HR4649-119

1. Short title; table of contents This Act may be cited as the Smart Cities and Communities Act of 2025. The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to promote smart technologies and systems to improve community livability, services, communication, safety, mobility, energy productivity, and resilience to natural and manmade disasters, to reduce civic costs, traffic congestion, and air pollution, and to promote equity, economic growth, and opportunities for communities of all sizes by— improving Federal Government coordination and outreach with respect to smart city or community technologies; promoting the quality and performance of smart city or community technologies while protecting— the security of data and systems; and privacy; demonstrating the value and utility of smart, local government-owned and -operated services through the development and implementation of performance standards; providing assistance to local governments interested in implementing smart city or community technologies; developing a workforce skilled in smart city or community technologies; and expanding international cooperation and trade in smart city or community technologies.

3. Definitions In this Act: The term Council means the Interagency Council on Smart Cities established under section 101(a)(1)(A)(i). The term data includes information and images. The terms equity and equitable mean the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of individuals who— belong to underserved communities; and have been denied systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment based on race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability status. The terms local workforce development board and State workforce development board have the meanings given the terms local board and State board, respectively, in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). The term Secretaries means the Secretary, acting in coordination with— the Secretary of Energy; the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; the Secretary of Transportation; the Director of the National Science Foundation; and as the Secretary determines to be appropriate— the Secretary of Health and Human Services; the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Secretary of Labor; and the Secretary of State. The term Secretary, unless otherwise specified, means the Secretary of Commerce. The term smart city or community means a community in which innovative, advanced, and trustworthy information, communications, and energy technologies and related mechanisms are applied— to improve the health and quality of life of residents; to increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of civic operations and services; to promote economic growth; and to create a community that is safer and more secure, equitable, sustainable, resilient, livable, and workable. The term smart city or community includes a local jurisdiction that— gathers and incorporates data from systems, devices, and sensors embedded in civic systems and infrastructure to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of civic operations and services; aggregates and analyzes gathered data; communicates the analysis performed under clause (ii), and the data described in that clause, in a variety of formats; makes corresponding improvements to civic systems and services based on gathered data; coordinates with relevant public and private sector entities (including entities providing electric, water, telecommunications, energy, and transportation services) to leverage the activities carried out by those entities; integrates measures— to ensure the resilience of civic systems against cybersecurity threats and physical vulnerabilities and breaches; to protect the private data of residents; and to measure the impact of smart city or community technologies on the effectiveness, equity, and efficiency of civic operations and services; and promotes regional coordination of the activities described in clauses (i) through (vi). The term State means— a State; the District of Columbia; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and any other territory or possession of the United States. The term Working Group means the Cybersecurity Working Group established under section 202(b)(1).

101. Coordination of activities among Federal agencies The Secretaries 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. The Council shall— be led by the Office of Science and Technology Policy; be co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Secretary; and include— the Secretary of Energy; the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; the Secretary of Transportation; the Director of the National Science Foundation; and the heads of such other Federal agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, including— the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Secretary of Labor; and the Secretary of State. For purposes of coordinating Federal activities under subparagraph (A), the Secretaries shall prioritize the conduct of Federal activities that would— demonstrate smart city or community technologies in repeatable ways that can rapidly be scaled; encourage public, private, regional, national, and international sharing of data and best practices; encourage private sector innovation by promoting industry-driven technology standards, open platforms, technology-neutral requirements, and interoperability; promote— a skilled workforce; an open and competitive global market for smart city or community technologies; inclusion of all citizens, including minority or disadvantaged groups; 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 community technologies and practices; and equitable distribution of benefits gained from the use of smart technologies; foster the growth of the smart city or community technology industry and workforce in the United States; encourage the adoption of smart city or community technologies by communities; safeguard cybersecurity, including by promoting industry practices relating to cybersecurity; and safeguard privacy and, in consultation with cities, communities, and industry entities, establish parameters and best practices for the full life cycle management of all types of smart city or community data, including— best practices for the collection, storage, disposal, ownership, and sharing of data; and best practices for data transparency and data use limitations. The Secretaries shall— ensure that the Federal activities described in subparagraph (B) relating to safeguarding cybersecurity take into account 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; 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 systems; conduct privacy impact assessments for Federal activities that could negatively affect privacy; and ensure the privacy of individuals by providing guidelines for— the use of technologies with inherent privacy and security considerations; screening vendors and partners to prevent the inclusion of organizations and individuals that have been involved in, or affiliated with, illegal or unethical uses of data; contractually obligating vendors and partners to maintain legal and ethical data standards with respect to privacy and data security; and monitoring for compliance with the requirements of this clause. The Secretaries, acting through the Council, in consultation with industry entities, cities, and communities, shall develop a multiyear strategy for— the coordination of activities and funding under paragraph (1)(A); the development of partnerships with the private sector relating to smart cities or communities; and the promotion of international cooperation with respect to smart city or community technologies and standards. The Secretaries shall coordinate with the heads of any applicable 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). 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 organizations and units of local government as the Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate regarding the preparation of a smart city or community technology workforce needs assessment. On completion of the assessment prepared under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress and the Council the completed assessment. 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 under paragraph (2)(A), each of the Secretaries shall— 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 leveraged non-Federal matching funds; and coordinate with the head of any other applicable Federal agency that allocates funds for smart city or community activities— to achieve greater benefits from activities using Federal funds; to produce integrated projects relating to those activities; and to leverage complementary investments of other Federal agencies in those activities. During the 6-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act— the head of each applicable Federal agency shall submit to the Secretary information for inclusion in the report submitted under paragraph (2); and 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 Committees on Energy and Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report, based on the information described in paragraph (1), that includes— an update of the status of relevant smart city or community technology developments and applications, including broadband infrastructure; a description of any related program or activity that is funded by the Federal agency during the period covered by the report; the budget of the Federal agency for supporting smart city or community activities, as described in subsection (a)(4)(A); any non-Federal cost-share contributed for activities for which Federal assistance is provided under this section; a description of the strategy developed under subsection (a)(2)(A), including a description of how the relevant programs are progressing under that strategy; a description of outreach activities conducted under section 102(d), including the amount and type of assistance required by cities and communities to overcome barriers to implementing smart city or community technologies, and any Federal actions necessary to meet those needs; a description of projects funded under section 201, including a description of— project outcomes and performance; the use of leveraged non-Federal funds; the equitable distribution of Federal funds; and how each project fulfills the priorities described in subsection (a)(1)(B); and such other information as the Secretary determines to be necessary.

102. Smart city and community resource guide The Secretaries, in coordination 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 Act, a resource guide designed to assist States, communities, and cities in the United States in developing and implementing smart city or community programs. The Secretaries, in coordination with cities, communities, and industry entities, shall determine which information shall be included in the guide under paragraph (1). The guide published under subsection (a)(1)— shall be maintained electronically on a website; shall be provided as an electronic reference guide available to the public free of charge; and may include— a compilation of existing related programs of the Federal Government available to communities, including technical assistance, education, training, research and development, analysis, and funding; available examples of local governments engaging private sector entities in order to implement smart city or community solutions, including public-private partnership models, such as the use of energy savings performance contracts and utility energy service contracts or other innovative models, that could be used to leverage private sector funding to increase energy productivity and reduce water, transportation, and other costs to cities and communities, including the results of the study conducted under section 204; available examples of proven methods for local governments and utilities to facilitate the integration of smart technologies with new and existing infrastructure and systems; best practices and lessons learned from technology demonstrations, including return on investment, equitable distribution of benefits, and performance information to help cities and communities decide how to initiate integration of smart technologies; Federal, State, and local best practices for safeguarding cybersecurity and ensuring appropriate data management and data privacy; technical specifications for wireless or wired broadband infrastructure to support smart city or community technologies; and such other topics as are requested by industry entities or local governments or determined to be necessary by the Secretaries. In creating, publishing, and maintaining the guide under subsection (a)(1), the Secretaries shall consider Federal, State, and local guides published before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act relating to smart city or community goals, activities, and best practices— to prevent duplication of efforts by the Federal Government; and to leverage existing complementary efforts. 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— to provide interested States, cities, and communities with the guide published under subsection (a)(1); 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); to identify— barriers to smart city or community technology adoption; opportunities to increase the equitable distribution of benefits from the use of smart city or community technology; any necessary research, development, and assistance, including in Tribal, rural, and underserved communities; and local government programs that could be included in the guide under subsection (a)(1); to respond to requests for assistance, advice, or consultation from cities and communities; and for other purposes, as identified by the Secretaries.

202. Cybersecurity Working Group It is the sense of Congress that— 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 technology 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 security to the competitiveness of the United States is valuable and should be continued; and 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. The Secretary, in consultation with the Council, shall convene a multistakeholder working group, to be known as the Cybersecurity Working Group, to develop tools for communities to use to evaluate the cybersecurity of smart city or community technologies. In appointing members to the Working Group, the Secretary shall consider appointing— representatives of consumer groups and civil liberties organizations; representatives of small units of local government, as determined by the Secretary; representatives of large units of local government, as determined by the Secretary; manufacturers of smart city or community devices, equipment, and software; individuals with expertise in communications networks; Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials; individuals with other expertise necessary to carry out the duties of the Working Group; and such representatives of the Council as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 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. The Working Group shall— leverage and build on previous activities carried out by the Department of Commerce relating to Internet of Things technology; develop tools for communities to evaluate the cybersecurity of smart city or community technology being considered by the communities for adoption in those communities; develop tools for communities to protect against cybersecurity threats relevant to the technology the community has chosen to adopt; assess— whether Internet of Things cybersecurity standards should exist; and whether the standards described in subclause (I) should be voluntary or mandatory; and identify which entity is appropriate to devise the standards described in clause (i)(I); and submit to the Council a report that describes the findings of the Working Group.

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— financial and procurement mechanisms currently available to public and private entities to fund smart city or community activities and associated demonstration projects, including pay for performance financing that could deliver measurable and verifiable market and non-market values to smart cities or communities; new and innovative financial and procurement mechanisms under development or used experimentally that may be available, in the near term, to public and private entities to fund smart city or community activities and associated demonstration projects; barriers to creative financing solutions for smart city or community activities and associated demonstration projects, including procurement barriers faced by State and local governments; and ways to leverage private sector investments in smart cities and communities.

301. Standards and interoperability framework To strengthen the public-private partnership approach to smart city-related or community-related standards development and interoperability, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall strongly encourage and support participation by Federal Government experts in private sector-led, standards-related activities that convene smart city or community stakeholders, including representatives of applicable Federal agencies. To promote innovation and economic competitiveness and to achieve interoperability of smart city or community devices and systems, while strengthening the United States approach to private sector-led standardization activities and the participation of Federal representatives under subsection (a), the Secretary, in consultation with private and public sector stakeholders, shall— survey and review domestic and international smart city or community performance standards, existing architectures, applications, and deployments, and interoperability standards; make consensus-based recommendations— to identify gaps in the smart city or community performance standards and interoperability standards under paragraph (1); to harmonize existing standards and deployment efforts and enable greater interoperability across smart city or community technologies; to coordinate domestic and international performance standards and interoperability standards to promote uniform performance standards and interoperability standards worldwide, including with respect to the need for testing and demonstration; and for guidelines to enable interoperability in the collection, storage, ownership, and sharing of data; based on the recommendations under paragraph (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 consensus standards; ensure that cybersecurity and privacy are core elements of the recommended performance standards and interoperability standards; and lead international coordination efforts to develop industry-led, technology-neutral, voluntary, consensus-based global smart city or community performance standards and interoperability standards.

401. Development of global smart city or community best practices The Secretaries may carry out activities— to enable cities and communities in the United States and other countries to work together toward shared smart city- or community-related goals; to promote smart city or community solutions that provide measurable benefits to local governments and residents; to enable an open, global marketplace for smart city or community technologies based on voluntary, consensus-based, and technology-neutral standards; and to connect innovators from industry and academia to local governments to catalyze the emergence of open and advanced technologies that— meet community needs; and advance innovation and open competition. The activities described in subsection (a) may include grants, contracts, challenges, prize competitions, public-private partnerships, and other innovative mechanisms. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretaries to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Funds made available under paragraph (1) may not be used to provide assistance to— a foreign country; or a foreign company (excluding any United States subsidiary of a foreign holding company).

402. Trade program The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, such other members of the Council as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, and private stakeholders, shall establish a strategic international smart cities and communities trade program, which shall include trade missions— to promote the export of United States smart cities or communities technologies; to stimulate job growth in the United States; to identify potential partners and strategies for companies in the United States in target foreign market sectors; to organize events with local governments, businesses, associations, academia, and other stakeholders to promote smart city or community partnerships; to assist in the development of competitive strategies and foreign market access for smart city or community technology business interests of the United States; to assist in developing appropriate Federal policy relating to interests of businesses in the United States and businesses in international smart cities or communities; to assist in achieving commitments of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; to assist in lowering the cost to consumers of smart cities or communities technologies; to leverage expertise in infrastructure to deliver solutions that can help make communities more efficient, equitable, livable, and sustainable; and to work with the United States Agency for International Development, the United States International 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.