
            ``(4) Support research and evaluations on civic 
        bridgebuilding and the dissemination of related information, 
        including through--
                    ``(A) evaluation and oversight of the grant program 
                described in subsection (d);
                    ``(B) as the Corporation determines necessary, 
                collaboration (including through the evaluation of the 
                activities of the Corporation relating to civic 
                bridgebuilding and civic engagement) between the Office 
                and other offices (such as the Office of Research and 
                Evaluation), teams, or individuals within the 
                Corporation; and
                    ``(C) the establishment of a publicly available 
                collection of publications for a research base for the 
                purposes of monitoring national metrics for civic 
                bridgebuilding and assembling research focused 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.
            ``(5) Activate a public conversation about the importance 
        of civic bridgebuilding by convening and coordinating civic 
        bridgebuilding programs and providing resources, networking, 
        and collaboration opportunities to individuals and entities in 
        the civic bridgebuilding field, such as through--
                    ``(A) network cultivation to strengthen the 
                community of those involved, interested, or engaged in 
                the civic bridgebuilding field, including through 
                activities such as--
                            ``(i) in-person and virtual events for the 
                        public to showcase impactful practices, bring 
                        civic bridgebuilding leaders together, present 
                        relevant research, and explore emerging needs 
                        that would benefit from civic bridgebuilding;
                            ``(ii) organizing peer-learning 
                        opportunities to facilitate conversations 
                        within the civic bridgebuilding field;
                            ``(iii) organizing and distributing lists 
                        of civic bridgebuilding leaders and 
                        organizations and groups in the civic 
                        bridgebuilding field; and
                            ``(iv) coordinating national communications 
                        among civic bridgebuilding leaders, including 
                        through the promotion of civic bridgebuilding 
                        programs and sharing stories of local impact; 
                        and
                    ``(B) developing or distributing resources to 
                expand best practices in the civic bridgebuilding 
                field, including through--
                            ``(i) the curation of a digital resource 
                        hub focused on sharing resources from entities 
                        that receive grants under subsection (d), civic 
                        bridgebuilding leaders, civic bridgebuilding 
                        programs, or the publicly available collection 
                        of publications for a research base established 
                        under paragraph (4)(C); and
                            ``(ii) the production of new resources, 
                        training, or best practices based on lessons 
                        from the civic bridgebuilding field.
    ``(c) Advisory Committee.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Office of Civic Bridgebuilding an Advisory Committee.
            ``(2) Members.--
                    ``(A) Selection.--The Advisory Committee shall be 
                composed of 9 members selected by the Officer of Civic 
                Bridgebuilding, including a member designated by the 
                Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding as the Chairperson of 
                the Advisory Committee, and such members shall be civic 
                bridgebuilding leaders--
                            ``(i) who represent diverse ideological, 
                        religious, racial, regional, or ethnic 
                        communities; and
                            ``(ii) with relevant experience and 
                        expertise from the civic bridgebuilding field.
                    ``(B) Terms of service.--A member of the Advisory 
                Committee shall serve for a term of 3 years.
            ``(3) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall carry out each 
        of the following:
                    ``(A) Provide advice and consultation to the 
                Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding on the priorities and 
                administration of the Office.
                    ``(B) Conduct an annual review of grants awarded 
                under subsection (d), with a focus on diversity, 
                equity, and inclusion, and identifying any gaps or 
                needs that emerged in an application cycle.
                    ``(C) Conduct an annual review of the process of 
                awarding grants under subsection (d), including a 
                review of rubrics or metrics for selection of grant 
                recipients used by the Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding.
                    ``(D) Review the analysis provided under the peer 
                review process under subsection (d)(5).
    ``(d) Civic Bridgebuilding Pilot Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated to carry 
        out this subsection, the Corporation (acting through the 
        Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding and in consultation with the 
        Advisory Committee established under subsection (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; 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 
        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 information 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 diverse communities;
                            ``(ii) facilitate the establishment or 
                        continuation of civic bridgebuilding, which may 
                        include addressing the root causes of 
                        polarization as articulated in the publicly 
                        available collection of publications for a 
                        research base established under subsection 
                        (b)(4)(C);
                            ``(iii) reflect research supporting the 
                        efficacy and impact of the proposed approach 
                        for the project; and
                            ``(iv) ensure physical, social, and 
                        psychological safety for all participants 
                        involved in the project;
                    ``(C) a description of evidence-based best 
                practices for how such safety will be achieved; and
                    ``(D) an assurance that the eligible entity will 
                report outcomes of such project to track effectiveness 
                based on standardized criteria established by the 
                Office of Civic Bridgebuilding under subsection (b)(1) 
                or will evaluate the impact of such project based on 
                principles of scientific research.
            ``(4) Uses of funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant 
        under this subsection shall use the grant funds to carry out a 
        project to advance civic bridgebuilding in communities across 
        the United States, which may include addressing the root causes 
        of polarization as articulated in the publicly available 
        collection of publications for a research base established 
        under subsection (b)(4)(C).
            ``(5) Peer review process.--The Corporation shall establish 
        a peer review process which shall include consultation with 
        research communities in the civic bridgebuilding field to 
        analyze the process of awarding grants (and the grants that are 
        awarded) under this subsection.
    ``(e) Comptroller General.--The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall, on an annual basis, 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 that--
                            ``(i) fosters respect between diverse 
                        communities;
                            ``(ii) strengthens relationships across 
                        lines of difference;
                            ``(iii) forges a sense of common civic 
                        purpose; and
                            ``(iv) seeks to solve a community problem 
                        and diminish polarization; and
                    ``(B) includes--
                            ``(i) activities that take place in local 
                        communities, where individuals and institutions 
                        come together to build empathy, 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 leader.--The term `civic 
        bridgebuilding leader' means an individual who leads civic 
        bridgebuilding programs or efforts.
            ``(3) Civic engagement.--The term `civic engagement' means 
        an individual or collective action designed to address a public 
        concern or an unmet human, educational, health care, 
        environmental, or public safety need.
            ``(4) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        nonprofit entity, public institution, elementary school, 
        secondary school, institution of higher education, religious 
        group, or consortium of any such entities.
            ``(5) Public institution.--The term `public institution' 
        means a library or unit of State, local, or special purpose 
        government.
            ``(6) Research.--The term `research' means research which 
        embodies principles of scientific research.
            ``(7) Research base.--The term `research base' means any 
        publications that contain observations, analysis, and 
        conclusions based on principles of scientific research with 
        respect to the challenges of political and social polarization 
        in the United States, and practical approaches to strengthen 
        social cohesion, foster a sense of national connection, or 
        improve intergroup relations in divided communities.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2025.''.

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 inserting 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.''.
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