HR4329-119

What This Bill Does

The Building Civic Bridges Act adds a new Civic Bridgebuilding part to the National and Community Service Act. It creates an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding inside the Corporation for National and Community Service, headed by an Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding designated by the Chief Executive Officer. The Office must administer a grant program, build standardized effectiveness criteria based on research and consultation, support training for national-service participants and funded organizations, support research and evaluations, maintain a public research collection, and provide technical assistance. The consultation process must include public hearings with national service organizations, civic organizations, bridgebuilding practitioners, universities, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and community members. The grant program supports nonprofits, higher-education institutions, Indian Tribes, state and local governments, labor organizations, and partnerships that carry out projects bringing people together across demographic, geographic, ideological, or institutional differences. The bill also requires annual reporting and updates the National and Community Service Act table of contents.

Who Benefits and How

Civic bridgebuilding nonprofits benefit from a dedicated AmeriCorps grant program and technical assistance. National service participants benefit from training in skills and techniques for working across civic divides. Universities researching civic bridgebuilding benefit from evaluation support and a public research collection. Indian Tribes, state governments, and local governments benefit because they are eligible consultation participants and potential project partners.

Who Bears the Burden and How

AmeriCorps must create and staff the Office of Civic Bridgebuilding and administer grants, consultation, research, and reporting. Grant applicants must meet standardized criteria, participate in evaluation, and document bridgebuilding outcomes. The Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding must coordinate public hearings, technical assistance, and annual reports to Congress. Federal taxpayers fund any appropriated costs for the new office, grants, research, and technical assistance.

Key Provisions

• Creates an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding in the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• Authorizes grants for eligible organizations and governments carrying out civic bridgebuilding projects.
• Requires consultation, public hearings, standardized effectiveness criteria, training, research, evaluation, and technical assistance.
• Requires annual reports covering grant awards, project outcomes, effectiveness, and recommendations.