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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7131 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7131

  To promote economic growth and recovery throughout the Great Lakes 
 region, to restore and to protect America's principal source of fresh 
water, which holds twenty percent of the world's freshwater, making it 
 the largest system in the world, to foster innovation and to advance 
world-class workforce, education, training, and adjustment institutions 
for better jobs in the Great Lakes region, to strengthen and to expand 
   the core U.S. manufacturing and industrial base, and the required 
energy systems to sustain and to power production, and to work with the 
 Federal Government and provinces of Canada on our mutual Great Lakes 
challenges including the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2022

 Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Rush, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Moore 
of Wisconsin, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Morelle, and Ms. Stevens) 
 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 promote economic growth and recovery throughout the Great Lakes 
 region, to restore and to protect America's principal source of fresh 
water, which holds twenty percent of the world's freshwater, making it 
 the largest system in the world, to foster innovation and to advance 
world-class workforce, education, training, and adjustment institutions 
for better jobs in the Great Lakes region, to strengthen and to expand 
   the core U.S. manufacturing and industrial base, and the required 
energy systems to sustain and to power production, and to work with the 
 Federal Government and provinces of Canada on our mutual Great Lakes 
challenges including the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Authority Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The 8 States that comprise the United States portion of 
        the Great Lakes watershed contain the core of America's 
        commercial and industrial base.
            (2) The Department of Homeland Security defines these 
        industries as ``America's Critical Manufacturing Sector''.
            (3) The total economy for the United States Great Lakes 
        region generated $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product while 
        employing 25.8 million people and supporting $1.3 trillion in 
        wages.
            (4) Maritime commerce supports more than 147,500 jobs in 
        the 8 Great Lakes States and generates annual binational 
        economic benefits of $35 billion in economic activity ($26 
        billion in the United States), $10.5 billion in personal income 
        and local consumption expenditures in the United States), and 
        $4.6 billion in Federal, State, and local tax revenue in the 
        United States.
            (5) The Great Lakes region's 5 Great Lakes--Erie, Huron, 
        Michigan, Ontario, and Superior--are the source of 21 percent 
        of the world's surface fresh water and 84 percent of North 
        America's fresh water, making it the largest freshwater system 
        in the world.
            (6) Since the early 1980s, the inequalities between the few 
        and the many, the coasts and the interior, and the developed 
        and underdeveloped regions of the United States have widened.
            (7) The United States has closed 91,000 factories and lost 
        5 million manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was enacted in 1993 
        and since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2000. 
        The 8-State Great Lakes region lost 1.5 million of those jobs--
        that is, 30 percent.
            (8) The losses of factories and jobs, in turn, have greatly 
        weakened the fiscal capacity of the Great Lakes region's State 
        and local governments. A measure of this fiscal crisis is found 
        in the high municipal indebtedness of the region's cities, as 
        well as debt burdens due to Federal Government mandates.
            (9) When workers' jobs are outsourced or eliminated by 
        increased foreign competition, entire communities feel the 
        impact. Communities throughout the Great Lakes, including 
        communities of color, have struggled to rebuild the economic 
        conditions that once supported thriving working and middle 
        class lives for their residents.
            (10) The loss of factories and jobs has hollowed out entire 
        communities, leading to the spread of blight, pollution and 
        vacant and abandoned properties that destabilize rural, 
        suburban and urban communities across the Great Lakes region.
            (11) The Great Lakes States have not kept pace with 
        innovation. Specifically, in 1990, 51,000 United States patents 
        were issued and in 2020 the United States Patent and Trademark 
        Office granted 188,000--an increase of 265 percent, but not a 
        single State in the Great Lakes region reached the national 
        average by 2020.
            (12) The Great Lakes region faces numerous ecological 
        threats, including invasive species, toxic algae, erosion, 
        development, waste plastics, and toxic pollutants, among other 
        sources.
            (13) Heavy power demands across the region require a 
        dependable baseload energy supply with a highly skilled 
        workforce. Today, the region has 17 nuclear reactors at 15 
        sites in operation. Nuclear power provides 15 percent of the 
        electricity for Ohio and Wisconsin, 23 percent for Minnesota, 
        29 percent for Michigan, 33 percent for New York, 41 percent 
        for Pennsylvania, and 53 percent for Illinois; however, 
        competitive pressures from massive, new natural gas supplies 
        have created financial pressures that can make nuclear power 
        less competitive and more expensive.
            (14) Building back better in the Great Lakes region is a 
        challenge that requires an empowered and well-financed Great 
        Lakes Authority.
            (15) The Great Lakes Authority can support sustained growth 
        and innovation through public and private sector initiatives 
        and collaboration with regional stakeholders.

SEC. 3. GREAT LAKES AUTHORITY.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle VI of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

                  ``CHAPTER 185--GREAT LAKES AUTHORITY

                   ``subchapter i--general provisions

``Sec.
``18501. Purpose.
``18502. Definitions.
            ``subchapter ii--organization and administration

``18510. Establishment; members.
``18511. Meetings; decisions.
``18512. Functions.
``18513. Administrative powers and expenses.
``18514. Information.
``18515. Regional development plan.
                 ``subchapter iii--financial assistance

``18520. Authority to provide financial assistance.
``18521. Revolving loan fund.
 ``subchapter iv--national energy recycling and conservation laboratory

``18530. National Energy Recycling and Conservation Laboratory.
             ``subchapter v--authorization of appropriations

``18540. Authorization of appropriations.

                   ``SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

``Sec. 18501. Purpose
    ``The purpose of this chapter shall be to establish the Great Lakes 
Authority to--
            ``(1) promote economic development and job creation and to 
        create world-class workforce education, training, and 
        adjustment institutions to spur economic growth, especially in 
        communities that have been disproportionately affected by the 
        outsourcing of jobs;
            ``(2) restore and to protect the principal source of 
        surface fresh water in North America;
            ``(3) foster innovation to strengthen and expand the core 
        United States manufacturing and industrial base and promote 
        cleaner and more sustainable power production;
            ``(4) establish and administer funding mechanisms to 
        finance clean energy, green infrastructure, water 
        infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure, and broadband 
        infrastructure projects in the Great Lakes region;
            ``(5) create a regional development plan;
            ``(6) promote affordable access to energy and broadband 
        services in the Great Lakes region; and
            ``(7) provide technical assistance to entities receiving 
        financial assistance from the Great Lakes Authority.
``Sec. 18502. Definitions
    ``In this chapter:
            ``(1) Apprenticeship program.--The term `apprenticeship 
        program' means an apprenticeship program registered under the 
        Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the `National 
        Apprenticeship Act'; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et 
        seq.).
            ``(2) Bond.--The term `bond' means any bond issued in 
        accordance with this chapter if--
                    ``(A) the proceeds from the sale of the bond are to 
                be used for expenditures incurred after the date of 
                issuance with respect to any eligible project, subject 
                to such rules as the Great Lakes Authority may provide;
                    ``(B) the bond is issued in registered form;
                    ``(C) the bond has such terms and carries interest 
                in such an amount as determined by the Authority; and
                    ``(D) payments of interest and principal with 
                respect to the bond is the obligation of the Authority 
                and is backed by the full faith and credit of the 
                United States.
            ``(3) Broadband infrastructure project.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `broadband 
                infrastructure project' means any project for the 
                planning, design, construction, maintenance, or 
                enhancement of any cables, fiber optics, wiring, 
                wireless facility (including any pole, tower, base 
                station, or other structure, whether or not such 
                structure has an existing antenna facility, that is 
                used or to be used for the provision of wireless 
                service), or other permanent infrastructure integral to 
                the provision of advanced telecommunications capability 
                (as such term is defined in section 706(d) of the 
                Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302(d)) and 
                as specified by the Federal Communications Commission 
                as part of the annual inquiry conducted under section 
                706(b) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 1302(b))).
                    ``(B) Annual inquiry.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (A), the term `annual inquiry' means the most recent 
                inquiry that concluded before the date on which an 
                eligible entity submits an application for assistance 
                under this chapter for a broadband infrastructure 
                project.
            ``(4) Clean energy infrastructure project.--The term `clean 
        energy infrastructure project' means a project that 
        demonstrates 1 or more of the following technologies:
                    ``(A) Solar.
                    ``(B) Wind.
                    ``(C) Geothermal.
                    ``(D) Direct air capture.
                    ``(E) Diverse clean hydrogen sources.
                    ``(F) Clean, low-carbon fuels.
                    ``(G) Hydropower.
                    ``(H) Wave energy technologies.
                    ``(I) Fossil-fueled electricity generation with 
                carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration.
                    ``(J) Thermal energy capture systems or other 
                regional energy infrastructure systems.
                    ``(K) Energy storage, including pumped storage 
                hydropower and compressed air storage.
                    ``(L) Advanced nuclear technologies.
                    ``(M) Biomass.
                    ``(N) Any technology that supports a technology 
                described in subparagraphs (A) through (M), including 
                micro-grid, electric grid infrastructure, or other 
                regional infrastructure systems.
                    ``(O) Any other technology that is similar to, or a 
                successor to, the technologies described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (N), as determined by the 
                Authority.
            ``(5) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a State or a political subdivision thereof;
                    ``(B) a public agency or publicly chartered 
                authority established by 1 or more States;
                    ``(C) a special purpose district with a 
                transportation, energy, environmental, or economic 
                development function;
                    ``(D) an Indian Tribe (as such term is defined in 
                section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304), without 
                regard to capitalization), or a consortium of Indian 
                Tribes;
                    ``(E) a multistate or multijurisdictional group of 
                entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D);
                    ``(F) an institution of higher education (as such 
                term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a));
                    ``(G) a nonprofit entity; and
                    ``(H) an entity described in subparagraphs (A) 
                through (G) jointly with a private entity or group of 
                private entities.
            ``(6) Eligible project.--The term `eligible project' 
        means--
                    ``(A) a project carried out in the Great Lakes 
                region that is a--
                            ``(i) wastewater infrastructure project;
                            ``(ii) clean energy infrastructure project;
                            ``(iii) port infrastructure project;
                            ``(iv) broadband infrastructure project;
                            ``(v) green infrastructure project;
                            ``(vi) lead abatement project;
                            ``(vii) water infrastructure project; or
                            ``(viii) weatherization project; and
                    ``(B) any of the following activities carried out 
                in the Great Lakes region:
                            ``(i) The acquisition or development of 
                        land and improvements of such land for use for 
                        public works, public service, or development 
                        facilities.
                            ``(ii) The acquisition, construction, 
                        rehabilitation, alteration, expansion, or 
                        improvement of development facilities, 
                        including related machinery and equipment.
                            ``(iii) Preparation for events that may 
                        cause economic, social, health, or 
                        infrastructure failures or contribute to 
                        inequities in the Great Lakes region, including 
                        development of mechanisms to respond to such 
                        events.
                            ``(iv) The development of, and reinvestment 
                        in, land banks in the Great Lakes region.
                            ``(v) The protection and restoration of the 
                        environmental resources of the Great Lakes 
                        region, including increasing the resilience of 
                        facilities in the Great Lakes region to protect 
                        against threats to such facilities such as 
                        harmful algal blooms, invasive species, rising 
                        water levels, pollution, and coastal erosion.
                            ``(vi) The development of plans to increase 
                        the adoption of emerging technologies in rail, 
                        maritime, and surface transportation systems 
                        (including medium and heavy duty clean fueling 
                        corridors) of the Great Lakes region, including 
                        multi-modal transportation and technologies 
                        that significantly reduce greenhouse gas 
                        emissions.
                            ``(vii) Promotion of workforce education 
                        and training programs in the Great Lakes region 
                        that can support a project described in 
                        subparagraph (A), including programs that--
                                    ``(I) promote access to--
                                            ``(aa) apprenticeship 
                                        programs across skilled trades 
                                        leading to publicly certified 
                                        integrated certificates; and
                                            ``(bb) community college 
                                        credit, associate, bachelor, 
                                        and advanced degrees;
                                    ``(II) support a major, seamless, 
                                nationally relevant workforce training 
                                program for vehicle conversion, repair, 
                                and innovation for mechanics and 
                                engineers; and
                                    ``(III) are funded by State boards 
                                and local boards.
            ``(7) Great lakes authority; authority.--The terms `Great 
        Lakes Authority' and `Authority' mean the Great Lakes Authority 
        established under this chapter.
            ``(8) Great lakes region.--The term `Great Lakes region' 
        means areas in the watershed of the Great Lakes and the Great 
        Lakes System (as such terms are defined in section 118(a)(3) of 
        the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
        1268(a)(3))), in each of the following States:
                    ``(A) Illinois.
                    ``(B) Indiana.
                    ``(C) Michigan.
                    ``(D) Minnesota.
                    ``(E) New York.
                    ``(F) Ohio.
                    ``(G) Pennsylvania.
                    ``(H) Wisconsin.
            ``(9) Green infrastructure project.--The term `green 
        infrastructure project' means any project for the planning, 
        design, construction, maintenance, or enhancement of green 
        infrastructure (as such term is defined in section 502 of the 
        Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362)), 
        including through the use of any technology that the Authority 
        determines to be consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
            ``(10) Land bank.--The term `land bank' means a government 
        entity, agency, or program, or a special purpose nonprofit 
        entity formed by 1 or more units of government in accordance 
        with a State or local land bank enabling law, that has been 
        designated by 1 or more State or local governments to acquire, 
        steward, dispose of, or repurpose vacant, abandoned, or other 
        problem properties in accordance with locally determined 
        priorities and goals.
            ``(11) Loan guarantee.--The term `loan guarantee' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 502 of the Federal Credit 
        Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a).
            ``(12) Local board; state board.--The terms `local board' 
        and `State board' have the meanings given such terms in section 
        3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
        3102).
            ``(13) Local development district.--The term `local 
        development district' means any of the following entities for 
        which the Governor of the State in which the entity is located, 
        or the appropriate State officer, certifies to the Authority 
        that the entity has a charter or authority that includes the 
        economic development of counties or parts of counties or other 
        political subdivisions within the Great Lakes region:
                    ``(A) A nonprofit incorporated body organized or 
                chartered under the law of the State in which such 
                nonprofit incorporated body is located.
                    ``(B) A nonprofit agency or instrumentality of a 
                State or local government.
                    ``(C) A nonprofit agency or instrumentality created 
                through an interstate compact.
                    ``(D) A nonprofit association or combination of 
                entities described in this paragraph.
            ``(14) Port infrastructure project.--The term `port 
        infrastructure project' means construction, reconstruction, 
        environmental rehabilitation of a port facility, or the 
        acquisition of land, property, or equipment--
                    ``(A) that is--
                            ``(i) within the boundary of a port;
                            ``(ii) outside the boundary of a port, but 
                        directly related to port operations; or
                            ``(iii) an intermodal connection to a port; 
                        and
                    ``(B) will be used to improve the safety, 
                efficiency or reliability of the loading or unloading 
                of goods or passengers at a port.
            ``(15) Resilience.--The term `resilience' means, with 
        respect to a facility, the ability to--
                    ``(A) anticipate, prepare for, or adapt to 
                conditions;
                    ``(B) withstand, respond to, or recover rapidly 
                from disruptions;
                    ``(C) resist hazards or withstand impacts from 
                disruptions;
                    ``(D) reduce the magnitude, duration, or impact of 
                a disruption; or
                    ``(E) have the absorptive capacity, adaptive 
                capacity, and recoverability to decrease vulnerability 
                to a disruption.
            ``(16) Severely and persistently distressed area.--The term 
        `severely and persistently distressed area' means an area--
                    ``(A) with a high proportion of residential and 
                commercial properties that are vacant due to 
                foreclosure, eviction, abandonment, or other causes;
                    ``(B) with racial disparities in homeownership 
                rates;
                    ``(C) with population loss;
                    ``(D) where economic inequities have grown 
                substantially due to job dislocation and outsourcing; 
                and
                    ``(E) in the case of a census tract located within 
                a metropolitan area, where the median family income for 
                such census tract does not exceed 80 percent of the 
                greater of statewide median family income or the 
                metropolitan area median family income.
            ``(17) Water infrastructure project.--The term `water 
        infrastructure project' means a project or activity described 
        in section 603(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
        (33 U.S.C. 1383(c)).
            ``(18) Wastewater infrastructure project.--The term 
        `wastewater infrastructure project' means a project for the 
        planning, design, construction, maintenance, or enhancement of 
        a treatment works (as such term is defined in section 212 of 
        the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292) to 
        intercept, transport, control, treat, or reuse municipal 
        combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, or 
        stormwater.
            ``(19) Weatherization project.--The term `weatherization 
        project' means a project that, through the use of 
        weatherization materials (as such term is defined in section 
        412 of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 
        6862)), weatherizes dwelling units that are energy inefficient.

            ``SUBCHAPTER II--ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

``Sec. 18510. Establishment; members
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established the Great Lakes 
Authority to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
    ``(b) Members.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Great Lakes Authority shall be 
        composed of 9 individuals as follows:
                    ``(A) 1 Chairperson, to be appointed by the 
                President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
                    ``(B) 1 member from each State in the Great Lakes 
                region, to be appointed by the Governor of each such 
                State.
            ``(2) Qualifications.--To be eligible to be appointed as 
        the Chairperson or a member of the Great Lakes Authority, an 
        individual shall meet the following qualifications:
                    ``(A) The individual shall be a citizen of the 
                United States and, in the case of a member appointed 
                under paragraph (1)(B), a legal resident of the State 
                for which such member is appointed to represent.
                    ``(B) The individual shall have management 
                expertise relative to a large for profit or nonprofit 
                corporate, government, or academic institution in the 
                field of study or industries related to--
                            ``(i) clean energy;
                            ``(ii) green infrastructure;
                            ``(iii) water infrastructure;
                            ``(iv) wastewater infrastructure; or
                            ``(v) broadband infrastructure.
                    ``(C) The individual may not be an employee of the 
                Great Lakes Authority.
                    ``(D) The individual shall affirm that such 
                individual does not have any financial interest in the 
                industries described in subparagraph (B).
                    ``(E) The individual may not be employed by, hold 
                any official relation to, or be financially interested 
                in any company or other entity engaged in the 
                manufacture, business, control, or sale of technologies 
                related to the industries described in subparagraph 
                (B).
                    ``(F) The individual shall affirm support for the 
                purposes of the Great Lakes Authority, including being 
                a national leader in the industries described in 
                subparagraph (B).
            ``(3) Party affiliation.--Including the Chairperson, there 
        may not be more than 5 members from the same political party.
    ``(c) Chairperson.--
            ``(1) Initial appointment.--Not later than 60 days after 
        the date of enactment of this chapter, the President shall 
        appoint the Chairperson.
            ``(2) Responsibilities.--The Chairperson shall be 
        responsible for the executive and administrative operation of 
        the Great Lakes Authority, including chairing meetings and 
        functions of the Great Lakes Authority, with respect to the 
        supervision of personnel employed by, or assigned to, the 
        Authority.
    ``(d) Vice Chairperson.--
            ``(1) In general.--The members of the Authority shall 
        select a Vice Chairperson from the State members described in 
        subsection (b)(1)(B) by a majority vote.
            ``(2) Chairperson vacancy.--The Vice Chairperson shall 
        serve as acting Chairperson when the position of the 
        Chairperson is vacant.
            ``(3) Qualifications.--The Vice Chairperson selected under 
        paragraph (1) may not be a resident of the same State as the 
        Chairperson.
            ``(4) Term.--The Vice Chairperson selected under paragraph 
        (1) shall serve a term of not more than 2 years.
    ``(e) Term and Vacancies.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each member of the Great Lakes Authority 
        shall be appointed for a term of 5 years, except as provided in 
        paragraph (2), and such term shall begin upon appointment of 
        such member.
            ``(2) Vacancies.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any member appointed to fill a 
                vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
                which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be 
                appointed only for the remainder of such term.
                    ``(B) Interim service.--A member may serve after 
                the expiration of such member's term until a successor 
                has taken office, and if the Chairperson has taken the 
                oath of office, may not continue to serve after the 
                expiration of the session of Congress that begins after 
                the expiration of the fixed term of office of the 
                successor.
                    ``(C) Effect of vacancy.--No vacancy shall impair 
                the right of the remaining members to exercise all the 
                powers of the Great Lakes Authority.
    ``(f) Removal.--Members of the Authority may be removed by the 
President only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in 
office.
    ``(g) Operations.--The Authority shall begin operations upon the 
appointment of the Chairperson and at least 2 State members described 
in subsection (b)(1)(B).
    ``(h) Executive Director.--
            ``(1) Appointment.--The Chairperson shall appoint an 
        Executive Director of the Great Lakes Authority, who shall meet 
        the qualifications described in subsection (b)(2).
            ``(2) Duties.--The Executive Director shall be responsible 
        for--
                    ``(A) carrying out the administrative duties of the 
                Great Lakes Authority;
                    ``(B) directing the staff of the Authority; and
                    ``(C) any other duties as the members of the 
                Authority may assign.
            ``(3) Tenure.--The Executive Director shall serve at the 
        pleasure of the Chairperson.
    ``(i) Personnel; Compensation.--
            ``(1) Personnel.--The Chairperson and each State member of 
        the Great Lakes Authority may select and supervise personnel as 
        personal staff for such Chairperson or member.
            ``(2) Compensation.--The Great Lakes Authority may appoint 
        and fix the compensation of the Executive Director and other 
        personnel as necessary to enable the Authority to carry out its 
        functions, except that the compensation shall not exceed the 
        maximum rate of basic pay for the Senior Executive Service 
        under section 5382 of title 5, including any applicable 
        locality-based comparability payment that may be authorized 
        under section 5304(h)(2)(C) of title 5.
    ``(j) Offices.--The Great Lakes Authority--
            ``(1) shall establish a permanent office and headquarters 
        located in close proximity to the center of the Great Lakes 
        region, near the mouth of the largest watershed of any of the 
        rivers feeding the Great Lakes System;
            ``(2) may maintain an office in the District of Columbia; 
        and
            ``(3) may establish field offices at other locations 
        throughout the Great Lakes region, as the Authority determines 
        appropriate.
``Sec. 18511. Meetings; decisions
    ``(a) Meetings.--
            ``(1) Initial meeting.--The Authority shall conduct an 
        initial meeting not later than 30 days after the Authority 
        begins operations under section 18510(g).
            ``(2) Subsequent meetings.--The Authority shall conduct at 
        least 1 meeting every 6 months, and may conduct meetings by 
        electronic means as the Authority considers advisable, 
        including meetings to decide matters requiring an affirmative 
        vote.
    ``(b) Decisions.--
            ``(1) Requirements for approval.--Policy decisions by the 
        Great Lakes Authority require the affirmative, majority vote of 
        the members of the Authority.
            ``(2) Consultation.--The Great Lakes Authority, to the 
        extent practicable, may consult with the Federal and State 
        agencies having an interest in a particular matter, including 
        transportation planning entities in the Great Lakes region.
    ``(c) Quorum.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 
        quorum of at least 5 members of the Authority shall be required 
        to be present for the Authority to make, modify, or revise any 
        policy decision.
            ``(2) Effect of quorum requirement.--The quorum requirement 
        under paragraph (1) shall not apply until at least 5 members of 
        the Authority have been appointed.
    ``(d) Policy Decision Defined.--In this section, the term `policy 
decision' means a decision regarding--
            ``(1) the approval of an annual budget for the Authority;
            ``(2) the approval of the regional development plan 
        established under section 18515;
            ``(3) any conflict of interest policy that is applicable to 
        members of the Board and employees of the Authority and is 
        submitted to Congress;
            ``(4) the approval of compensation for personnel of the 
        Authority; and
            ``(5) the creation of committees of members of the 
        Authority.
``Sec. 18512. Functions
    ``(a) In General.--In carrying out the purposes of this chapter, 
the Great Lakes Authority shall--
            ``(1) develop, on a continuing basis, comprehensive and 
        coordinated economic and workforce development programs through 
        State boards and local boards and establish priorities under 
        such programs, giving consideration to other Federal, State, 
        Tribal, and local planning in the Great Lakes region;
            ``(2) review and study, in cooperation with the appropriate 
        agencies and economic and workforce development programs, 
        including State boards and local boards, in the Great Lakes 
        region and, when appropriate, recommend modifications or 
        additions to such programs to increase the effectiveness of 
        such programs in the Great Lakes region;
            ``(3) seek to coordinate the economic development 
        activities of, and the use of economic development resources 
        by, Federal agencies in the Great Lakes region, including--
                    ``(A) the Department of Energy;
                    ``(B) the Department of the Interior;
                    ``(C) the Department of Transportation;
                    ``(D) the Department of Commerce;
                    ``(E) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    ``(F) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    ``(G) the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration;
                    ``(H) the Corps of Engineers;
                    ``(I) the Coast Guard;
                    ``(J) the Department of Health and Human Services;
                    ``(K) the Federal Communications Commission;
                    ``(L) the Department of Agriculture;
                    ``(M) the Department of Education;
                    ``(N) the Department of Labor; and
                    ``(O) any other Federal agency the Authority 
                determines appropriate;
            ``(4) promote coordination with the Government of Canada, 
        including its provinces and local governmental entities located 
        near the Great Lakes region;
            ``(5) formulate and recommend, where appropriate, 
        interstate compacts and other forms of interstate cooperation 
        to work with State and local agencies in developing appropriate 
        model legislation;
            ``(6) support Tribal and local governments in the Great 
        Lakes region that have incurred significant municipal debt;
            ``(7) encourage the formation and support of local 
        development districts;
            ``(8) conduct and sponsor investigations, research, and 
        studies, including an inventory and analysis of the economic 
        resources of the Great Lakes region, and, in cooperation with 
        Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, sponsor 
        demonstration projects designed to foster regional productivity 
        and growth;
            ``(9) encourage private investment in industrial, 
        commercial, and recreational projects in the Great Lakes 
        region;
            ``(10) encourage the use of eco-industrial development 
        technologies and approaches;
            ``(11) support broadband access and adoption in the Great 
        Lakes region;
            ``(12) serve as a focal point and coordinating unit for 
        programs and regional planning organizations in the Great Lakes 
        region; and
            ``(13) provide a forum for consideration of economic and 
        environmental problems of the Great Lakes region and proposed 
        solutions to such problems, including promoting conservation 
        and establishing and using, as appropriate, special advisory 
        councils and public conferences.
    ``(b) Needs and Goals of Subregional Areas.--In carrying out its 
functions under this section, the Great Lakes Authority shall identify 
the characteristics of, and may distinguish between the economic needs 
and goals of, appropriate subregional areas in the Great Lakes region, 
including the respective watersheds of each of the Great Lakes.
    ``(c) Recommendations.--The Great Lakes Authority may make 
recommendations to the President, Governors, and appropriate Tribal and 
local officials of States in the Great Lakes region with respect to--
            ``(1) the expenditure of amounts by Federal, State, and 
        local agencies in the Great Lakes region in the fields of 
        natural resources, agriculture, education, technology, advanced 
        manufacturing, training, health and welfare, and other fields 
        related to the purposes of this chapter; and
            ``(2) additional Federal, State, and local legislation or 
        administrative actions as the Great Lakes Authority considers 
        necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
``Sec. 18513. Administrative powers and expenses
    ``(a) Powers.--To carry out its duties under this subtitle, the 
Authority may--
            ``(1) adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws and regulations 
        governing the conduct of its business and the performance of 
        its functions;
            ``(2) request the head of any Federal agency to detail to 
        temporary duty with the Great Lakes Authority personnel within 
        the administrative jurisdiction of the head of the agency that 
        the Authority may need for carrying out its functions, each 
        detail to be without loss of seniority, pay, or other employee 
        status;
            ``(3) arrange for the services of personnel from any State 
        or local government, subdivision or agency of a State or local 
        government, or intergovernmental agency;
            ``(4) make arrangements, including contracts, with any 
        participating State government for inclusion in a suitable 
        retirement and employee benefit system of Great Lakes Authority 
        personnel who may not be eligible for, or continue in, another 
        governmental retirement or employee benefit system; or 
        otherwise provide for coverage of such personnel;
            ``(5) accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of 
        services or any property;
            ``(6) enter into and perform contracts, leases (including 
        the lease of office space for any term), cooperative 
        agreements, or other transactions, necessary in carrying out 
        its functions, on terms as it may consider appropriate, with 
        any person, department, agency, or instrumentality of the 
        Federal Government, or State or political subdivision, agency, 
        or instrumentality of such State;
            ``(7) provide technical assistance to entities receiving 
        financing from the Great Lakes Authority;
            ``(8) serve as a liaison between Congress, the executive 
        branch, and State and local governments, and to represent the 
        interests of the Great Lakes Authority; and
            ``(9) take other actions and incur other expenses as may be 
        necessary or appropriate.
    ``(b) Expenses.--
            ``(1) Chairperson staff expenses.--The expenses of the 
        Chairperson and the staff of the Chairperson of the Authority 
        shall be paid solely by the Federal Government.
            ``(2) Administrative expenses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided under 
                paragraph (1), 50 percent of the administrative 
                expenses of the Great Lakes Authority shall be paid by 
                the States participating in the Great Lakes Authority.
                    ``(B) State shares.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The share of 
                        administrative expenses of the Great Lakes 
                        Authority to be paid by the States shall be 
                        divided equally among the States participating 
                        in the Great Lakes Authority.
                            ``(ii) Delinquent states.--In the case of a 
                        State that is delinquent in paying the share of 
                        administrative expenses for such State under 
                        this paragraph--
                                    ``(I) no assistance under this 
                                chapter may be provided to the 
                                government of such State; and
                                    ``(II) the member representing such 
                                State may not participate in the Great 
                                Lakes Authority or vote in any proposed 
                                action to be taken by the Authority.
                            ``(iii) Assistance to eligible recipients 
                        located in delinquent state.--An eligible 
                        entity located in, or carrying out an eligible 
                        project in, a State described in clause (ii), 
                        that is not the government of such State, or a 
                        political subdivision thereof, may receive 
                        financial assistance from the Great Lakes 
                        Authority.
``Sec. 18514. Information
    ``(a) In General.--To obtain information needed to carry out its 
duties, the Great Lakes Authority shall--
            ``(1) hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take 
        testimony, receive evidence, and print or otherwise reproduce 
        and distribute so much of its proceedings and reports on the 
        proceedings as the Authority may deem advisable;
            ``(2) arrange for the head of any Federal, State, or local 
        agency to furnish to the Great Lakes Authority information as 
        may be available to, or procurable by, such agency; and
            ``(3) keep accurate and complete records of its doings and 
        transactions which shall be made available for public 
        inspection and audit and examination by the Comptroller General 
        of the United States.
    ``(b) Authorizations.--
            ``(1) Administer oaths.--The Chairperson of the Authority 
        may administer oaths when the Authority decides that testimony 
        shall be taken or evidence received under oath.
            ``(2) Furnish information.--The head of any Federal, State, 
        or local agency, to the extent not otherwise prohibited by law, 
        may carry out subsection (a)(2).
    ``(c) Public Participation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Great Lakes Authority shall provide 
        for public participation in the development, revision, and 
        implementation of all plans and programs under this chapter.
            ``(2) Regulations required.--The Great Lakes Authority 
        shall develop and publish regulations specifying minimum 
        guidelines for public participation, including regular public 
        hearings held throughout the Great Lakes region, which shall 
        include Tribal communities.
            ``(3) Consideration of public participation.--In 
        establishing any plans or programs under this chapter, the 
        Great Lakes Authority shall identify how public comments were 
        considered in the development and implementation of such plans 
        or programs.
``Sec. 18515. Regional development plan
    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
the Great Lakes Authority begins operations under section 18510(g), the 
Authority shall develop a regional development plan (in this section 
referred to as the `plan') that--
            ``(1) identifies priorities, major development objectives, 
        and strategic guidelines for eligible projects in the Great 
        Lakes region;
            ``(2) establishes budgetary guidelines for the full life 
        funding of such projects, including the planning, construction, 
        repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of such projects; and
            ``(3) identifies responsibilities between the Great Lakes 
        Authority, the Federal Government, and State and local 
        governments for the development of infrastructure in the Great 
        Lakes region.
    ``(b) Submission.--
            ``(1) Initial submission.--Upon developing the plan under 
        subsection (a), the Authority shall submit the plan to the 
        Committees on Appropriations and Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committees on Appropriations and Environment and Public Works 
        of the Senate.
            ``(2) Biennial updates.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        date on which the plan is submitted under paragraph (1), and 
        every 2 years thereafter, the Authority shall review, update, 
        and submit such plan to the committees described in paragraph 
        (1).
    ``(c) Consultation Required.--In developing and updating the plan 
under this section, the Authority shall--
            ``(1) consult with--
                    ``(A) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
                Economic Development;
                    ``(B) the Chief of Engineers;
                    ``(C) the Secretaries of Transportation and the 
                Interior;
                    ``(D) the Governors of each of the States in the 
                Great Lakes region;
                    ``(E) regional planning organizations; and
                    ``(F) any other stakeholders that the Authority 
                considers appropriate, including Tribes; and
            ``(2) consider the Great Lakes coastal resiliency study 
        carried out by the Secretary of the Army under section 729 of 
        the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2267a), 
        as required by section 1219 of the America's Water 
        Infrastructure Act of 2018 (132 Stat. 3811).

                 ``SUBCHAPTER III--FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

``Sec. 18520. Authority to provide financial assistance
    ``In carrying out the purposes of this chapter, the Great Lakes 
Authority may--
            ``(1) make loans on such terms as the Authority may 
        determine to be appropriate to assist eligible entities in the 
        financing, development, or operation of an eligible project;
            ``(2) make loan guarantees on such terms as the Authority 
        may determine to be appropriate to assist eligible entities in 
        the financing or refinancing of an eligible project;
            ``(3) issue bonds and provide financing to eligible 
        entities to carry out eligible projects from amounts made 
        available from the issuance of such bonds;
            ``(4) make grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts 
        with eligible entities to carry out eligible projects; and
            ``(5) provide technical assistance to entities receiving 
        financing from the Great Lakes Authority.
``Sec. 18521. Revolving loan fund
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established a Great Lakes Fund (in 
this section referred to as the `Fund').
    ``(b) Source of Amounts in Fund.--Amounts made available to the 
Great Lakes Authority to carry out this section shall be deposited in 
the Fund.
    ``(c) Use of Amounts in Fund.--The Great Lakes Authority shall use 
the Fund as a revolving fund to make grants and loans from the Fund, 
under terms and conditions the Great Lakes Authority may prescribe, to 
eligible entities to carry out eligible projects.
    ``(d) Unused Amounts.--
            ``(1) In general.--Amounts in the Fund not needed for 
        operation of the revolving fund established under this section 
        may be invested in bonds or other obligations the Federal 
        Government guarantees as to principal and interest.
            ``(2) Administrative expenses.--General expenses of 
        administration of this section may be charged to the Fund.
    ``(e) Considerations.--In awarding funds under this section, the 
Great Lakes Authority shall consider the following with respect to a 
project proposed to be carried out with such funds:
            ``(1) The relationship of the project to overall regional 
        development and poverty alleviation, including consideration of 
        whether a project will be carried out in a severely and 
        persistently distressed area.
            ``(2) The population and area to be served by the project, 
        including the per capita market income and the unemployment 
        rates in such area.
            ``(3) The relative financial resources available to an 
        eligible entity that seeks to undertake the project.
            ``(4) The relevance of the project in relation to other 
        projects proposed to be carried out with a grant under this 
        section.
            ``(5) The amount of potential revenue the project may 
        generate.
            ``(6) The potential for the project to improve, on a 
        continuing basis, opportunities for employment, including 
        opportunities for individuals in populations with the highest 
        unemployment rates, the average level of income, or the 
        economic and social development of the area served by the 
        project, including areas where the median income has decreased 
        due to significant job losses.
            ``(7) The extent to which the project design provides for 
        detailed outcome measurements by which the project may be 
        evaluated.
            ``(8) Whether the project is identified as a priority in 
        the regional development plan under section 18515.
            ``(9) Whether the project is also funded by a regional 
        commission established under this title or a Federal agency and 
        the possibility of partnering and sharing costs with such 
        commission or agency to carry out the project.

 ``SUBCHAPTER IV--NATIONAL ENERGY RECYCLING AND CONSERVATION LABORATORY

``Sec. 18530. National Energy Recycling and Conservation Laboratory
    ``(a) In General.--There is established a National Energy Recycling 
and Conservation Laboratory (in this section referred to as the 
`Laboratory') to perform--
            ``(1) advanced research projects related to energy 
        recycling technologies, including hydrogen, thermal heat 
        extraction, biomass and waste conversion, geothermal, water 
        recycling, and methane capture; and
            ``(2) any research, development, and related functions as 
        the Great Lakes Authority may determine to be necessary or 
        appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Great Lakes 
        Authority.
    ``(b) Partnerships; Coordination.--In carrying out the research, 
development, or other related functions under this section, the 
Laboratory may coordinate with the Department of Energy or enter into 
partnerships with any nuclear power plant in the United States.
    ``(c) Location.--The Great Lakes Authority shall select a location 
for the Laboratory that is--
            ``(1) in close proximity to the center of the Great Lakes 
        region, near the mouth of the largest watershed of any of the 
        rivers feeding the Great Lakes region;
            ``(2) in close proximity to a nuclear power plant;
            ``(3) in an area with heavy industry and manufacturing;
            ``(4) in an area with a high proportion of residential and 
        commercial properties that are vacant due to foreclosure, 
        eviction, abandonment, or other causes;
            ``(5) in an area with racial disparities in homeownership 
        rates;
            ``(6) in an area with population loss;
            ``(7) in an area where economic inequities have grown 
        substantially due to job dislocation and outsourcing; and
            ``(8) in the case of a census tract located within a 
        metropolitan area, where the median family income for such 
        census tract does not exceed 80 percent of the greater of 
        statewide median family income or the metropolitan area median 
        family income.

            ``SUBCHAPTER V--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

``Sec. 18540. Authorization of appropriations
    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
chapter--
    ``(a) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
    ``(b) $50,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of chapters for subtitle VI of 
title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``185. Great Lakes Authority................................   18501''.
                                 <all>
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