II 

Calendar No. 487 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3552 

[Report No. 117–148] 

To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for 

assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2022 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. PORTMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 

Reported by Mr. PETERS, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain 

programs for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, 

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 ‘‘Targeting Resources 

5 to Communities in Need Act of 2022’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON4 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con5 gress’’ means— 

6 (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

7 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

8 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and 

9 the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov10 ernmental Affairs of the Senate; 

11 (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

12 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

13 Energy and Commerce, the Committee on 

14 Transportation and Infrastructure, and the 

15 Committee on Oversight and Reform of the 

16 House of Representatives; and 

17 (C) any other committee of Congress that 

18 has jurisdiction over a department or agency 

19 with a role developing or implementing meas20 ures under section 4(a). 

21 (2) AREA OF PERSISTENT POVERTY.—The term 

22 ‘‘area of persistent poverty’’ means an area that is 

23 a high-poverty census tract or a persistent poverty 

24 county. 


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1 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

2 the Director of the Office of Management and Budg3 et. 

4 (4) HIGH-POVERTY CENSUS TRACT.—The term 

5 ‘‘high-poverty census tract’’ means a census tract 

6 that has a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent 

7 in the most recent American Community Survey 5- 

8 year survey by the Bureau of the Census. 

9 (5) PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTY.—The term 

10 ‘‘persistent poverty county’’ means— 

11 (A) a county, parish, or other equivalent 

12 county division (as determined by the Bureau of 

13 the Census) with a poverty rate of not less than 

14 20 percent in the Small Area Income and Pov15 erty Estimates by the Bureau of the Census for 

16 1997, 2007, 2017, and the most recent year for 

17 which the estimates are available; or 

18 (B) any territory or possession of the 

19 United States. 

20 SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF LIST OF AREAS OF PERSISTENT 

21 POVERTY. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

23 date of enactment of this Act, the Bureau of the Census 

24 shall publish a list of all areas of persistent poverty. 


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1 (b) UPDATE.—The Bureau of the Census shall up2 date annually the list published under subsection (a). 

3 SEC. 4. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO 

4 AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER 

5 HIGH-POVERTY AREAS. 

6 (a) GUIDANCE AND MEASURES TO INCREASE FED7 ERAL INVESTMENTS.—Not later than 1 year after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation 

9 with Federal agencies, shall develop and implement guid10 ance and measures to increase the share of Federal invest11 ments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other 

12 areas with high and persistent poverty (including any 

13 other areas that the Director, in consultation with Federal 

14 agencies, determines to be appropriate areas to target). 

15 (b) GUIDANCE FOR AGENCIES.—Not later than 120 

16 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 

17 shall issue guidance to agencies regarding— 

18 (1) identifying the scope of programs subject to 

19 increased targeted investment described in sub20 section (a); 

21 (2) identifying the manner and share of tar22 geted investment described in subsection (a); and 

23 (3) outlining measures to track increased in24 vestment in areas of persistent poverty and other 

25 areas with high and persistent poverty over time. 


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1 (c) MINIMUM INVESTMENT AMOUNT.—In developing 

2 the guidance and measures under subsection (a), the Di3 rector shall include a minimum goal that Federal invest4 ments targeted to areas of persistent poverty or other 

5 areas with high and persistent poverty be in an amount 

6 that is greater than the amount that is proportional to 

7 the population of such areas in the United States relative 

8 to the population of the United States as a whole. 

9 (d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Director shall 

10 submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an an11 nual report that includes— 

12 (1) a list of the programs, by agency, that are 

13 included in the effort to increase the share of Fed14 eral investments targeted to areas of persistent pov15 erty and other areas with high and persistent pov16 erty; and 

17 (2) for each program listed under paragraph 

18 (1)— 

19 (A) the amount of funds that were directed 

20 under the program toward an area of persistent 

21 poverty or other area with high and persistent 

22 poverty during the previous fiscal year; 

23 (B) the percentage change from the fiscal 

24 year before the previous fiscal year in the 

25 amount of funds that were directed under the 


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1 program toward an area of persistent poverty 

2 or other area with high and persistent poverty; 

3 and 

4 (C) to the extent practicable, an assess5 ment of the economic impact of the program, 

6 including data on impacted individuals, 

7 disaggregated by household income, race, gen8 der, age, national origin, disability status, and 

9 whether the individuals live in an urban area, 

10 suburban area, or rural area. 

11 SEC. 5. GAO REPORTS. 

12 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

13 of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Comptroller Gen14 eral of the United States shall report to the appropriate 

15 committees of Congress on the effectiveness of the meas16 ures implemented pursuant to section 4(a), including an 

17 assessment regarding the impact of the measures on in18 creasing Federal funds spent in areas of persistent poverty 

19 and other areas with high and persistent poverty. 

20 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 

22 2022, $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for 

23 entering contracts with non-Federal persons) to carry out 

24 this Act. 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Targeting Resources to 

3 Communities in Need Act of 2022’’. 

4 SEC. 2. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO 

5 AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER 

6 HIGH-POVERTY AREAS. 

7 (a) INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES.— 

8 (1) GUIDANCE AND MEASURES TO INCREASE

9 FEDERAL INVESTMENTS.—Not later than 1 year after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in con11 sultation with Federal agencies, shall implement 

12 guidance and measures to increase the share of Fed13 eral investments targeted to— 

14 (A) areas of persistent poverty; and 

15 (B) other areas of high and persistent pov16 erty that the Director, in consultation with Fed17 eral agencies, determines to be appropriate. 

18 (2) GUIDANCE FOR AGENCIES.—Not later than 

19 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

20 Director shall issue guidance to Federal agencies 

21 identifying— 

22 (A) the scope and type of programs subject 

23 to the guidance and measures required under 

24 paragraph (1); 

25 (B) the share of Federal investments to be 

26 targeted to covered areas; 


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1 (C) the manner in which Federal invest2 ments are to be targeted to covered areas; and 

3 (D) measures to track the Federal invest4 ments targeted to covered areas over time. 

5 (3) INVESTMENT AMOUNT.—In developing the 

6 guidance and measures under paragraph (1), the Di7 rector shall include a minimum goal that Federal in8 vestments targeted to covered areas be in an amount 

9 that is greater than the amount that is proportional 

10 to the population of covered areas in the United 

11 States relative to the population of the United States 

12 as a whole. 

13 (4) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Each fiscal year, 

14 the Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, 

15 shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con16 gress a report that includes— 

17 (A) a list of the programs, by agency, under 

18 which the amount of Federal funds targeted to 

19 covered areas were increased in the previous fis20 cal year, in accordance with such paragraph; 

21 and 

22 (B) for each program listed under subpara23 graph (A)— 


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1 (i) the amount of funds that were tar2 geted under the program to a covered area 

3 during the previous fiscal year; 

4 (ii) the percent change from the fiscal 

5 year before the previous fiscal year in the 

6 amount of funds that were targeted under 

7 the program toward a covered area; and 

8 (iii) to the extent practicable, an as9 sessment of the economic impact of the pro10 gram on the covered area, including data 

11 on the categories of individuals impacted by 

12 the targeting of funds to covered areas 

13 under the program, disaggregated by house14 hold income, race, gender, age, national ori15 gin, disability status, and whether the indi16 viduals live in an urban area, suburban 

17 area, or rural area. 

18 (b) PUBLICATION OF LIST OF AREAS OF PERSISTENT

19 POVERTY.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 

21 the date of enactment of this Act, the Bureau of the 

22 Census shall publish a list of all areas of persistent 

23 poverty. 


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1 (2) UPDATE.—The Bureau of the Census shall 

2 update annually the list published under paragraph 

3 (1). 

4 (c) GAO REPORTS.— 

5 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 

6 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comp7 troller General of the United States shall provide to 

8 the appropriate committees of Congress a report on 

9 the effectiveness of the measures implemented under 

10 subsection (a), including an assessment regarding the 

11 impact of increasing Federal investments spent in 

12 covered areas. 

13 (2) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—Not later than 10 

14 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

15 Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 

16 to the appropriate committees of Congress at least 2 

17 reports, in addition to the report under paragraph 

18 (1), providing the information described in para19 graph (1). 

20 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2023, 

22 $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for entering 

23 contracts with non-Federal persons) to carry out this Act. 

24 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 

2 The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ 

3 means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

5 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

6 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the 

7 Committee on Homeland Security and Govern8 mental Affairs of the Senate; 

9 (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

10 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on En11 ergy and Commerce, the Committee on Transpor12 tation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on 

13 Oversight and Reform of the House of Represent14 atives; and 

15 (C) any other committee of Congress that 

16 has jurisdiction over an agency with a role de17 veloping or implementing measures under sub18 section (a). 

19 (2) AREA OF PERSISTENT POVERTY.—The term 

20 ‘‘area of persistent poverty’’ means an area that is a 

21 high-poverty census tract or a persistent poverty 

22 county. 

23 (3) COVERED AREA.—The term ‘‘covered area’’ 

24 means an area of persistent poverty or other area of 


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1 high and persistent poverty described in subsection 

2 (a)(1). 

3 (4) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 

4 Director of the Office of Management and Budget. 

5 (5) HIGH-POVERTY CENSUS TRACT.—The term 

6 ‘‘high-poverty census tract’’— 

7 (A) means a census tract that has a poverty 

8 rate of not less than 20 percent in the most re9 cent American Community Survey 5-year data 

10 published by the Bureau of the Census; or 

11 (B) in the case of an area where no such 

12 data is collected from the American Community 

13 Survey, includes a census tract in such an area 

14 with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent 

15 in the most recent decennial census of population 

16 conducted by the Bureau of the Census. 

17 (6) PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTY.—The term 

18 ‘‘persistent poverty county’’ means— 

19 (A) a county, parish, or other equivalent 

20 county division (as determined by the Bureau of 

21 the Census) with a poverty rate of not less than 

22 20 percent in the Small Area Income and Pov23 erty Estimates by the Bureau of the Census dur24 ing— 


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1 (i) the most recent year for which the 

2 estimates are available; and 

3 (ii) at least 25 of the most recent 30 

4 years; or 

5 (B) for an area for which Small Area In6 come and Poverty Estimates are not available, a 

7 county, parish, or equivalent level of geography, 

8 with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent, 

9 as determined by the Bureau of the Census, dur10 ing— 

11 (i) the most recent year for which an 

12 estimate is available; and 

13 (ii) at least 25 of the most recent 30 

14 years. 


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Calendar No. 487 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3552 

[Report No. 117–148] 

A BILL 

To provide an increased allocation of funding under 

sistent poverty, and for other purposes. certain programs for assistance in areas of perSEPTEMBER 13, 2022 

Reported with an amendment 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS