The "Building Up Infrastructure for Local Departments Act of 2025," or BUILD Act, establishes two distinct grant programs aimed at enhancing the infrastructure of small law enforcement agencies and fire departments. These programs are designed to provide financial assistance for facility modifications, upgrades, or new construction. The overall goal is to improve public safety and emergency services in smaller communities across the United States.

One program, administered by the Attorney General, authorizes grants for State and local law enforcement agencies serving jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents. Funds are specifically allocated for projects that have a substantial nexus to improving emergency services, officer training and development, recruitment and retention, community engagement, or overall community safety. Individual grants are capped at $4,000,000, with $250,000,000 authorized annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

Concurrently, a separate grant program, overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, targets career, combination, and volunteer fire departments in jurisdictions of similar size. These grants also support facility improvements directly linked to enhancing emergency services, personnel training and recruitment, and community safety initiatives. This program also limits individual grants to $4,000,000 and authorizes $250,000,000 annually for the same fiscal years.

Both programs require applicants to demonstrate financial need and submit project cost estimates, with the administering agencies tasked with ensuring equitable geographic distribution of funds. Additionally, the bill mandates periodic studies by the Attorney General and the FEMA Administrator to assess the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of law enforcement and fire agencies, respectively. The Government Accountability Office is also directed to conduct a comprehensive study on the sufficiency of existing capital infrastructure for these small agencies, including future projections.