An Act Targeting Resources to Communities in Need

To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for assistance in persistent poverty counties, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as An Act Targeting Resources to Communities in Need 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Development program The term development program (A) Any program administered by the Office of Rural Development of the Department of Agriculture. (B) The Appalachian Regional Commission. (C) Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, Economic Development Assistance Programs. (D) The Delta Regional Authority. (E) The Denali Commission. (F) Any training or employment services program administered by the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor. (G) Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. (H) Environmental Protection Agency, State and Tribal Assistance Grants. (I) Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Construction. (J) Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (K) Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects. (L) Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, National Infrastructure Investments. (M) Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Bus & Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. (N) Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Capital Investment Grants Program. (O) Any program of the Department of the Treasury relating to Community Development Financial Institutions (within the meaning of section 103 of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 ( 12 U.S.C. 4702 (2) Persistent poverty county The term persistent poverty county (3) High-poverty area The term high-poverty area 3. 10–20–30 formula for persistent poverty counties Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the entity responsible for administering a development program shall use not less than 10 percent of the amounts made available in any appropriations Act for the program for any of fiscal years 2019 through 2028, in persistent poverty counties, if the entity is otherwise authorized to do so. 4. Targeting high-poverty census tracts (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the entity responsible for administering a development program shall use not less than the amount described in subsection (b) of the amounts made available in any appropriations Act for the program for any of fiscal years 2019 through 2028, for projects in high-poverty areas, if the entity is otherwise authorized to do so. (b) Amount described The amount described in this subsection with respect to a program is an amount equal to the sum of— (1) the average percentage of Federal assistance awarded under the program in the 3 fiscal years most recently ending before the date of the enactment of this Act that were used for projects in high-poverty areas; plus (2) 5 percent of the average total Federal loan and grant funds awarded under the program in the 3 fiscal years referred to in paragraph (1). (c) Report to Congress If an entity responsible for administering a development program determines that the provision of benefits under the program in a particular census tract actually benefits individuals predominantly living in other census tracts, then the entity shall, within 3 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, inform the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Congress that it would be more appropriate to track the provision of benefits under the program based on the census tracts in which the individuals who actually receive the benefits reside and on whether the benefits serve individuals who reside in predominantly low-income census tracts. 5. Failure to use funds If the entity responsible for administering a development program does not comply with section 4 with respect to the program for a fiscal year, the entity shall submit to the Congress a report that describes how the entity plans to do so in the next fiscal year. 6. Report to congress Within 6 months after the end of fiscal year 2019 and within 6 months after the end of each fiscal year thereafter, the entity responsible for administering each development program shall submit to the Congress a progress report on the implementation of this Act with respect to the development program.

Summary: An Act Targeting Resources to Communities in Need This bill requires specified agencies administering development programs to target 10% of funding to persistent poverty counties.