119-hr4649

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4649 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4649

 To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in communities, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 23, 2025

 Ms. DelBene (for herself and Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and 
Technology, Education and Workforce, and Foreign Affairs, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in communities, 
 and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Smart Cities and 
Communities Act of 2025''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Purpose.

Sec. 3. Definitions.
TITLE I--ENHANCING FEDERAL COORDINATION AND INVESTMENT IN SMART CITY OR 
 COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Sec. 101. Coordination of activities among Federal agencies.

Sec. 102. Smart city and community resource guide.
 TITLE II--PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Sec. 201. Technology demonstration grant program.

Sec. 202. Cybersecurity Working Group.

Sec. 203. TechHire Workforce Training and Development Program.

Sec. 204. GAO study on innovative financing.

Sec. 205. Technical assistance, smart city voucher, and technologist in 
 residence programs.
 TITLE III--IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND INTEROPERABILITY

Sec. 301. Standards and interoperability framework.
 TITLE IV--INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND BEST PRACTICES

Sec. 401. Development of global smart city or community best practices.

Sec. 402. Trade program.

SEC. 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--

    (1) improving Federal Government coordination and outreach 
 with respect to smart city or community technologies;

    (2) promoting the quality and performance of smart city or 
 community technologies while protecting--
        (A) the security of data and systems; and
        (B) privacy;

    (3) demonstrating the value and utility of smart, local 
 government-owned and -operated services through the development 
 and implementation of performance standards;

    (4) providing assistance to local governments interested in 
 implementing smart city or community technologies;

    (5) developing a workforce skilled in smart city or 
 community technologies; and

    (6) expanding international cooperation and trade in smart 
 city or community technologies.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Interagency 
 Council on Smart Cities established under 

section 101

    (a)

    (1)
        (A)
            (i) .

    (2) Data.--The term ``data'' includes information and 
 images.

    (3) Equity; equitable.--The terms ``equity'' and 
 ``equitable'' mean the consistent and systematic fair, just, 
 and impartial treatment of individuals who--
        (A) belong to underserved communities; and
        (B) have been denied systematic fair, just, and 
 impartial treatment based on race, ethnicity, religion, 
 income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, 
 or disability status.

    (4) Local workforce development board; state workforce 
 development board.--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).

    (5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
 Secretary, acting in coordination with--
        (A) the Secretary of Energy;
        (B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
            (C) the Secretary of Transportation;
            (D) the Director of the National Science 
 Foundation; and
        (E) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate--
            (i) the Secretary of Health and Human 
 Services;
            (ii) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
            (iii) the Secretary of Labor; and
            (iv) the Secretary of State.

    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'', unless otherwise 
 specified, means the Secretary of Commerce.

    (7) Smart city or community.--
        (A) In general.--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--
            (i) to improve the health and quality of 
 life of residents;
            (ii) to increase the efficiency and cost 
 effectiveness of civic operations and services;
            (iii) to promote economic growth; and
            (iv) to create a community that is safer 
 and more secure, equitable, sustainable, 
 resilient, livable, and workable.
        (B) Inclusions.--The term ``smart city or 
 community'' includes a local jurisdiction that--
            (i) 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;
            (ii) aggregates and analyzes gathered data;
            (iii) communicates the analysis performed 
 under clause
            (ii) , and the data described in 
 that clause, in a variety of formats;
            (iv) makes corresponding improvements to 
 civic systems and services based on gathered 
 data;
            (v) 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;
            (vi) integrates measures--
            (I) to ensure the resilience of 
 civic systems against cybersecurity 
 threats and physical vulnerabilities 
 and breaches;
            (II) to protect the private data of 
 residents; and
            (III) to measure the impact of 
 smart city or community technologies on 
 the effectiveness, equity, and 
 efficiency of civic operations and 
 services; and
            (vii) promotes regional coordination of the 
 activities described in clauses
            (i) through
            (vi) .

    (8) State.--The term ``State'' means--
        (A) a State;
        (B) the District of Columbia;
            (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
            (D) any other territory or possession of the United 
 States.

    (9) Working group.--The term ``Working Group'' means the 
 Cybersecurity Working Group established under 

section 202

    (b)

    (1) .

TITLE I--ENHANCING FEDERAL COORDINATION AND INVESTMENT IN SMART CITY OR 
 COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

SEC. 101. COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES AMONG FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Coordination.--

    (1) Coordination of activities.--
        (A) Federal council.--
            (i) Establishment.--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.
            (ii) Membership.--The Council shall--
            (I) be led by the Office of Science 
 and Technology Policy;
            (II) be co-chaired by the Director 
 of the Office of Science and Technology 
 Policy and the Secretary; and
            (III) include--

    (aa) the Secretary of 
 Energy;

    (bb) the Secretary of 
 Housing and Urban Development;
            (cc) the Secretary of 
 Transportation;
            (dd) the Director of the 
 National Science Foundation; 
 and

    (ee) the heads of such 
 other Federal agencies as the 
 Secretary determines to be 
 appropriate, including--

    (AA) the Secretary 
 of Homeland Security;

    (BB) the Secretary 
 of Labor; and
            (CC) the Secretary 
 of State.
        (B) Prioritization.--For purposes of coordinating 
 Federal activities under subparagraph
        (A) , the 
 Secretaries shall prioritize the conduct of Federal 
 activities that would--
            (i) demonstrate smart city or community 
 technologies in repeatable ways that can 
 rapidly be scaled;
            (ii) encourage public, private, regional, 
 national, and international sharing of data and 
 best practices;
            (iii) encourage private sector innovation 
 by promoting industry-driven technology 
 standards, open platforms, technology-neutral 
 requirements, and interoperability;
            (iv) promote--
            (I) a skilled workforce;
            (II) an open and competitive global 
 market for smart city or community 
 technologies;
            (III) inclusion of all citizens, 
 including minority or disadvantaged 
 groups;
            (IV) 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
            (V) equitable distribution of 
 benefits gained from the use of smart 
 technologies;
            (v) foster the growth of the smart city or 
 community technology industry and workforce in 
 the United States;
            (vi) encourage the adoption of smart city 
 or community technologies by communities;
            (vii) safeguard cybersecurity, including by 
 promoting industry practices relating to 
 cybersecurity; and
            (viii) 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--
            (I) best practices for the 
 collection, storage, disposal, 
 ownership, and sharing of data; and
            (II) best practices for data 
 transparency and data use limitations.
            (C) Considerations.--The Secretaries shall--
            (i) 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;
            (ii) 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;
            (iii) conduct privacy impact assessments 
 for Federal activities that could negatively 
 affect privacy; and
            (iv) ensure the privacy of individuals by 
 providing guidelines for--
            (I) the use of technologies with 
 inherent privacy and security 
 considerations;
            (II) 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;
            (III) contractually obligating 
 vendors and partners to maintain legal 
 and ethical data standards with respect 
 to privacy and data security; and
            (IV) monitoring for compliance with 
 the requirements of this clause.

    (2) Strategy.--
        (A) In general.--The Secretaries, acting through 
 the Council, in consultation with industry entities, 
 cities, and communities, shall develop a multiyear 
 strategy for--
            (i) the coordination of activities and 
 funding under paragraph

    (1)
        (A) ;
            (ii) the development of partnerships with 
 the private sector relating to smart cities or 
 communities; and
            (iii) the promotion of international 
 cooperation with respect to smart city or 
 community technologies and standards.
        (B) Requirement.--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) .

    (3) Assessment.--
        (A) In general.--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.
        (B) Submission.--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.

    (4) Coordination of funds.--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--
        (A) 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
        (B) coordinate with the head of any other 
 applicable Federal agency that allocates funds for 
 smart city or community activities--
            (i) to achieve greater benefits from 
 activities using Federal funds;
            (ii) to produce integrated projects 
 relating to those activities; and
            (iii) to leverage complementary investments 
 of other Federal agencies in those activities.

    (b) Submission of Information and Biennial Report.--During the 6-
year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act--

    (1) the head of each applicable Federal agency shall submit 
 to the Secretary information for inclusion in the report 
 submitted under paragraph

    (2) ; and

    (2) 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--
        (A) an update of the status of relevant smart city 
 or community technology developments and applications, 
 including broadband infrastructure;
        (B) a description of any related program or 
 activity that is funded by the Federal agency during 
 the period covered by the report;
            (C) the budget of the Federal agency for supporting 
 smart city or community activities, as described in 
 subsection

    (a)

    (4)
        (A) ;
            (D) any non-Federal cost-share contributed for 
 activities for which Federal assistance is provided 
 under this section;
        (E) a description of the strategy developed under 
 subsection

    (a)

    (2)
        (A) , including a description of how 
 the relevant programs are progressing under that 
 strategy;
        (F) 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;
        (G) a description of projects funded under 

section 201, including a description of--
            (i) project outcomes and performance;
            (ii) the use of leveraged non-Federal 
 funds;
            (iii) the equitable distribution of Federal 
 funds; and
            (iv) how each project fulfills the 
 priorities described in subsection

    (a)

    (1)
        (B) ; 
 and
        (H) such other information as the Secretary 
 determines to be necessary.

SEC. 102. SMART CITY AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE.

    (a) Publication.--

    (1) In general.--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.

    (2) Information included.--The Secretaries, in coordination 
 with cities, communities, and industry entities, shall 
 determine which information shall be included in the guide 
 under paragraph

    (1) .

    (b) Requirements.--The guide published under subsection

    (a)

    (1) --

    (1) shall be maintained electronically on a website;

    (2) shall be provided as an electronic reference guide 
 available to the public free of charge; and

    (3) may include--
        (A) a compilation of existing related programs of 
 the Federal Government available to communities, 
 including technical assistance, education, training, 
 research and development, analysis, and funding;
        (B) 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;
            (C) available examples of proven methods for local 
 governments and utilities to facilitate the integration 
 of smart technologies with new and existing 
 infrastructure and systems;
            (D) 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;
        (E) Federal, State, and local best practices for 
 safeguarding cybersecurity and ensuring appropriate 
 data management and data privacy;
        (F) technical specifications for wireless or wired 
 broadband infrastructure to support smart city or 
 community technologies; and
        (G) such other topics as are requested by industry 
 entities or local governments or determined to be 
 necessary by the Secretaries.
            (c) Existing Guides.--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--

    (1) to prevent duplication of efforts by the Federal 
 Government; and

    (2) to leverage existing complementary efforts.
            (d) Outreach.--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--

    (1) to provide interested States, cities, and communities 
 with the guide published under subsection

    (a)

    (1) ;

    (2) 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) ;

    (3) to identify--
        (A) barriers to smart city or community technology 
 adoption;
        (B) opportunities to increase the equitable 
 distribution of benefits from the use of smart city or 
 community technology;
            (C) any necessary research, development, and 
 assistance, including in Tribal, rural, and underserved 
 communities; and
            (D) local government programs that could be 
 included in the guide under subsection

    (a)

    (1) ;

    (4) to respond to requests for assistance, advice, or 
 consultation from cities and communities; and

    (5) for other purposes, as identified by the Secretaries.

 TITLE II--PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

SEC. 201. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a smart city or 
community regional demonstration grant program under which the 
Secretary shall conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced 
smart city or community technologies and systems in a variety of 
communities, including small- and medium-sized cities and rural and 
Tribal communities.

    (b) Goals.--The goals of the program established under subsection

    (a) are--

    (1) to demonstrate--
        (A) potential benefits of concentrated investments 
 in smart city or community technologies that are 
 repeatable and scalable across cities of different 
 sizes; and
        (B) the efficiency, equity, reliability, and 
 resilience of civic infrastructure and services;

    (2) to facilitate the adoption of advanced smart city or 
 community technologies and collaboration between small- and 
 medium- to large-sized cities; and

    (3) to demonstrate 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.
            (c) Demonstration Projects.--

    (1) Eligibility.--Subject to paragraph

    (2) , a unit of local 
 government shall be eligible to receive a grant for a 
 demonstration project under this section.

    (2) Application; cooperation.--To qualify for a 
 demonstration project under this section, a unit of local 
 government shall--
        (A) submit to the Secretary an application for a 
 grant for a demonstration project at such time and 
 containing such information as the Secretary may 
 require; and
        (B) agree to follow applicable best practices 
 identified by the Secretaries, in consultation with 
 industry entities and institutions of higher education, 
 to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented smart 
 city or community technologies to ensure that--
            (i) technologies and interoperability can 
 be assessed;
            (ii) best practices can be shared; and
            (iii) data can be shared in a public, 
 interoperable, and transparent format.

    (3) Federal share of cost of technology investments.--The 
 Secretary--
        (A) subject to subparagraph
        (B) , shall provide to a 
 unit of local government selected under this section 
 for the conduct of a demonstration project a grant in 
 an amount equal to not more than 50 percent of the 
 total cost of technology investments to incorporate and 
 assess qualifying smart city or community technologies 
 in the applicable jurisdiction; and
        (B) may waive the cost-share requirement of 
 subparagraph
        (A) as the Secretary determines to be 
 appropriate.
            (d) Requirement.--In conducting demonstration projects under this 
section, the Secretary shall--

    (1) develop competitive, technology-neutral requirements;

    (2) seek to award grants and distribute benefits from smart 
 city technologies in an equitable manner;

    (3) seek to leverage ongoing or existing civic 
 infrastructure investments; and

    (4) take into consideration the non-Federal cost share as a 
 competitive criterion in applicant selection in order to 
 leverage non-Federal investment.

    (e) Public Availability of Data and Reports.--The Secretary shall 
ensure that reports, public data sets, schematics, diagrams, and other 
works created using a grant provided under this section are--

    (1) available on a royalty-free, non-exclusive basis; and

    (2) open to the public to reproduce, publish, or otherwise 
 use, without cost.

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out subsection
            (c) $100,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 202. CYBERSECURITY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) 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

    (2) 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.

    (b) Establishment.--

    (1) In general.--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.

    (2) Membership.--
        (A) In general.--In appointing members to the 
 Working Group, the Secretary shall consider 
 appointing--
            (i) representatives of consumer groups and 
 civil liberties organizations;
            (ii) representatives of small units of 
 local government, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
            (iii) representatives of large units of 
 local government, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
            (iv) manufacturers of smart city or 
 community devices, equipment, and software;
            (v) individuals with expertise in 
 communications networks;
            (vi) Federal, State, and local law 
 enforcement officials;
            (vii) individuals with other expertise 
 necessary to carry out the duties of the 
 Working Group; and
            (viii) such representatives of the Council 
 as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
        (B) Representation.--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.

    (3) Duties.--The Working Group shall--
        (A) leverage and build on previous activities 
 carried out by the Department of Commerce relating to 
 Internet of Things technology;
        (B) develop tools for communities to evaluate the 
 cybersecurity of smart city or community technology 
 being considered by the communities for adoption in 
 those communities;
            (C) develop tools for communities to protect 
 against cybersecurity threats relevant to the 
 technology the community has chosen to adopt;
            (D) 
            (i) assess--
            (I) whether Internet of Things 
 cybersecurity standards should exist; and
            (II) whether the standards described in 
 subclause
            (I) should be voluntary or mandatory; 
 and
            (ii) identify which entity is appropriate to devise 
 the standards described in clause
            (i) 
            (I) ; and
        (E) submit to the Council a report that describes 
 the findings of the Working Group.

SEC. 203. TECHHIRE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, based on findings from the needs assessment 
conducted under 

section 101

    (a)

    (3) , the Secretary of Labor, in 
consultation with the Secretary, shall establish a pilot program, to be 
known as the ``TechHire Workforce Training and Development Pilot 
Program'', under which the Secretary of Labor, during the 5-year period 
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, shall provide to 
eligible entities, on a competitive basis, grants for technology-based 
job training and education programs that provide an industry-recognized 
certificate or certification.

    (b) Requirements.--A job training and education program that is 
carried out with a grant under this section shall--

    (1) provide technology-based training across 2 or more 
 sectors;

    (2) focus on equitable smart city or community 
 technologies, systems, and infrastructure which may span across 
 all sectors of the economy;

    (3) address privacy and cybersecurity considerations; and

    (4) address smart city or community workforce needs 
 identified by the Secretary of Labor, after consultation with 
 other applicable Federal agencies.
            (c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be a public organization or an 
organization described in 

section 501
            (c) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 

section 501

    (a) of that Code 
that--

    (1) includes an advisory board, which may be--
        (A)
            (i) a local workforce development board;
            (ii) a State workforce development board; or
            (iii) an appropriate subgroup of a local workforce 
 development board or a State workforce development 
 board; or
        (B) a board of proportional participation, as 
 determined by the Secretary of Labor, of relevant 
 organizations, including--
            (i) relevant industry organizations, 
 including public and private employers;
            (ii) labor organizations;
            (iii) one or more units of local government 
 that are actively pursuing smart city or 
 community programs; or
            (iv) postsecondary education organizations;

    (2) demonstrates experience in implementing and operating 
 job training and education programs;

    (3) demonstrates the ability to recruit and support 
 individuals who plan to work in a relevant sector on the 
 successful completion of relevant job training and education 
 programs;

    (4)
        (A) provides students who complete the training and 
 education program with an industry-recognized certificate or 
 certification; or
        (B) uses a curriculum that has received extensive feedback 
 from employers;

    (5) demonstrates the quality of the proposed program of job 
 training and education, including the training services that 
 lead to an industry-recognized certificate or certification; 
 and

    (6) demonstrates successful outcomes connecting graduates 
 of job training and education programs to quality jobs relevant 
 to the job training and education programs.
            (d) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary of Labor an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
of Labor may require.

    (e) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive grants 
under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall prioritize applicants 
that--

    (1)
        (A) are a local workforce development board or State 
 workforce development board; or
        (B) demonstrate a strong partnership with a local workforce 
 development board or State workforce development board;

    (2) house the job training and education program in--
        (A) an institution of higher education (as defined 
 in 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 1001)), including a community college, that 
 includes basic science, technology, and mathematics 
 education in the curriculum of the institution of 
 higher education; or
        (B) an apprenticeship program registered with the 
 Department of Labor or a State;

    (3) work with the Secretary of Defense or veterans 
 organizations to transition members of the Armed Forces and 
 veterans to careers in a relevant sector;

    (4) include in the application an entity that receives 
 State funding or is operated by a State agency;

    (5) include an apprenticeship program registered with the 
 Department of Labor or a State as part of the job training and 
 education program;

    (6) provide support services and career coaching;

    (7) provide entry-level technology workforce training aimed 
 at matching workers with well-paying jobs; or

    (8) propose to serve--
        (A) young adults between the ages of 16 and 24; or
        (B) individuals with barriers to employment (as 
 defined in 

section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)).

    (f) Additional Consideration.--In making grants under this section, 
the Secretary of Labor shall consider equity and regional diversity.

    (g) Limitation on Applications.--An eligible entity may not submit, 
either individually or as part of a joint application, more than 1 
application for a grant under this section during any 1 fiscal year.

    (h) Limitations on Amount of Grant.--The amount of a single grant 
provided under this section for any 1 year shall not exceed $5,000,000.
            (i) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of the cost of a job 
training and education program carried out using a grant under this 
section shall be not less than 25 percent of the total cost.

    (j) Reduction of Duplication.--Before submitting an application for 
a grant under this section, each applicant shall--

    (1) consult with the heads of appropriate Federal agencies; 
 and

    (2) coordinate the proposed activities of the applicant 
 with existing State and local programs.

    (k) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation 
with the Secretary, may provide technical assistance to eligible 
entities under subsection
            (c) to leverage the existing job training and 
education programs of the Department of Labor and other relevant 
programs at appropriate Federal agencies.
            (l) Report.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years, the 
Secretary of Labor shall submit to Congress, and make publicly 
available on the website of the Department of Labor, a report on the 
program established under this section, including a description of--

    (1) any entity that receives a grant under this section;

    (2) activities carried out using the grants under this 
 section;

    (3) best practices used to leverage the investment of the 
 Federal Government under this section; and

    (4) an assessment of the results achieved by the program 
 established under this section, including the equitable 
 distribution of benefits and the rate of employment for 
 participants after completing a job training and education 
 program carried out using a grant under this section.
            (m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 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--

    (1) 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;

    (2) 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;

    (3) 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

    (4) ways to leverage private sector investments in smart 
 cities and communities.

SEC. 205. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, SMART CITY VOUCHER, AND TECHNOLOGIST IN 
 RESIDENCE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Technical Assistance Program.--The Secretary of Energy 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a 
program to provide technical assistance to cities and communities 
seeking to incorporate smart city or community technologies.

    (b) Smart City Voucher Pilot Program.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot 
 program (referred to in this section as the ``pilot program'') 
 under which the Secretary shall provide assistance, including 
 through vouchers, to cities and communities (including cities 
 or communities partnered with a small business concern (as 
 defined in 

section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
 632))) to improve, for the purposes of promoting smart city or 
 community technologies and commercialization--
        (A) the access of cities and communities to the 
 expertise, competencies, and infrastructure of National 
 Laboratories; and
        (B) the products, services, and capabilities of 
 those cities and communities.

    (2) Voucher.--A voucher provided under the pilot program 
 may be redeemed at any National Laboratory or laboratory of the 
 Department of Energy.

    (3) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
 program in collaboration with the Director of each National 
 Laboratory.

    (4) Cost sharing.--
        (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
        (B) , 

section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
 U.S.C. 16352) shall apply to financial assistance 
 provided under this section.
        (B) Exception.--The Secretary may waive 

section 988 
 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 16352) in providing financial 
 assistance under the pilot program to cities or 
 communities that partner with a small business concern 
 that is socially or economically disadvantaged, as 
 determined by the Secretary.
            (c) Technologist in Residence Pilot Program.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall expand the 
 Technologist in Residence pilot program of the Department of 
 Energy to include partnerships between National Laboratories 
 and cities or communities with respect to research and 
 development relating to smart cities or communities.

    (2) Requirements.--For purposes of the partnerships entered 
 into under paragraph

    (1) , technologists in residence shall work 
 with an assigned city or community to develop an assessment of 
 smart city or community technologies available and appropriate 
 to meet the smart city or community objectives of the city or 
 community.
            (d) Guidance.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Commerce, shall issue guidance with respect to--

    (1) the scope of the programs established under subsections

    (a) through
            (c) ; and

    (2) requests for proposals from cities and communities 
 interested in participating in those programs.

    (e) Considerations.--In establishing the programs under subsections

    (a) through
            (c) , the Secretary shall seek to address the needs of 
small- and medium-sized cities, counties, and Tribal governments.

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.

 TITLE III--IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND INTEROPERABILITY

SEC. 301. STANDARDS AND INTEROPERABILITY FRAMEWORK.

    (a) Participation.--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.

    (b) Activities.--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--

    (1) survey and review domestic and international smart city 
 or community performance standards, existing architectures, 
 applications, and deployments, and interoperability standards;

    (2) make consensus-based recommendations--
        (A) to identify gaps in the smart city or community 
 performance standards and interoperability standards 
 under paragraph

    (1) ;
        (B) to harmonize existing standards and deployment 
 efforts and enable greater interoperability across 
 smart city or community technologies;
            (C) 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
            (D) for guidelines to enable interoperability in 
 the collection, storage, ownership, and sharing of 
 data;

    (3) 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;

    (4) ensure that cybersecurity and privacy are core elements 
 of the recommended performance standards and interoperability 
 standards; and

    (5) lead international coordination efforts to develop 
 industry-led, technology-neutral, voluntary, consensus-based 
 global smart city or community performance standards and 
 interoperability standards.

 TITLE IV--INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND BEST PRACTICES

SEC. 401. DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL SMART CITY OR COMMUNITY BEST PRACTICES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretaries may carry out activities--

    (1) to enable cities and communities in the United States 
 and other countries to work together toward shared smart city- 
 or community-related goals;

    (2) to promote smart city or community solutions that 
 provide measurable benefits to local governments and residents;

    (3) to enable an open, global marketplace for smart city or 
 community technologies based on voluntary, consensus-based, and 
 technology-neutral standards; and

    (4) to connect innovators from industry and academia to 
 local governments to catalyze the emergence of open and 
 advanced technologies that--
        (A) meet community needs; and
        (B) advance innovation and open competition.

    (b) Eligible Activities.--The activities described in subsection

    (a) may include grants, contracts, challenges, prize competitions, 
public-private partnerships, and other innovative mechanisms.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--

    (1) In general.--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.

    (2) Limitation on use of funds.--Funds made available under 
 paragraph

    (1) may not be used to provide assistance to--
        (A) a foreign country; or
        (B) a foreign company (excluding any United States 
 subsidiary of a foreign holding company).

SEC. 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--

    (1) to promote the export of United States smart cities or 
 communities technologies;

    (2) to stimulate job growth in the United States;

    (3) to identify potential partners and strategies for 
 companies in the United States in target foreign market 
 sectors;

    (4) to organize events with local governments, businesses, 
 associations, academia, and other stakeholders to promote smart 
 city or community partnerships;

    (5) to assist in the development of competitive strategies 
 and foreign market access for smart city or community 
 technology business interests of the United States;

    (6) to assist in developing appropriate Federal policy 
 relating to interests of businesses in the United States and 
 businesses in international smart cities or communities;

    (7) to assist in achieving commitments of the United 
 Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

    (8) to assist in lowering the cost to consumers of smart 
 cities or communities technologies;

    (9) to leverage expertise in infrastructure to deliver 
 solutions that can help make communities more efficient, 
 equitable, livable, and sustainable; and

    (10) 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.
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