Neighborhood Reconstruction Corps Act

Summary: Neighborhood Reconstruction Corps Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish the Neighborhood Reconstruction Corps program to award competitive matching grants to eligible entities to employ economically disadvantaged adults or youth to perform infrastructure repair services in economically distressed central cities. 
Requires peer review panels to review applications and make recommendations to the Secretary. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Neighborhood Reconstruction Corps 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to--
            (1) create incentives for private enterprise to invest in 
        light infrastructure projects in cities in which such 
        enterprises do business;
            (2) assist community based organizations in assembling and 
        finding employment for residents of the community in 
        neighborhood reconstruction corps projects; and
            (3) provide training, positive work habits, work skills, 
        and light construction skills for urban residents.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor (hereafter referred to in 
this section as the ``Secretary''), shall establish a program, to be 
known as the Neighborhood Reconstruction Corps Program, under which the 
Secretary shall award competitive matching grants to eligible entities 
to enable such entities to employ economically disadvantaged adults, as 
described in section 202(d)(1)(A) of the Job Training Partnership Act, 
or disadvantaged youth, as described in part B of title IV of such Act, 
to perform infrastructure repair services in Economically Distressed 
Central Cities.
    (b) Eligibility and Application.--To be eligible to receive a 
matching grant under the program established under subsection (a), an 
entity shall--
            (1) be a nonprofit community development corporation, or a 
        private business entity;
            (2) serve in an area of high unemployment and poverty 
        within an Economically Distressed Central City;
            (3) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner and containing such information as 
        the Secretary may require, including--
                    (A) a description of the activities to be carried 
                out with amounts received and matched under the grant;
                    (B) a certification from the State or local 
                governmental entity with respect to such activities;
                    (C) assurances, satisfactory to the Secretary, that 
                non-Federal funds will be provided by the applicant to 
                carry out activities under the grant;
                    (D) a description of the organizations to be used 
                for the management of the project; and
                    (E) any other information determined appropriate by 
                the Secretary;
            (4) meet any other requirements determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    (c) Use of Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--An entity that receives a matching grant 
        under this section shall use amounts received under such grant 
        to employ economically disadvantaged adults in projects to 
        perform light, labor-intensive infrastructure repair.
            (2) Requirements.--Projects funded under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) be for the repair of--
                            (i) public facilities, including schools, 
                        governmental buildings, and public housing 
                        facilities; or
                            (ii) publicly owned property not otherwise 
                        covered under clause (i), including roadways, 
                        bridges and sewers;
                    (B) include--
                            (i) construction in compliance with the 
                        Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
                            (ii) the removal of graffiti;
                            (iii) the replacement of sidewalks, curbs, 
                        or roadsides;
                            (iv) the refurbishing or refinishing of 
                        publicly owned housing or building stock;
                            (v) the construction of fences bordering 
                        publicly owned abandoned buildings;
                            (vi) demolition clean up;
                            (vii) asbestos removal; and
                            (viii) lead abatement projects;
                    (C) not cost in excess of a total of more than 
                $1,000,000;
                    (D) provide for the contribution of matching funds 
                in an amount that is equal to 50 percent of the amount 
                of the grant, but in no case in excess of $250,000;
                    (E) with respect to projects carried out by private 
                entities, not be utilized as a condition for any kind 
                of waiver or exemption for such entities from local 
                zoning or property tax laws;
                    (F) employ individuals residing in the community to 
                be served by the project;
                    (G) provide such individuals with the necessary 
                training in a construction trade to enable such 
                individuals to carry out their duties under the 
                project;
                    (H) provide the training required under 
                subparagraph (G) through a partnership with a local 
                contractor or a construction trade union; and
                    (I) meet such other requirements as the Secretary 
                determines appropriate.
            (3) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give preference to projects that demonstrate 
        successful efforts to serve non-custodial parents of 
        nondependent children who are recipients of assistance under 
        title IV of the Social Security Act, except that such project 
        must require that such non-custodial parents agree in writing 
        to have an appropriate portion of their earnings under the 
        project withheld to meet any child support order.
    (d) Peer Review Panel.--The Secretary shall provide for the 
establishment of a peer review panel to perform the initial review of 
applications for assistance under this section and make recommendations 
to the Secretary with respect to such applications. The panel shall 
include at least one representative of--
            (1) a contractor for public infrastructure construction;
            (2) a member of a private industry council under section 
        102 of the Job Training Partnership Act;
            (3) individuals who have been instrumental in developing a 
        model construction job training program;
            (4) employees in community or urban planning at a local or 
        city government; and
            (5) employees of a non-profit or for profit housing 
        authority.
    (e) Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant awarded under this 
section shall not exceed the amount contributed to the project by the 
applicant entity. Such contributed amounts shall be non-Federal in 
nature and be made available directly or through donations from public 
or private entities.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section, $500,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
        years 1993 through 1997.
            (2) Use.--Of the amounts appropriated for each fiscal year 
        under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) not to exceed 5 percent of such amount shall be 
                used for administrative costs; and
                    (B) the remainder of such amounts shall be used to 
                award matching grants.
    (g) Community Development Corporation.--As used in this section the 
term ``community development corporation'' means a private, nonprofit 
corporation whose board of directors is comprised of business, civic 
and community leaders, and whose principal purpose includes the 
provision of low-income housing or community economic development 
projects that primarily benefit low-income individuals and communities.

SEC. 4. ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED CENTRAL CITIES.

    (a) Requirements.--To be an Economically Distressed Central City 
under section 4, a city shall--
            (1) be a metropolitan city (as defined in section 102(a)(4) 
        of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5302(a)(4));
            (2) be eligible to receive an allocation of funds under 
        section 106(a)(3) of the Housing and Community Development Act 
        of 1974 for the most recent fiscal year ending prior to the 
        date of enactment of this title;
            (3) have a population of at least 30,000; and
            (4) have a need adjusted per capita income less than 1.25 
        (as determined under subsection (b)) on the basis of the most 
        recent data available.
    (b) Need Adjusted Per Capita Income.--The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall determine the Need Adjusted Per Capita Income 
for each city that meets the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a) under the following formula:
            (1) Determination of need index.--
                    (A) For purposes of this section, the term ``need 
                index'' means the number equal to the quotient of--
                            (i) the term ``N'', as determined under 
                        subparagraph (B); divided by
                            (ii) the term ``P'', as determined under 
                        subparagraph (C).
                    (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), the term 
                ``N'' means the percentage constituted by the ratio 
                of--
                            (i) the amount of funds allotted to the 
                        city in the fiscal year in which the calendar 
                        year begins under section 106(a)(3) of the 
                        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; 
                        to
                            (ii) the sum of the amount of funds 
                        received by all eligible cities in such fiscal 
                        year under section 106(a)(3) of the Housing and 
                        Community Development Act of 1974.
                    (C) For purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), the term 
                ``P'' means the percentage constituted by the ratio 
                of--
                            (i) the amount equal to the total 
                        population of the city, as determined by the 
                        Secretary using the most recent data that is 
                        available from the Secretary of Commerce 
                        pursuant to the decennial census and pursuant 
                        to reasonable estimates by such Secretary of 
                        changes occurring in the data in the ensuing 
                        period, to
                            (ii) the amount equal to the total 
                        population of all eligible cities in the 
                        current fiscal year.
                    (D) For purposes of this paragraph, the term 
                ``eligible cities'' means those cities which meet the 
                requirements of paragraph (1) and (2) of subsection 
                (a).
            (2) Determination of need adjusted per capita income 
        factor.--
                    (A) For purposes of this section (and subject to 
                subparagraph (D)), the term ``need adjusted per capita 
                income factor'' means the amount equal to the 
                percentage determined for the city in accordance with 
                the following formula:

      

                                                                                                                
                                                            I                                                   
                                        1-.15   &lt;3-ln (&gt; ------- &lt;3-ln )&gt;                                       
                                                            Q                                                   
                                                                                                                

                    (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 
                ``I'' means the per capita income of the city for the 
                most recent year for which data is available, as 
                determined by the Secretary of Commerce.
                    (C) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 
                ``Q'' means the product of--
                            (i) the need index of such city, as 
                        determined under paragraph (1); and
                            (ii) the amount equal to the per capita 
                        income of the United States for the most recent 
                        year for which data is available, as determined 
                        by the Secretary of Commerce.
                    (D) In the case of a city for which the quotient of 
                the term ``I'' (as determined under subparagraph (B)) 
                divided by the term ``Q'' (as determined under 
                subparagraph (C)) is less than 0.2, then such quotient 
                shall be deemed to be equal to 0.2 for such city for 
                purposes of the formula under subparagraph (A).