II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3552 

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 

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON2 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con3 gress’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

5 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

6 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and 

7 the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov8 ernmental Affairs of the Senate; 

9 (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

10 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

11 Energy and Commerce, the Committee on 

12 Transportation and Infrastructure, and the 

13 Committee on Oversight and Reform of the 

14 House of Representatives; and 

15 (C) any other committee of Congress that 

16 has jurisdiction over a department or agency 

17 with a role developing or implementing meas18 ures under section 4(a). 

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

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

21 a high-poverty census tract or a persistent poverty 

22 county. 

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

24 the Director of the Office of Management and Budg25 et. 


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

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

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

4 in the most recent American Community Survey 5- 

5 year survey by the Bureau of the Census. 

6 (5) PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTY.—The term 

7 ‘‘persistent poverty county’’ means— 

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

9 county division (as determined by the Bureau of 

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

11 20 percent in the Small Area Income and Pov12 erty Estimates by the Bureau of the Census for 

13 1997, 2007, 2017, and the most recent year for 

14 which the estimates are available; or 

15 (B) any territory or possession of the 

16 United States. 

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

18 POVERTY. 

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

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

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

22 (b) UPDATE.—The Bureau of the Census shall up23 date annually the list published under subsection (a). 


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1 SEC. 4. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO 

2 AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER 

3 HIGH-POVERTY AREAS. 

4 (a) GUIDANCE AND MEASURES TO INCREASE FED5 ERAL INVESTMENTS.—Not later than 1 year after the 

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

7 with Federal agencies, shall develop and implement guid8 ance and measures to increase the share of Federal invest9 ments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other 

10 areas with high and persistent poverty (including any 

11 other areas that the Director, in consultation with Federal 

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

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

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

15 shall issue guidance to agencies regarding— 

16 (1) identifying the scope of programs subject to 

17 increased targeted investment described in sub18 section (a); 

19 (2) identifying the manner and share of tar20 geted investment described in subsection (a); and 

21 (3) outlining measures to track increased in22 vestment in areas of persistent poverty and other 

23 areas with high and persistent poverty over time. 

24 (c) MINIMUM INVESTMENT AMOUNT.—In developing 

25 the guidance and measures under subsection (a), the Di26 rector shall include a minimum goal that Federal investVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:33 Feb 02, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3552.IS S3552

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1 ments targeted to areas of persistent poverty or other 

2 areas with high and persistent poverty be in an amount 

3 that is greater than the amount that is proportional to 

4 the population of such areas in the United States relative 

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

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

7 submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an an8 nual report that includes— 

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

10 included in the effort to increase the share of Fed11 eral investments targeted to areas of persistent pov12 erty and other areas with high and persistent pov13 erty; and 

14 (2) for each program listed under paragraph 

15 (1)— 

16 (A) the amount of funds that were directed 

17 under the program toward an area of persistent 

18 poverty or other area with high and persistent 

19 poverty during the previous fiscal year; 

20 (B) the percentage change from the fiscal 

21 year before the previous fiscal year in the 

22 amount of funds that were directed under the 

23 program toward an area of persistent poverty 

24 or other area with high and persistent poverty; 

25 and 


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1 (C) to the extent practicable, an assess2 ment of the economic impact of the program, 

3 including data on impacted individuals, 

4 disaggregated by household income, race, gen5 der, age, national origin, disability status, and 

6 whether the individuals live in an urban area, 

7 suburban area, or rural area. 

8 SEC. 5. GAO REPORTS. 

9 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

10 of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Comptroller Gen11 eral of the United States shall report to the appropriate 

12 committees of Congress on the effectiveness of the meas13 ures implemented pursuant to section 4(a), including an 

14 assessment regarding the impact of the measures on in15 creasing Federal funds spent in areas of persistent poverty 

16 and other areas with high and persistent poverty. 

17 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 

19 2022, $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for 

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

21 this Act. 

Æ 


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