I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1349 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide a comprehensive regional 

approach to economic and infrastructure development in the most severely distressed regions in the Nation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2005 

Mr. OBERSTAR (for himself and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; 

which was 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 

A BILL 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide a comprehensive regional approach to economic and infrastructure development in the most severely distressed regions 

in the Nation. 

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 ‘‘Regional Economic 

5 and Infrastructure Development Act of 2005’’. 
2 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

3 (1) between January 2001 and December 2004, 

4 the number of unemployed workers in the United 

5 States increased from 5,900,000 to 8,000,000, an 

6 increase of more than 35 percent; 

7 (2) people living in economically distressed, un8 derdeveloped regions are among the most affected by 

9 the economic downturn; 

10 (3) certain regions of the Nation, including Ap11 palachia, the Mississippi Delta Region, the Northern 

12 Great Plains Region, the Southeast Crescent Region, 

13 the Southwest Border Region, and rural Alaska, 

14 have suffered from chronic distress far above the na15 tional average; 

16 (4) an economically distressed region can suffer 

17 unemployment and poverty at a rate that is 150 per18 cent of the national average; and 

19 (5) regional commissions are unique Federal20 State partnerships that can provide targeted re21 sources to alleviate pervasive economic distress. 

22 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

23 (1) to provide a comprehensive regional ap24 proach to economic and infrastructure development 

25 in the most severely distressed regions in the Nation; 

26 and 
3 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 (2) to ensure that the most severely distressed 

2 regions in the Nation have the necessary tools to de3 velop the basic building blocks for economic develop4 ment, such as transportation and basic public infra5 structure, job skills training, and business develop6 ment. 

7 SEC. 3. REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DE8 VELOPMENT. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 40, United States Code, is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) by redesignating subtitle V as subtitle VI; 

12 and 

13 (2) by inserting after subtitle IV the following: 

14 ‘‘SUBTITLE V—REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND 

15 INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 

‘‘CHAPTER Sec. 

‘‘151. GENERAL PROVISIONS ............................................................ 15101 

‘‘153. REGIONAL COMMISSIONS ....................................................... 15301 

‘‘155. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ......................................................... 15501 

‘‘157. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS ............................................. 15701 

16 ‘‘CHAPTER 151—GENERAL PROVISIONS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘15101. Definitions. 

17 ‘‘§ 15101. Definitions 

18 ‘‘In this subtitle, the following definitions apply: 

19 ‘‘(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘Commission’ 

20 means a Commission established under section 

21 15301. 
4 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(2) LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.—The 

2 term ‘local development district’ means an entity 

3 that— 

4 ‘‘(A)(i) is an economic development district 

5 that is— 

6 ‘‘(I) in existence on the date of enact7 ment of this chapter; and 

8 ‘‘(II) located in the region; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) if an entity described in clause (i) 

10 does not exist— 

11 ‘‘(I) is organized and operated in a 

12 manner that ensures broad-based commu13 nity participation and an effective oppor14 tunity for local officials, community lead15 ers, and the public to contribute to the de16 velopment and implementation of programs 

17 in the region; 

18 ‘‘(II) is governed by a policy board 

19 with at least a simple majority of members 

20 consisting of— 

21 ‘‘(aa) elected officials; or 

22 ‘‘(bb) designees or employees of a 

23 general purpose unit of local govern24 ment that have been appointed to rep-
5 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 resent the unit of local government; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(III) is certified by the Governor or 

4 appropriate State officer as having a char5 ter or authority that includes the economic 

6 development of counties, portions of coun7 ties, or other political subdivisions within 

8 the region; and 

9 ‘‘(B) has not, as certified by the Federal 

10 Cochairperson— 

11 ‘‘(i) inappropriately used Federal 

12 grant funds from any Federal source; or 

13 ‘‘(ii) appointed an officer who, during 

14 the period in which another entity inappro15 priately used Federal grant funds from any 

16 Federal source, was an officer of the other 

17 entity. 

18 ‘‘(3) FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM.—The term 

19 ‘Federal grant program’ means a Federal grant pro20 gram to provide assistance in carrying out economic 

21 and community development activities. 

22 ‘‘(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

23 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

24 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

25 Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
6 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(5) NONPROFIT ENTITY.—The term ‘nonprofit 

2 entity’ means any entity with tax-exempt or non3 profit status, as defined by the Internal Revenue 

4 Service, that has been formed for the purpose of eco5 nomic development. 

6 ‘‘(6) REGION.—The term ‘region’ means the 

7 area covered by a Commission as described in sub8 chapter II of chapter 157. 

9 ‘‘CHAPTER 153—REGIONAL COMMISSIONS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘15301. Establishment, membership, and employees. 

‘‘15302. Decisions. 

‘‘15303. Functions. 

‘‘15304. Administrative powers and expenses. 

‘‘15305. Meetings. 

‘‘15306. Personal financial interests. 

‘‘15307. Tribal representation on Northern Great Plains Regional Commission. 

‘‘15308. Tribal participation. 

‘‘15309. Annual report. 

10 ‘‘§ 15301. Establishment, membership, and employees 

11 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There are established the 

12 following regional Commissions: 

13 ‘‘(1) The Delta Regional Commission. 

14 ‘‘(2) The Northern Great Plains Regional Com15 mission. 

16 ‘‘(3) The Southeast Crescent Regional Commis17 sion. 

18 ‘‘(4) The Southwest Border Regional Commis19 sion. 

20 ‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
7 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(1) FEDERAL AND STATE MEMBERS.—Each 

2 Commission shall be composed of the following mem3 bers: 

4 ‘‘(A) A Federal Cochairperson, to be ap5 pointed by the President, by and with the ad6 vice and consent of the Senate. 

7 ‘‘(B) The Governor of each participating 

8 State in the region of the Commission. 

9 ‘‘(2) ALTERNATE MEMBERS.— 

10 ‘‘(A) ALTERNATE FEDERAL COCHAIR11 PERSON.—The President shall appoint an alter12 nate Federal Cochairperson for each Commis13 sion. The alternate Federal Cochairperson, 

14 when not actively serving as an alternate for 

15 the Federal Cochairperson, shall perform such 

16 functions and duties as are delegated by the 

17 Federal Cochairperson. 

18 ‘‘(B) STATE ALTERNATES.—The State 

19 member of a participating State may have a 

20 single alternate, who shall be appointed by the 

21 Governor of the State from among the members 

22 of the Governor’s cabinet or personal staff. 

23 ‘‘(C) VOTING.—An alternate member shall 

24 vote in the case of the absence, death, dis25 ability, removal, or resignation of the Federal 
8 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 or State member for which the alternate mem2 ber is an alternate. 

3 ‘‘(3) COCHAIRPERSONS.—A Commission shall 

4 be headed by— 

5 ‘‘(A) the Federal Cochairperson, who shall 

6 serve as a liaison between the Federal Govern7 ment and the Commission; and 

8 ‘‘(B) a State Cochairperson, who shall be 

9 a Governor of a participating State in the re10 gion and shall be elected by the State members 

11 for a term of not less than 1 year. 

12 ‘‘(4) CONSECUTIVE TERMS.—A State member 

13 may not be elected to serve as State Cochairperson 

14 for more than 2 consecutive terms. 

15 ‘‘(c) COMPENSATION.— 

16 ‘‘(1) FEDERAL COCHAIRPERSONS.—Each Fed17 eral Cochairperson shall be compensated by the Fed18 eral Government at level III of the Executive Sched19 ule as set out in section 5314 of title 5. 

20 ‘‘(2) ALTERNATE FEDERAL COCHAIR21 PERSONS.—Each Federal Cochairperson’s alternate 

22 shall be compensated by the Federal Government at 

23 level V of the Executive Schedule as set out in sec24 tion 5316 of title 5. 
9 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(3) STATE MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES.— 

2 Each State member and alternate shall be com3 pensated by the State that they represent at the rate 

4 established by the laws of that State. 

5 ‘‘(d) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Commission shall ap7 point and fix the compensation of an executive direc8 tor and such other personnel as are necessary to en9 able the Commission to carry out its duties. Com10 pensation under this paragraph may not exceed the 

11 maximum rate of basic pay established for the Sen12 ior Executive Service under section 5382 of title 5, 

13 including any applicable locality-based comparability 

14 payment that may be authorized under section 

15 5304(h)(2)(C) of that title. 

16 ‘‘(2) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The executive di17 rector shall be responsible for carrying out the ad18 ministrative duties of the Commission, directing the 

19 Commission staff, and such other duties as the Com20 mission may assign. 

21 ‘‘(e) NO FEDERAL EMPLOYEE STATUS.—No mem22 ber, alternate, officer, or employee of a Commission (other 

23 than the Federal Cochairperson, the alternate Federal Co24 chairperson, staff of the Federal Cochairperson, and any 
10 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 Federal employee detailed to the Commission) shall be 

2 considered to a Federal employee for any purpose. 

3 ‘‘§ 15302. Decisions 

4 ‘‘(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL.—Except as 

5 provided in section 15304(c)(3), decisions by the Commis6 sion shall require the affirmative vote of the Federal Co7 chairperson and a majority of the State members (exclu8 sive of members representing States delinquent under sec9 tion 15304(c)(3)(C)). 

10 ‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In matters coming before the 

11 Commission, the Federal Cochairperson shall, to the ex12 tent practicable, consult with the Federal departments and 

13 agencies having an interest in the subject matter. 

14 ‘‘(c) QUORUMS.—A Commission shall determine what 

15 constitutes a quorum for Commission meetings; except 

16 that— 

17 ‘‘(1) any quorum shall include the Federal Co18 chairperson or the alternate Federal Cochairperson; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(2) a State alternate member shall not be 

21 counted toward the establishment of a quorum. 

22 ‘‘(d) PROJECTS AND GRANT PROPOSALS.—The ap23 proval of project and grant proposals shall be a responsi24 bility of each Commission and shall be carried out in ac25 cordance with section 15503. 
11 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘§ 15303. Functions 

2 ‘‘A Commission shall— 

3 ‘‘(1) assess the needs and assets of its region 

4 based on available research, demonstration projects, 

5 investigations, assessments, and evaluations of the 

6 region prepared by Federal, State, and local agen7 cies, universities, local development districts, and 

8 other nonprofit groups; 

9 ‘‘(2) develop, on a continuing basis, comprehen10 sive and coordinated economic and infrastructure de11 velopment strategies to establish priorities and ap12 prove grants for the economic development of its re13 gion, giving due consideration to other Federal, 

14 State, and local planning and development activities 

15 in the region; 

16 ‘‘(3) not later than 1 year after the date of en17 actment of this section, and after taking into ac18 count State plans developed under section 15502, es19 tablish priorities in an economic and infrastructure 

20 development plan for its region, including 5-year re21 gional outcome targets; 

22 ‘‘(4)(A) enhance the capacity of, and provide 

23 support for, local development districts in its region; 

24 or 
12 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(B) if no local development district exists in 

2 an area in a participating State in the region, foster 

3 the creation of a local development district; 

4 ‘‘(5) encourage private investment in industrial, 

5 commercial, and other economic development 

6 projects in its region; 

7 ‘‘(6) cooperate with and assist State govern8 ments with the preparation of economic and infra9 structure development plans and programs for par10 ticipating States; 

11 ‘‘(7) formulate and recommend to the Gov12 ernors and legislatures of States that participate in 

13 the Commission forms of interstate cooperation and, 

14 where appropriate, international cooperation; and 

15 ‘‘(8) work with State and local agencies in de16 veloping appropriate model legislation to enhance 

17 local and regional economic development. 

18 ‘‘§ 15304. Administrative powers and expenses 

19 ‘‘(a) POWERS.—In carrying out its duties under this 

20 subtitle, a Commission may— 

21 ‘‘(1) hold such hearings, sit and act at such 

22 times and places, take such testimony, receive such 

23 evidence, and print or otherwise reproduce and dis24 tribute a description of the proceedings and reports 
13 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 on actions by the Commission as the Commission 

2 considers appropriate; 

3 ‘‘(2) authorize, through the Federal or State 

4 Cochairperson or any other member of the Commis5 sion designated by the Commission, the administra6 tion of oaths if the Commission determines that tes7 timony should be taken or evidence received under 

8 oath; 

9 ‘‘(3) request from any Federal, State, or local 

10 agency such information as may be available to or 

11 procurable by the agency that may be of use to the 

12 Commission in carrying out the duties of the Com13 mission; 

14 ‘‘(4) adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws and rules 

15 governing the conduct of business and the perform16 ance of duties by the Commission; 

17 ‘‘(5) request the head of any Federal agency, 

18 State agency, or local government to detail to the 

19 Commission such personnel as the Commission re20 quires to carry out its duties, each such detail to be 

21 without loss of seniority, pay, or other employee sta22 tus; 

23 ‘‘(6) provide for coverage of Commission em24 ployees in a suitable retirement and employee benefit 

25 system by making arrangements or entering into 
14 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 contracts with any participating State government 

2 or otherwise providing retirement and other em3 ployee coverage; 

4 ‘‘(7) accept, use, and dispose of gifts or dona5 tions or services or real, personal, tangible, or intan6 gible property; 

7 ‘‘(8) enter into and perform such contracts, co8 operative agreements, or other transactions as are 

9 necessary to carry out Commission duties, including 

10 any contracts or cooperative agreements with a de11 partment, agency, or instrumentality of the United 

12 States, a State (including a political subdivision, 

13 agency, or instrumentality of the State), or a person, 

14 firm, association, or corporation; and 

15 ‘‘(9) maintain a government relations office in 

16 the District of Columbia and establish and maintain 

17 a central office at such location in its region as the 

18 Commission may select. 

19 ‘‘(b) FEDERAL AGENCY COOPERATION.—A Federal 

20 agency shall— 

21 ‘‘(1) cooperate with a Commission; and 

22 ‘‘(2) provide, to the extent practicable, on re23 quest of the Federal Cochairperson, appropriate as24 sistance in carrying out this subtitle, in accordance 

25 with applicable Federal laws (including regulations). 
15 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

3 the administrative expenses of a Commission shall 

4 be paid— 

5 ‘‘(A) by the Federal Government, in an 

6 amount equal to 50 percent of the administra7 tive expenses of the Commission; and 

8 ‘‘(B) by the States participating in the 

9 Commission, in an amount equal to 50 percent 

10 of the administrative expenses. 

11 ‘‘(2) EXPENSES OF THE FEDERAL COCHAIR12 PERSON.—All expenses of the Federal Cochair13 person, including expenses of the alternate and staff 

14 of the Federal Cochairperson, shall be paid by the 

15 Federal Government. 

16 ‘‘(3) STATE SHARE.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara18 graph (B), the share of administrative expenses 

19 of a Commission to be paid by each State of the 

20 Commission shall be determined by a unani21 mous vote of the State members of the Com22 mission. 

23 ‘‘(B) NO FEDERAL PARTICIPATION.—The 

24 Federal Cochairperson shall not participate or 

25 vote in any decision under subparagraph (A). 
16 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(C) DELINQUENT STATES.—During any 

2 period in which a State is more than 1 year de3 linquent in payment of the State’s share of ad4 ministrative expenses of the Commission under 

5 this subsection— 

6 ‘‘(i) no assistance under this subtitle 

7 shall be provided to the State (including 

8 assistance to a political subdivision or a 

9 resident of the State) for any project not 

10 approved as of the date of the commence11 ment of the delinquency; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) no member of the Commission 

13 from the State shall participate or vote in 

14 any action by the Commission. 

15 ‘‘(4) EFFECT ON ASSISTANCE.—A State’s share 

16 of administrative expenses of a Commission under 

17 this subsection shall not be taken into consideration 

18 when determining the amount of assistance provided 

19 to the State under this subtitle. 

20 ‘‘§ 15305. Meetings 

21 ‘‘(a) INITIAL MEETING.—Each Commission shall 

22 hold an initial meeting not later than 180 days after the 

23 date of enactment of this section. 

24 ‘‘(b) ANNUAL MEETING.—Each Commission shall 

25 conduct at least 1 meeting each year with the Federal Co-
17 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 chairperson and at least a majority of the State members 

2 present. 

3 ‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.—Each Commission 

4 shall conduct additional meetings at such times as it deter5 mines and may conduct such meetings by electronic 

6 means. 

7 ‘‘§ 15306. Personal financial interests 

8 ‘‘(a) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.— 

9 ‘‘(1) NO ROLE ALLOWED.—Except as permitted 

10 by paragraph (2), an individual who is a State mem11 ber or alternate, or an officer or employee of a Com12 mission, shall not participate personally and sub13 stantially as a member, alternate, officer, or em14 ployee of the Commission, through decision, ap15 proval, disapproval, recommendation, request for a 

16 ruling, or other determination, contract, claim, con17 troversy, or other matter in which, to the individ18 ual’s knowledge, any of the following has a financial 

19 interest: 

20 ‘‘(A) The individual. 

21 ‘‘(B) The individual’s spouse, minor child, 

22 or partner. 

23 ‘‘(C) An organization (except a State or 

24 political subdivision of a State) in which the in-
18 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 dividual is serving as an officer, director, trust2 ee, partner, or employee. 

3 ‘‘(D) Any person or organization with 

4 whom the individual is negotiating or has any 

5 arrangement concerning prospective employ6 ment. 

7 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 

8 apply if the individual, in advance of the proceeding, 

9 application, request for a ruling or other determina10 tion, contract, claim controversy, or other particular 

11 matter presenting a potential conflict of interest— 

12 ‘‘(A) advises the Commission of the nature 

13 and circumstances of the matter presenting the 

14 conflict of interest; 

15 ‘‘(B) makes full disclosure of the financial 

16 interest; and 

17 ‘‘(C) receives a written decision of the 

18 Commission that the interest is not so substan19 tial as to be considered likely to affect the in20 tegrity of the services that the Commission may 

21 expect from the individual. 

22 ‘‘(3) VIOLATION.—An individual violating this 

23 subsection shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned 

24 for not more than 1 year, or both. 
19 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(b) STATE MEMBER OR ALTERNATE.—A State 

2 member or alternate member may not receive any salary, 

3 or any contribution to, or supplementation of, salary, for 

4 services on a Commission from a source other than the 

5 State of the member or alternate. 

6 ‘‘(c) DETAILED EMPLOYEES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No person detailed to serve 

8 a Commission shall receive any salary, or any con9 tribution to, or supplementation of, salary, for serv10 ices provided to the Commission from any source 

11 other than the State, local, or intergovernmental de12 partment or agency from which the person was de13 tailed to the Commission. 

14 ‘‘(2) VIOLATION.—Any person that violates this 

15 subsection shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned 

16 not more than 1 year, or both. 

17 ‘‘(d) FEDERAL COCHAIRMAN, ALTERNATE TO FED18 ERAL COCHAIRMAN, AND FEDERAL OFFICERS AND EM19 PLOYEES.—The Federal Cochairman, the alternate to the 

20 Federal Cochairman, and any federal officer or employee 

21 detailed to duty with the Commission are not subject to 

22 this section but remain subject to sections 202 through 

23 209 of title 18. 

24 ‘‘(e) RESCISSION.—A Commission may declare void 

25 any contract, loan, or grant of or by the Commission in 
20 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 relation to which the Commission determines that there 

2 has been a violation of any provision under subsection 

3 (a)(1), (b), or (c), or any of the provisions of sections 202 

4 through 209 of title 18. 

5 ‘‘§ 15307. Tribal representation on Northern Great 

6 Plains Regional Commission 

7 ‘‘(a) TRIBAL COCHAIRPERSON.— 

8 ‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—In addition to the mem9 bers specified in section 15301(b)(1), the member10 ship of the Northern Great Plains Regional Commis11 sion shall include a Tribal Cochairperson, to be ap12 pointed by the President, by and with the advice and 

13 consent of the Senate. The Tribal Cochairperson 

14 shall be a member of an Indian tribe in the Commis15 sion’s region. 

16 ‘‘(2) DUTIES.—In addition to the Federal Co17 chairperson and State Cochairperson, the Commis18 sion shall be headed by the Tribal Cochairperson, 

19 who shall serve as a liaison between the governments 

20 of Indian tribes in the region and the Commission. 

21 ‘‘(b) ALTERNATE TRIBAL COCHAIRPERSON.— 

22 ‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—The President shall ap23 point an alternate to the Tribal Cochairperson. 

24 ‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The alternate Tribal Cochair25 person, when not actively serving as an alternate for 
21 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 the Tribal Cochairperson, shall perform such func2 tions and duties as are delegated by the Tribal Co3 chairperson. 

4 ‘‘(3) VOTING.—The alternate Tribal Cochair5 person shall vote in the case of the absence, death, 

6 disability, removal, or resignation of the Tribal Co7 chairperson. 

8 ‘‘(c) COMPENSATION.— 

9 ‘‘(1) TRIBAL COCHAIRPERSON.—The Tribal Co10 chairperson shall be compensated by the Federal 

11 Government at level III of the Executive Schedule as 

12 set out in section 5314 of title 5. 

13 ‘‘(2) ALTERNATE TRIBAL COCHAIRPERSON.— 

14 The Tribal Cochairperson’s alternate shall be com15 pensated by the Federal Government at level V of 

16 the Executive Schedule as set out in section 5316 of 

17 title 5. 

18 ‘‘(d) EXPENSES OF TRIBAL COCHAIRPERSON.—All 

19 expenses of the Tribal Cochairperson, including expenses 

20 of the alternate and staff of the Tribal Cochairperson, 

21 shall be paid by the Federal Government. 

22 ‘‘(e) DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES.—Except as provided 

23 in subsections (c) and (d), the Tribal Cochairperson shall 

24 have the same duties and privileges as the State Cochair25 person. 
22 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘§ 15308. Tribal participation 

2 ‘‘Governments of Indian tribes in the region of the 

3 Northern Great Plains Regional Commission or the South4 west Border Regional Commission shall be allowed to par5 ticipate in matters before that Commission in the same 

6 manner and to the same extent as State agencies and in7 strumentalities in the region. 

8 ‘‘§ 15309. Annual report 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

10 last day of each fiscal year, each Commission shall submit 

11 to the President and Congress a report on the activities 

12 carried out by the Commission under this subtitle in the 

13 fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The report shall include— 

15 ‘‘(1) a description of the criteria used by the 

16 Commission to designate counties under section 

17 15702 and a list of the counties designated in each 

18 category; 

19 ‘‘(2) an evaluation of the progress of the Com20 mission in meeting the goals identified in the Com21 mission’s economic and infrastructure development 

22 plan under section 15303 and State economic and 

23 infrastructure development plans under section 

24 15502; 

25 ‘‘(3) any policy recommendations approved by 

26 the Commission. 
23 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘CHAPTER 155—FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘15501. Economic and infrastructure development grants. 

‘‘15502. Comprehensive economic and infrastructure development plans. 

‘‘15503. Approval of applications for assistance. 

‘‘15504. Program development criteria. 

‘‘15505. Local development districts and organizations. 

‘‘15506. Supplements to Federal grant programs. 

2 ‘‘§ 15501. Economic and infrastructure development 

3 grants 

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

5 to States and local governments, Indian tribes, and public 

6 and nonprofit organizations for projects, approved in ac7 cordance with section 15503— 

8 ‘‘(1) to develop the transportation infrastruc9 ture of its region; 

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

11 of its region; 

12 ‘‘(3) to develop the telecommunications infra13 structure of its region; 

14 ‘‘(4) to assist its region in obtaining job skills 

15 training, skills development and employment-related 

16 education, entrepreneurship, technology, and busi17 ness development; 

18 ‘‘(5) to provide assistance to severely distressed 

19 and underdeveloped areas of its region that lack fi20 nancial resources for improving basic health care 

21 and other public services; and 
24 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(6) to otherwise achieve the purposes of this 

2 subtitle. 

3 ‘‘(b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—A Commission shall 

4 allocate at least 50 percent of any grant amounts provided 

5 by the Commission in a fiscal year for projects described 

6 in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a). 

7 ‘‘(c) SOURCES OF GRANTS.—Grant amounts may be 

8 provided entirely from appropriations to carry out this 

9 subtitle, in combination with amounts available under 

10 other Federal grant programs, or from any other source. 

11 ‘‘(d) MAXIMUM COMMISSION CONTRIBUTIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 

13 and (3), the Commission may contribute not more 

14 than 50 percent of a project or activity cost eligible 

15 for financial assistance under this section from 

16 amounts appropriated to carry out this subtitle. 

17 ‘‘(2) DISTRESSED COUNTIES.—The maximum 

18 Commission contribution for a project or activity to 

19 be carried out in a county for which a distressed 

20 county designation is in effect under section 15702 

21 may be increased to 80 percent. 

22 ‘‘(3) SPECIAL RULE FOR REGIONAL

23 PROJECTS.—A Commission may increase to 60 per24 cent under paragraph (1) and 90 percent under 
25 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 paragraph (2) the maximum Commission contribu2 tion for a project or activity if— 

3 ‘‘(A) the project or activity involves 3 or 

4 more counties or more than one State; and 

5 ‘‘(B) the Commission determines in ac6 cordance with section 15302(a) that the project 

7 or activity will bring significant interstate or 

8 multicounty benefits to a region. 

9 ‘‘(e) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—Funds may be 

10 provided by a Commission for a program or project in a 

11 State under this section only if the Commission deter12 mines that the level of Federal or State financial assist13 ance provided under a law other than this subtitle, for the 

14 same type of program or project in the same area of the 

15 State within region, will not be reduced as a result of 

16 funds made available by this subtitle. 

17 ‘‘(f) NO RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.—Financial as18 sistance authorized by this section may not be used to as19 sist a person or entity in relocating from one area to an20 other. 

21 ‘‘§ 15502. Comprehensive economic and infrastruc22 ture development plans 

23 ‘‘(a) STATE PLANS.—In accordance with policies es24 tablished by a Commission, each State member of the 

25 Commission shall submit a comprehensive economic and 
26 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 infrastructure development plan for the area of the region 

2 represented by the State member. 

3 ‘‘(b) CONTENT OF PLAN.—A State economic and in4 frastructure development plan shall reflect the goals, ob5 jectives, and priorities identified in any applicable eco6 nomic and infrastructure development plan developed by 

7 a Commission under section 15303. 

8 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION WITH INTERESTED LOCAL PAR9 TIES.—In carrying out the development planning process 

10 (including the selection of programs and projects for as11 sistance), a State shall— 

12 ‘‘(1) consult with local development districts, 

13 local units of government, and local colleges and uni14 versities; and 

15 ‘‘(2) take into consideration the goals, objec16 tives, priorities, and recommendations of the entities 

17 described in paragraph (1). 

18 ‘‘(d) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Commission and applica20 ble State and local development districts shall en21 courage and assist, to the maximum extent prac22 ticable, public participation in the development, revi23 sion, and implementation of all plans and programs 

24 under this subtitle. 
27 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(2) GUIDELINES.—A Commission shall de2 velop guidelines for providing public participation, 

3 including public hearings. 

4 ‘‘§ 15503. Approval of applications for assistance 

5 ‘‘(a) EVALUATION BY STATE MEMBER.—An applica6 tion to a Commission for a grant or any other assistance 

7 for a project under this subtitle shall be made through, 

8 and evaluated for approval by, the State member of the 

9 Commission representing the applicant. 

10 ‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION.—An application to a Commis11 sion for a grant or other assistance for a project under 

12 this subtitle shall be eligible for assistance only on certifi13 cation by the State member of the Commission rep14 resenting the applicant that the application for the 

15 project— 

16 ‘‘(1) describes ways in which the project com17 plies with any applicable State economic and infra18 structure development plan; 

19 ‘‘(2) meets applicable criteria under section 

20 15504; 

21 ‘‘(3) adequately ensures that the project will be 

22 properly administered, operated, and maintained; 

23 and 

24 ‘‘(4) otherwise meets the requirements for as25 sistance under this subtitle. 
28 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(c) VOTES FOR DECISIONS.—On certification by a 

2 State member of a Commission of an application for a 

3 grant or other assistance for a specific project under this 

4 section, an affirmative vote of the Commission under sec5 tion 15302 shall be required for approval of the applica6 tion. 

7 ‘‘§ 15504. Program development criteria 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In considering programs and 

9 projects to be provided assistance by a Commission under 

10 this subtitle, and in establishing a priority ranking of the 

11 requests for assistance provided to the Commission, the 

12 Commission shall follow procedures that ensure, to the 

13 maximum extent practicable, consideration of— 

14 ‘‘(1) the relationship of the project or class of 

15 projects to overall regional development; 

16 ‘‘(2) the per capita income and poverty and un17 employment and outmigration rates in an area; 

18 ‘‘(3) the financial resources available to the ap19 plicants for assistance seeking to carry out the 

20 project, with emphasis on ensuring that projects are 

21 adequately financed to maximize the probability of 

22 successful economic development; 

23 ‘‘(4) the importance of the project or class of 

24 projects in relation to the other projects or classes 
29 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 of projects that may be in competition for the same 

2 funds; 

3 ‘‘(5) the prospects that the project for which as4 sistance is sought will improve, on a continuing rath5 er than a temporary basis, the opportunities for em6 ployment, the average level of income, or the eco7 nomic development of the area to be served by the 

8 project; and 

9 ‘‘(6) the extent to which the project design pro10 vides for detailed outcome measurements by which 

11 grant expenditures and the results of the expendi12 tures may be evaluated. 

13 ‘‘§ 15505. Local development districts and organiza14 tions 

15 ‘‘(a) GRANTS TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DIS16 TRICTS.—Subject to the requirements of this section, a 

17 Commission may make grants to a local development dis18 trict to assist in the payment of development planning and 

19 administrative expenses. 

20 ‘‘(b) CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a 

22 grant awarded under this section may not exceed 80 

23 percent of the administrative and planning expenses 

24 of the local development district receiving the grant. 
30 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(2) MAXIMUM PERIOD FOR STATE AGEN2 CIES.—In the case of a State agency certified as a 

3 local development district, a grant may not be 

4 awarded to the agency under this section for more 

5 than 3 fiscal years. 

6 ‘‘(3) LOCAL SHARE.—The contributions of a 

7 local development district for administrative ex8 penses may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, 

9 including space, equipment, and services. 

10 ‘‘(c) DUTIES OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DIS11 TRICTS.—A local development district shall— 

12 ‘‘(1) operate as a lead organization serving 

13 multicounty areas in the region at the local level; 

14 ‘‘(2) assist the Commission in carrying out out15 reach activities for local governments, community 

16 development groups, the business community, and 

17 the public; 

18 ‘‘(3) serve as a liaison between State and local 

19 governments, nonprofit organizations (including 

20 community-based groups and educational institu21 tions), the business community, and citizens; and 

22 ‘‘(4) assist the individuals and entities described 

23 in paragraph (3) in identifying, assessing, and facili24 tating projects and programs to promote the eco25 nomic development of the region. 
31 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘§ 15506. Supplements to Federal grant programs 

2 ‘‘(a) FINDING.—Congress finds that certain States 

3 and local communities of the region, including local devel4 opment districts, may be unable to take maximum advan5 tage of Federal grant programs for which the States and 

6 communities are eligible because— 

7 ‘‘(1) they lack the economic resources to pro8 vide the required matching share; or 

9 ‘‘(2) there are insufficient funds available under 

10 the applicable Federal law with respect to a project 

11 to be carried out in the region. 

12 ‘‘(b) FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING.—A 

13 Commission, with the approval of the Federal Cochair14 person, may use amounts made available to carry out this 

15 subtitle— 

16 ‘‘(1) for any part of the basic Federal contribu17 tion to projects or activities under the Federal grant 

18 programs authorized by Federal laws; and 

19 ‘‘(2) to increase the Federal contribution to 

20 projects and activities under the programs above the 

21 fixed maximum part of the cost of the projects or 

22 activities otherwise authorized by the applicable law. 

23 ‘‘(c) CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.—For a program, 

24 project, or activity for which any part of the basic Federal 

25 contribution to the project or activity under a Federal 

26 grant program is proposed to be made under subsection 
32

•HR 1349 IH 

1 (b), the Federal contribution shall not be made until the 

2 responsible Federal official administering the Federal law 

3 authorizing the Federal contribution certifies that the pro4 gram, project, or activity meets the applicable require5 ments of the Federal law and could be approved for Fed6 eral contribution under that law if amounts were available 

7 under the law for the program, project, or activity. 

8 ‘‘(d) LIMITATIONS IN OTHER LAWS INAPPLI9 CABLE.—Amounts provided pursuant to this subtitle are 

10 available without regard to any limitations on areas eligi11 ble for assistance or authorizations for appropriation in 

12 any other law. 

13 ‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 

14 cost of a project or activity receiving assistance under this 

15 section shall not exceed 80 percent. 

16 ‘‘(f) MAXIMUM COMMISSION CONTRIBUTION.—Sec17 tion 15501(d), relating to limitations on Commission con18 tributions, shall apply to a program, project, or activity 

19 receiving assistance under this section. 

20 ‘‘CHAPTER 157—ADMINISTRATIVE 

21 PROVISIONS

‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘15701. Consent of States. 

‘‘15702. Distressed counties and areas. 

‘‘15703. Counties eligible for assistance in more than one region. 

‘‘15704. Inspector General; Records. 

‘‘15705. Biannual meetings of representatives of all commissions. 

‘‘15706. Relationship to other laws. 
33

•HR 1349 IH 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—DESIGNATION OF REGIONS 

‘‘15731. Delta Regional Commission. 

‘‘15732. Northern Great Plains Regional Commission. 

‘‘15733. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. 

‘‘15734. Southwest Border Regional Commission. 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 

‘‘15751. Authorization of appropriations. 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS

1 ‘‘§ 15701. Consent of States 

2 ‘‘This subtitle does not require a State to engage in 

3 or accept a program under this subtitle without its con4 sent. 

5 ‘‘§ 15702. Distressed counties and areas 

6 ‘‘(a) DESIGNATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after 

7 the date of enactment of this section, and annually there8 after, each Commission shall make the following designa9 tions: 

10 ‘‘(1) DISTRESSED COUNTIES.—The Commission 

11 shall designate as distressed counties those counties 

12 in its region that are the most severely and persist13 ently distressed and underdeveloped and have high 

14 rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. 

15 ‘‘(2) TRANSITIONAL COUNTIES.—The Commis16 sion shall designate as transitional counties those 

17 counties in its region that are distressed and under18 developed or have recently suffered high rates of 

19 poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. 
34 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(3) ATTAINMENT COUNTIES.—The Commis2 sion shall designate as attainment counties, those 

3 counties in its region that are not designated as dis4 tressed or transitional counties under this sub5 section. 

6 ‘‘(4) ISOLATED AREAS OF DISTRESS.—The 

7 Commission shall designate as isolated areas of dis8 tress, areas located in counties designated as attain9 ment counties under paragraph (3) that have high 

10 rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. 

11 ‘‘(b) ALLOCATION.—A Commission shall allocate at 

12 least 50 percent of the appropriations made available to 

13 the Commission to carry out this subtitle for programs 

14 and projects designed to serve the needs of distressed 

15 counties and isolated areas of distress in the region. 

16 ‘‘(c) ATTAINMENT COUNTIES.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para18 graph (2), funds may not be provided under this 

19 subtitle for a project located in a county designated 

20 as an attainment county under subsection (a). 

21 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.— 

22 ‘‘(A) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF

23 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS.—The fund24 ing prohibition under paragraph (1) shall not 

25 apply to grants to fund the administrative ex-
35 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 penses of local development districts under sec2 tion 15505. 

3 ‘‘(B) MULTICOUNTY AND OTHER

4 PROJECTS.—A Commission may waive the ap5 plication of the funding prohibition under para6 graph (1) with respect to— 

7 ‘‘(i) a multicounty project that in8 cludes participation by an attainment 

9 county; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) any other type of project, if a 

11 Commission determines that the project 

12 could bring significant benefits to areas of 

13 the region outside an attainment county. 

14 ‘‘(3) ISOLATED AREAS OF DISTRESS.—For a 

15 designation of an isolated area of distress to be ef16 fective, the designation shall be supported— 

17 ‘‘(A) by the most recent Federal data 

18 available; or 

19 ‘‘(B) if no recent Federal data are avail20 able, by the most recent data available through 

21 the government of the State in which the iso22 lated area of distress is located. 
36 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘§ 15703. Counties eligible for assistance in more 

2 than one region 

3 ‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—A political subdivision of a State 

4 may not receive assistance under this subtitle in a fiscal 

5 year from more than one Commission. 

6 ‘‘(b) SELECTION OF COMMISSION.—A political sub7 division included in the region of more than one Commis8 sion shall select the Commission with which it will partici9 pate by notifying, in writing, the Federal Cochairperson 

10 and the appropriate State member of that Commission. 

11 ‘‘(c) CHANGES IN SELECTIONS.—The selection of a 

12 Commission by a political subdivision shall apply in the 

13 fiscal year in which the selection is made, and shall apply 

14 in each subsequent fiscal year unless the political subdivi15 sion, at least 90 days before the first day of the fiscal 

16 year, notifies the Cochairpersons of another Commission 

17 in writing that the political subdivision will participate in 

18 that Commission and also transmits a copy of such notifi19 cation to the Cochairpersons of the Commission in which 

20 the political subdivision is currently participating. 

21 ‘‘(d) INCLUSION OF APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COM22 MISSION.—In this section, the term ‘Commission’ includes 

23 the Appalachian Regional Commission established under 

24 chapter 143. 
37 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘§ 15704. Inspector General; Records 

2 ‘‘(a) APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.— 

3 There shall be an Inspector General for the Commissions 

4 appointed in accordance with section 3(a) of the Inspector 

5 General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). All of the Commis6 sions shall be subject to a single Inspector General. 

7 ‘‘(b) RECORDS OF A COMMISSION.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Commission shall main9 tain accurate and complete records of all its trans10 actions and activities. 

11 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—All records of a Commis12 sion shall be available for audit and examination by 

13 the Inspector General (including authorized rep14 resentatives of the Inspector General). 

15 ‘‘(c) RECORDS OF RECIPIENTS OF COMMISSION AS16 SISTANCE.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of funds from 

18 a Commission under this subtitle shall maintain ac19 curate and complete records of transactions and ac20 tivities financed with the funds and report to the 

21 Commission on the transactions and activities. 

22 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—All records required 

23 under paragraph (1) shall be available for audit by 

24 the Commission and the Inspector General (includ25 ing authorized representatives of the Commission 

26 and the Inspector General). 
38 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(d) ANNUAL AUDIT.—The Inspector General shall 

2 audit the activities, transactions, and records of each 

3 Commission on an annual basis. 

4 ‘‘§ 15705. Biannual meetings of representatives of all 

5 commissions 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Representatives of each Com7 mission, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the 

8 Denali Commission shall meet biannually to discuss issues 

9 confronting regions suffering from chronic and contiguous 

10 distress and successful strategies for promoting regional 

11 development. 

12 ‘‘(b) CHAIR OF MEETINGS.—The chair of each meet13 ing shall rotate among the Commissions, with the Appa14 lachian Regional Commission and the Denali Commission 

15 to host the first and second meetings, respectively. 

16 ‘‘§ 15706. Relationship to other laws 

17 ‘‘Projects receiving assistance under this subtitle 

18 shall be treated in the manner provided in section 602 of 

19 the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 

20 (42 U.S.C. 3212). 

21 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—DESIGNATION OF REGIONS 

22 ‘‘§ 15731. Delta Regional Commission 

23 ‘‘The Delta Regional Commission shall consist of the 

24 following political subdivisions: 
39 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(1) ALABAMA.—The counties of Barbour, Bul2 lock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, 

3 Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, 

4 Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Sumter, Wash5 ington, and Wilcox in the State of Alabama. 

6 ‘‘(2) ARKANSAS.—The counties of Arkansas, 

7 Ashley, Baxter, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clay, 

8 Cleveland, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, 

9 Desha, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Independence, 

10 Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, 

11 Lonoke, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, 

12 Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. 

13 Francis, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, 

14 White, and Woodruff in the State of Arkansas. 

15 ‘‘(3) ILLINOIS.—The counties of Alexander, 

16 Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, 

17 Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, 

18 Saline, Union, White, and Woodruff in the State of 

19 Illinois. 

20 ‘‘(4) KENTUCKY.—The counties of Ballard, 

21 Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, 

22 Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Liv23 ingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muh24 lenberg, Todd, Trigg, Union, and Webster in the 

25 State of Kentucky. 
40 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(5) LOUISIANA.—The parishes of Acadia, 

2 Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Caldwell, 

3 Catahoula, Concordia, E. Baton Rouge, E. Carroll, 

4 E. Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, 

5 Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafourche, La Salle, 

6 Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, 

7 Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, 

8 Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. 

9 Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, 

10 St. Landry, St. Martin, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Union, 

11 Washington, W. Baton Rouge, W. Carroll, W. 

12 Feliciana, and Winn in the State of Louisiana. 

13 ‘‘(6) MISSISSIPPI.—The counties of Adams, 

14 Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Carroll, Claiborne, 

15 Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, Desoto, Franklin, Gre16 nada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jef17 ferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lawrence, 

18 Leflore, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mont19 gomery, Panola, Pike, Quitman, Rankin, Sharkey, 

20 Simpson, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, 

21 Tunica, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, 

22 Wilkinson, Yalobusha, and Yazoo in the State of 

23 Mississippi. 

24 ‘‘(7) MISSOURI.—The counties Bollinger, But25 ler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Doug-
41 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 las, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, 

2 New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscott, Perry, 

3 Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Genevieve, St. Fran4 cois, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Texas, Washington, 

5 Wayne, and Wright in the State of Missouri. 

6 ‘‘(8) TENNESSEE.—The counties of Benton, 

7 Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, 

8 Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, 

9 Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, 

10 Shelby, Tipton, and Weakley in the State of Ten11 nessee. 

12 ‘‘§ 15732. Northern Great Plains Regional Commis13 sion 

14 ‘‘The Northern Great Plains Regional Commission, 

15 shall consist of all counties of the States of Iowa, Min16 nesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

17 ‘‘§ 15733. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission 

18 ‘‘The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission shall 

19 consist of all counties of the States of Virginia, North 

20 Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, 

21 and Florida not already served by the Appalachian Re22 gional Commission or the Delta Regional Commission. 

23 ‘‘§ 15734. Southwest Border Regional Commission 

24 ‘‘The Southwest Border Regional Commission shall 

25 consist of the following political subdivisions: 
42 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘(1) ARIZONA.—The counties of Cochise, Gila, 

2 Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, 

3 Santa Cruz, and Yuma in the State of Arizona. 

4 ‘‘(2) CALIFORNIA.—The counties of Imperial, 

5 Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, 

6 San Diego, and Ventura in the State of California. 

7 ‘‘(3) NEW MEXICO.—The counties of Catron, 

8 Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, 

9 Luna, Otero, Sierra, and Socorro in the State of 

10 New Mexico. 

11 ‘‘(4) TEXAS.—The counties of Atascosa, 

12 Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, 

13 Coke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, 

14 Duval, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Gillespie, 

15 Glasscock, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Irion, Jeff Davis, 

16 Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, 

17 Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, 

18 Loving, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Men19 ard, Midland, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, 

20 Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Shleicher, Sutton, Starr, 

21 Sterling, Terrell, Tom Green Upton, Uvalde, Val 

22 Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Winkler, Za23 pata, and Zavala in the State of Texas. 
43 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—AUTHORIZATION OF 

2 APPROPRIATIONS 

3 ‘‘§ 15751. Authorization of appropriations 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro5 priated to each Commission to carry out this subtitle— 

6 ‘‘(1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; 

7 ‘‘(2) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 

8 ‘‘(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 

9 ‘‘(4) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and 

10 ‘‘(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010. 

11 ‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more than 

12 10 percent of the funds made available to a Commission 

13 in a fiscal year under this section may be used for admin14 istrative expenses.’’. 

15 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sub16 titles for chapter 40, United States Code, is amended by 

17 striking the item relating to subtitle V and inserting the 

18 following: 

‘‘V. REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

DEVELOPMENT .....................................................15101

‘‘VI. MISCELLANEOUS ...................................................................17101.’’. 

19 SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

20 (a) REPEALS.—Subtitles F and G of the Consoli21 dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

22 2009aa–2009bb–13) are repealed. 
44 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 (b) INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT.—Section 11 of the 

2 Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amend3 ed— 

4 (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘or the Presi5 dent of the Export-Import Bank;’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘the President of the Export-Import Bank; or the 

7 Federal Cochairpersons of the Commissions estab8 lished under section 15301 of title 40, United States 

9 Code;’’; and 

10 (2) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘or the Ex11 port-Import Bank,’’ and inserting ‘‘the Export-Im12 port Bank, or the Commissions established under 

13 section 15301 of title 40, United States Code,’’. 

14 SEC. 5. TRANSFERS OF AUTHORITY AND SAVINGS PROVI15 SIONS. 

16 (a) TRANSFERS OF AUTHORITY.—Subject to the re17 quirements of this Act (including the amendments made 

18 by this Act)— 

19 (1) all of the functions of the Delta Regional 

20 Authority are transferred to the Delta Regional 

21 Commission; and 

22 (2) all of the functions of the Northern Great 

23 Plains Regional Authority are transferred to the 

24 Northern Great Plains Regional Commission. 
45 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 (b) LEGAL DOCUMENTS.—All orders, determinations, 

2 rules, regulations, grants, loans, contracts, and agree3 ments— 

4 (1) that have been issued, made, granted, or al5 lowed to become effective by the Delta Regional Au6 thority or the Northern Great Plains Regional Au7 thority in the performance of any function that is 

8 transferred by this section, and 

9 (2) that are in effect on the effective date of 

10 such transfer (or become effective after such date 

11 pursuant to their terms as in effect on such effective 

12 date), 

13 shall continue in effect according to their terms until 

14 modified, terminated, superseded, set aside, or revoked in 

15 accordance with law by an authorized official, a court of 

16 competent jurisdiction, or operation of law. 

17 (c) TRANSFER OF ASSETS AND PERSONNEL.— 

18 (1) DELTA REGIONAL COMMISSION.—There 

19 shall be transferred to the Delta Regional Commis20 sion such assets, funds, personnel, records, and 

21 other property of the Delta Regional Authority relat22 ing to the functions of the Authority as the Commis23 sion determines appropriate. 

24 (2) NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS REGIONAL COM25 MISSION.—There shall be transferred to the North-
46 

•HR 1349 IH 

1 ern Great Plains Regional Commission such assets, 

2 funds, personnel, records, and other property of the 

3 Northern Great Plains Regional Authority as the 

4 Commission determines appropriate. 

5 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

6 This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, 

7 shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year 

8 beginning after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ