Congress·In Committee·H.R. 9032

RESTORE Third Spaces Act of 2026

Grants for Community Gathering Spaces

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

The RESTORE Third Spaces Act was recently introduced in the House and is currently being reviewed by two different committees. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is not yet scheduled for a vote. The bill is considered active as it waits for committee members to study its details.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While the idea of community spaces is popular, the bill currently lacks Republican support and is only in the very early stages of the lawmaking process.

Key Points

This bill creates a 200 million dollar pilot program to help build or fix up third spaces. These are places where people hang out that are not home or work, such as parks, libraries, community centers, and public markets. The goal is to give people more places to connect and build community.
Local governments, nonprofits, tribes, and community colleges can apply for these grants. At least 60 percent of the money must go to low-income or underserved areas. These communities often lack safe or affordable places to meet because of past neglect or rising costs.
Supporters say that losing these public spaces has made people feel more lonely and disconnected. They believe that having places to meet in person helps people trust each other more and makes it harder for online misinformation to spread.
These spaces are also meant to help local economies. They can act as incubators where new small businesses get started or where neighbors can collaborate on projects. The bill allows these spaces to charge small businesses rent while keeping the space free or cheap for the general public.
Before getting money, groups must show the history of their community and explain how they will involve local residents in the design. This ensures the new spaces actually reflect what the neighbors want and help preserve local culture and history.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

May 26, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

May 26, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

RESTORE Third Spaces Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 9032

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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.