H.R. 4329 — Building Civic Bridges Act

This section establishes an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the Corporation for National and Community Service, to be headed by an Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding designated by the Chief Executive Officer. The Officer must (1) administer a pilot grant program to support civic bridgebuilding projects (i.e., activities reducing conflict, improving social cohesion, and addressing public needs such as human services, education, health care, environment, or public safety); (2) provide training in civic bridgebuilding skills to national service program participants and grantees; (3) support research, evaluations, and information dissemination on civic bridgebuilding, including collaboration with other Corporation offices and federal entities such as the Department of Justice's Community Relations Service, USAID, and the U.S. Institute of Peace; and (4) convene civic bridgebuilding programs and stakeholders to promote best practices and public dialogue. In carrying out these duties, the Officer must consult diverse civic bridgebuilding experts, including those from ideological, religious, racial, regional, professional, and ethnic communities; national service grantees; researchers; and relevant federal agencies. The pilot grant program operates for an initial 3-year period (with option for additional 3-year periods), awarding competitive 1-year grants in three cycles per pilot period to eligible entities based on applications describing projects that engage communities across lines of difference.

This section amends the table of contents of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to add Part VI of subtitle H of title I (Civic Bridgebuilding) and section 198T (Office of Civic Bridgebuilding).