IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3246 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
OCTOBER 4, 2007 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works 
AN ACT 
To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide a com-
prehensive regional approach to economic and infrastruc-
ture development in the most severely economically dis-
tressed regions in the Nation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:39 Oct 06, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3246.RFS
H3246
hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS
HR 3246 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regional Economic 
and Infrastructure Development Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) certain regions of the Nation, including Ap-
palachia, the Mississippi Delta Region, the Northern 
Great Plains Region, the Southeast Crescent Region, 
the Southwest Border Region, the Northern Border 
Region, and rural Alaska, have suffered from chron-
ic distress far above the national average; 
(2) an economically distressed region can suffer 
unemployment and poverty at a rate that is 150 per-
cent of the national average; and 
(3) regional commissions are unique Federal- 
State partnerships that can provide targeted re-
sources to alleviate pervasive economic distress. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to provide a comprehensive regional ap-
proach to economic and infrastructure development 
in the most severely economically distressed regions 
in the Nation; and 
(2) to ensure that the most severely economi-
cally distressed regions in the Nation have the nec-
essary tools to develop the basic building blocks for 
economic development, such as transportation and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:39 Oct 06, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3246.RFS
H3246
hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS
HR 3246 RFS
basic public infrastructure, job skills training, and 
business development. 
SEC. 3. REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DE-
VELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 40, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subtitle V as subtitle VI; 
and 
(2) by inserting after subtitle IV the following: 
‘‘Subtitle V—Regional Economic 
and Infrastructure Development 
‘‘Chapter ...................................................................................................
‘‘151. GENERAL PROVISIONS ............................................................ 15101
‘‘153. REGIONAL COMMISSIONS ....................................................... 15301
‘‘155. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ......................................................... 15501
‘‘157. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS .............................................
15701 
‘‘CHAPTER 151—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘15101. Definitions. 
‘‘§ 15101. Definitions 
‘‘In this subtitle, the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘Commission’ 
means a Commission established under section 
15301. 
‘‘(2) LOCAL
DEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT.—The 
term ‘local development district’ means an entity 
that— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:39 Oct 06, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3246.RFS
H3246
hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS