Federal grants now fund youth sports in low-income communities

What it does

This bill amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to make youth sports facilities eligible for federal economic development grants. It adds new criteria allowing grants to fund sports facilities that serve low-income children in rural or underserved areas, address obesity and sedentary lifestyles, support economic development, and create jobs—particularly in communities with high opioid use or violence.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: it expands federal grant eligibility under an existing economic-development statute to include youth sports facilities serving low-income and underserved communities. The framing ties sports infrastructure to both public health (obesity, sedentary lifestyles) and economic development (job creation, community revitalization).

What the text implies

• Grant eligibility does not guarantee funding—appropriations remain subject to annual congressional budget decisions; communities may compete for limited grant pools.
• The bill does not specify funding levels, timelines, or administrative procedures; implementation details will depend on PWEDA regulations and agency guidance.
• Eligibility criteria (paragraphs 9–13) are cumulative options, not requirements—a facility need only satisfy one criterion to qualify, potentially broadening access.
• The bill does not restrict private sports facilities or require public ownership; private operators may apply for grants if they serve the specified populations.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill expands federal grant eligibility to fund youth sports facilities in low-income, rural, and underserved communities—directly benefiting children who lack access to recreation and addressing documented public-health harms (obesity, sedentary lifestyles, opioid-use communities). The mechanism is transparent and the beneficiaries are the public (children and families), not private interests.

Who stands to gain

• rural and underserved communities (via federal grant access)
• construction and engineering firms (potential contractors for facility development)
• youth sports organizations and nonprofits serving low-income populations

Named in the bill

Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, Section 201 of PWEDA, rural communities, low-income families, underserved communities, opioid-use communities

Where it stands

13 cosponsors: 9 Democrats, 4 Republicans.

• Apr 10, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Apr 10, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,650,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 24 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Bill Huizenga, the sponsor, reported $1,647,709 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• AT&T Services Inc and Its Affiliates — $2,650,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.