II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 900 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish a Southern New England 

Regional Commission, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. REED) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish a Southern New England Regional Commission, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southern New England 

5 Regional Commission Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND RE2 GIONAL COMMISSION. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 15301(a) of title 40, 

4 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(4) The Southern New England Regional 

7 Commission.’’. 

8 (b) PURPOSES FOR ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUC9 TURE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.—Section 15501 of title 

10 40, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection 

11 (a) and inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A Commission may make grants 

13 to States and local governments, Indian Tribes, and public 

14 and nonprofit organizations for projects, approved in ac15 cordance with section 15503— 

16 ‘‘(1) to develop the transportation infrastruc17 ture of the region of the Commission; 

18 ‘‘(2) to develop the basic public infrastructure 

19 of the region of the Commission; 

20 ‘‘(3) to develop the telecommunications infra21 structure of the region of the Commission; 

22 ‘‘(4) to assist the region of the Commission in 

23 obtaining job skills training, skills development and 

24 employment-related education, career pathways, ap25 prenticeship opportunities, entrepreneurship, tech26 nology, job coaching to address the cliff effect, work 


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1 supports (including child care), and business devel2 opment; 

3 ‘‘(5) to provide assistance to severely economi4 cally distressed and underdeveloped areas of a region 

5 that lack financial resources for improving— 

6 ‘‘(A) basic health care; 

7 ‘‘(B) two-generational practices that im8 prove school and workforce readiness and suc9 cess; and 

10 ‘‘(C) other public services, including work 

11 supports critical for families seeking employ12 ment, which may include quality child care, 

13 transportation, health, and housing; 

14 ‘‘(6) to promote resource conservation, tourism, 

15 recreation, and preservation of open space in a man16 ner consistent with economic development goals; 

17 ‘‘(7) to promote the development of renewable 

18 and alternative energy sources; 

19 ‘‘(8) to support the maritime economy, includ20 ing boat and ship building and repair industries; 

21 ‘‘(9) to assist in developing defense manufac22 turing industries; 

23 ‘‘(10) to promote the adoption of composite and 

24 other innovative materials in public transportation; 


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1 ‘‘(11) to grow the capacity for successful com2 munity economic development in the region of the 

3 Commission; 

4 ‘‘(12) to provide for employment training for 

5 populations seeking employment, including parents 

6 in poverty, adults in recovery, and reentry adults, in 

7 areas with worker shortages; and 

8 ‘‘(13) to otherwise achieve the purposes of this 

9 subtitle.’’. 

10 (c) DESIGNATION OF REGION.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 

12 157 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 

13 adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘§ 15734. Southern New England Regional Commis15 sion 

16 ‘‘The region of the Southern New England Regional 

17 Commission shall include the following counties: 

18 ‘‘(1) RHODE ISLAND.—Each county in the 

19 State of Rhode Island. 

20 ‘‘(2) CONNECTICUT.—The counties of Hartford, 

21 New Haven, Windham, Tolland, Middlesex, and New 

22 London in the State of Connecticut. 

23 ‘‘(3) MASSACHUSETTS.—The counties of 

24 Hampden, Plymouth, Barnstable, Essex, Worcester, 

25 and Bristol in the State of Massachusetts.’’. 


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1 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 

2 subchapter II of chapter 157 of title 40, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

4 following: 

‘‘15734. Southern New England Regional Commission.’’. 

Æ 


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