October 21, 2025
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
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.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Boosting University Investments in Low-Income Districts Act
or the BUILD Act
.
Sec. 2. Distressed communities grant program
(a) Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a program to award grants to institutions of higher education designated under subsection (b) to plan and implement eligible projects for economic and community development in economically distressed communities.
(b) Designation of institutions of higher education
(1) List of institutions of higher education
The Secretary shall develop a list of every institution of higher education that the Secretary determines is located in a distressed community, in accordance with the criteria described in paragraph (2).
(2) Distressed community criteria
The Secretary shall determine that an institution of higher education is located in a distressed community if one of the following circumstances applies to such institution:
(A)
In the case of an institution of higher education that is located in a metropolitan or a micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and in a State in which the median family income is higher than the national median family income, the institution of higher education is located in a ZIP Code in which the median family income is at least 25 percent lower than the median family income for such State.
(B)
In the case of an institution of higher education that is located in a metropolitan or a micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and in a State in which the median family income is lower than the national median family income, the institution of higher education is located in a Zip Code in which the median family income is at least 25 percent lower than the national median family income.
(C)
In the case of an institution of higher education that is not located in a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area and is located in a State in which the median family income is higher than the national median family income, the institution of higher education is located in a county in which the median family income is at least 25 percent lower than the median family income for such State.
(D)
In the case of an institution of higher education that is not located in a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area and is located in a State in which the median family income is lower than the national median family income, the institution of higher education is located in a county in which the median family income is at least 25 percent lower than the national median family income.
(3) Designation
(A) Notification to institutions of higher education
Upon development of the list of institutions of higher education located in a distressed community under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall notify each institution of higher education that is included in such list that such institution may be designated under this paragraph to receive a planning grant and an implementation grant under this section.
(B) Notification to Secretary
An institution of higher education that receives a notification from the Secretary under subparagraph (A) that intends to receive a planning grant and an implementation grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary a notification of such intent in such form and at such time as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(C) Grant eligibility
The Secretary shall designate each institution of higher education that submits a notification under subparagraph (B) as eligible to receive a planning grant and an implementation grant under this section.
(c) Planning grants
(1) In general
The Secretary shall provide a grant to each institution of higher education designated under subsection (b) for such institution to develop an implementation plan describing—
(A)
the eligible projects that such institution intends to carry out with an implementation grant under subsection (d); and
(B)
how such projects will support economic and community revitalization in the community in which such institution is located.
(2) Implementation plan
(A) In general
A recipient of a planning grant under this subsection shall complete the implementation plan required under paragraph (1) not later than 2 years after the date on which the Secretary provides a planning grant to such recipient.
(B) Approval
Upon completion of an implementation plan with a planning grant provided under this subsection, the Secretary shall review such plan for approval.
(3) Grant amounts
(A) Grant term
The Secretary may distribute funds for a grant provided under this subsection for a period of not more than 2 years.
(B) Total grant amounts
Each grant awarded under this subsection shall be in an amount that does not exceed $100,000 for each year of the grant term.
(C) Additional amounts
(i) Application for additional grant funds
Not later than 1 year after grant funds are first awarded under subparagraph (A), a grant recipient may submit to the Secretary an application to receive additional funds to complete the implementation plan required under paragraph (1).
(ii) Deadline to receive additional grant funds
Not later than 90 days after a grant recipient submits an application for additional grant funds under clause (i), the Secretary shall determine whether to award additional grant funds to such recipient and shall distribute such additional grant funds to such recipient.
(D) Formula
The Secretary shall establish a formula by which the Secretary shall distribute funds for each grant under this subsection in accordance with this paragraph.
(d) Implementation grants
(1) In general
Upon approval of an implementation plan under subsection (c)(2), the Secretary shall provide a grant to the institution of higher education to carry out eligible projects described in such plan.
(2) Grant term
The term of a grant provided under this subsection shall be 5 years.
(3) Grant amounts
The Secretary shall establish a formula by which the Secretary shall distribute funds for each grant under this subsection in accordance with the following requirements:
(A)
The Secretary shall provide each recipient of a grant under this subsection with a grant in an amount that is not less than $25,000,000 and not more than $50,000,000.
(B)
The Secretary shall distribute funds for each grant under this subsection at least once during each year of the grant term.
(4) Use of funds
A recipient of a grant under this subsection may only use such grant to carry out an eligible project in the distressed community in which such recipient is located, as determined by the Secretary under subsection (b)(2).
(5) Report required
At least once each year during the term of a grant provided under this subsection, a recipient of such grant shall submit to the Secretary a report describing the activities for which such grant was used during such year.
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Eligible project
The term eligible project means a project that will spur economic development in the community in which such project is carried out, including a project to—
(A)
renovate, construct, or maintain buildings that will benefit and be accessible to the community, including—
(i)
commercial buildings located on the campus of the institution of higher education carrying out the project;
(ii)
housing for students, faculty, staff, or members of the community;
(iii)
cultural institutions such as museums, theaters, and arts centers; and
(iv)
facilities such as laboratories or libraries;
(B)
establish programs, hosted by the institution of higher education carrying out the project, that provide seed money to early-stage companies for small business development;
(C)
develop and fund apprenticeships, hosted by the institution of higher education carrying out the project, in local industries to decrease unemployment in the community;
(D)
build and maintain municipal broadband networks and related infrastructure for the institution of higher education that is carrying out the project and the community;
(E)
build and maintain health clinics accessible to the public on or near the campus of the institution of higher education that is carrying out the project;
(F)
establish programs at local health clinics to educate, recruit, and train members of the community to become healthcare professionals;
(G)
establish partnerships between the institution of higher education carrying out the project and local school districts to provide—
(i)
graduate student teaching support;
(ii)
administrative support to such school districts; and
(iii)
access to facilities of such institution of higher education to local elementary and secondary schools; and
(H)
fund research on the campus of the institution of higher education carrying out the project that is relevant to the economic needs of the community.
(2) Institution of higher education
(A) In general
The term institution of higher education means an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), including an institution of higher education established under the Morrill Act of 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), that—
(i)
offers more than 50 percent of such institution’s courses by correspondence; and
(ii)
enrolls 50 percent or more of the institution’s students in correspondence courses.
(B) Exclusion
The term institution of higher education does not include an institution of higher education that—
(i)
is an institution of higher education established under the Morrill Act of 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.);
(ii)
has very high research activity status, as designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education; or
(iii)
is a service academy.
(3) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.
(4) Service academy
The term service academy means the following:
(A)
The United States Military Academy.
(B)
The United States Naval Academy.
(C)
The United States Air Force Academy.
(D)
The United States Coast Guard Academy.
(E)
The United States Merchant Marine Academy.
(F)
Any college or university designated by the Secretary of Defense as a military college.