I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6531 

To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2022 

Mr. CLYBURN (for himself and Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

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: 

8 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON9 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con10 gress’’ means— 


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1 (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

2 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

3 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and 

4 the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov5 ernmental Affairs of the Senate; 

6 (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

7 Committee on the Budget, the Committee on 

8 Energy and Commerce, the Committee on 

9 Transportation and Infrastructure, and the 

10 Committee on Oversight and Reform of the 

11 House of Representatives; and 

12 (C) any other committee of Congress that 

13 has jurisdiction over a department or agency 

14 with a role developing or implementing meas15 ures under section 4(a). 

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

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

18 a high-poverty census tract or a persistent poverty 

19 county. 

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

21 the Director of the Office of Management and Budg22 et. 

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

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

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


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1 in the most recent American Community Survey 5- 

2 year survey by the Bureau of the Census. 

3 (5) PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTY.—The term 

4 ‘‘persistent poverty county’’ means— 

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

6 county division (as determined by the Bureau of 

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

8 20 percent in the Small Area Income and Pov9 erty Estimates by the Bureau of the Census for 

10 1997, 2007, 2017, and the most recent year for 

11 which the estimates are available; or 

12 (B) any territory or possession of the 

13 United States. 

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

15 POVERTY. 

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

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

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

19 (b) UPDATE.—The Bureau of the Census shall up20 date annually the list published under subsection (a). 

21 SEC. 4. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO 

22 AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER 

23 HIGH-POVERTY AREAS. 

24 (a) GUIDANCE AND MEASURES TO INCREASE FED25 ERAL INVESTMENTS.—Not later than 1 year after the 


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

2 with Federal agencies, shall develop and implement guid3 ance and measures to increase the share of Federal invest4 ments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other 

5 areas with high and persistent poverty (including any 

6 other areas that the Director, in consultation with Federal 

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

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

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

10 shall issue guidance to agencies regarding— 

11 (1) identifying the scope of programs subject to 

12 increased targeted investment described in sub13 section (a); 

14 (2) identifying the manner and share of tar15 geted investment described in subsection (a); and 

16 (3) outlining measures to track increased in17 vestment in areas of persistent poverty and other 

18 areas with high and persistent poverty over time. 

19 (c) INVESTMENT AMOUNT.—In developing the guid20 ance and measures under subsection (a), the Director shall 

21 include a minimum goal that Federal investments targeted 

22 to areas of persistent poverty or other areas with high and 

23 persistent poverty be in an amount that is greater than 

24 the amount that is proportional to the population of such 


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1 areas in the United States relative to the population of 

2 the United States as a whole. 

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

4 submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an an5 nual report that includes— 

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

7 included in the effort to increase the share of Fed8 eral investments targeted to areas of persistent pov9 erty and other areas with high and persistent pov10 erty; and 

11 (2) for each program listed under paragraph 

12 (1)— 

13 (A) the amount of funds that were directed 

14 under the program toward an area of persistent 

15 poverty or other area with high and persistent 

16 poverty during the previous fiscal year; 

17 (B) the percentage change from the fiscal 

18 year before the previous fiscal year in the 

19 amount of funds that were directed under the 

20 program toward an area of persistent poverty 

21 or other area with high and persistent poverty; 

22 and 

23 (C) to the extent practicable, an assess24 ment of the economic impact of the program, 

25 including data on impacted individuals, 


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1 disaggregated by household income, race, gen2 der, age, national origin, disability status, and 

3 whether the individuals live in an urban area, 

4 suburban area, or rural area. 

5 SEC. 5. GAO REPORTS. 

6 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

7 of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Comptroller Gen8 eral of the United States shall report to the appropriate 

9 committees of Congress on the effectiveness of the meas10 ures implemented pursuant to section 4(a), including an 

11 assessment regarding the impact of the measures on in12 creasing Federal funds spent in areas of persistent poverty 

13 and other areas with high and persistent poverty. 

14 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 

16 2023, $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for 

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

18 this Act. 

Æ 


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