‘‘(4) assist the individuals and entities described 
in paragraph (3) in identifying, assessing, and facili-
tating projects and programs to promote the eco-
nomic development of the region. 
‘‘§ 15506. Supplements to Federal grant programs 
‘‘(a) FINDING.—Congress finds that certain States 
and local communities of the region, including local devel-
opment districts, may be unable to take maximum advan-
tage of Federal grant programs for which the States and 
communities are eligible because— 
‘‘(1) they lack the economic resources to pro-
vide the required matching share; or 
‘‘(2) there are insufficient funds available under 
the applicable Federal law with respect to a project 
to be carried out in the region. 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL
GRANT
PROGRAM
FUNDING.—A 
Commission, with the approval of the Federal Cochair-
person, may use amounts made available to carry out this 
subtitle— 
‘‘(1) for any part of the basic Federal contribu-
tion to projects or activities under the Federal grant 
programs authorized by Federal laws; and 
‘‘(2) to increase the Federal contribution to 
projects and activities under the programs above the 
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fixed maximum part of the cost of the projects or 
activities otherwise authorized by the applicable law. 
‘‘(c) CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.—For a program, 
project, or activity for which any part of the basic Federal 
contribution to the project or activity under a Federal 
grant program is proposed to be made under subsection 
(b), the Federal contribution shall not be made until the 
responsible Federal official administering the Federal law 
authorizing the Federal contribution certifies that the pro-
gram, project, or activity meets the applicable require-
ments of the Federal law and could be approved for Fed-
eral contribution under that law if amounts were available 
under the law for the program, project, or activity. 
‘‘(d) LIMITATIONS
IN
OTHER
LAWS
INAPPLI-
CABLE.—Amounts provided pursuant to this subtitle are 
available without regard to any limitations on areas eligi-
ble for assistance or authorizations for appropriation in 
any other law. 
‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 
cost of a project or activity receiving assistance under this 
section shall not exceed 80 percent. 
‘‘(f) MAXIMUM COMMISSION CONTRIBUTION.—Sec-
tion 15501(d), relating to limitations on Commission con-
tributions, shall apply to a program, project, or activity 
receiving assistance under this section. 
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‘‘CHAPTER 156—ADMINISTRATIVE 
PROVISIONS 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘15701. Consent of States. 
‘‘15702. Distressed counties and areas. 
‘‘15703. Counties eligible for assistance in more than one region. 
‘‘15704. Inspector General; Records. 
‘‘15705. Biannual meetings of representatives of all commissions. 
‘‘15706. Relationship to other laws. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—DESIGNATION OF REGIONS 
‘‘15731. Delta Regional Commission. 
‘‘15732. Northern Great Plains Regional Commission. 
‘‘15733. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. 
‘‘15734. Southwest Border Regional Commission. 
‘‘15735. Northern Border Regional Commission. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
‘‘15751. Authorization of appropriations. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
‘‘§ 15701. Consent of States 
‘‘This subtitle does not require a State to engage in 
or accept a program under this subtitle without its con-
sent. 
‘‘§ 15702. Distressed counties and areas 
‘‘(a) DESIGNATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this section, and annually there-
after, each Commission shall make the following designa-
tions: 
‘‘(1) DISTRESSED COUNTIES.—The Commission 
shall designate as distressed counties those counties 
in its region that are the most severely and persist-
ently economically distressed and underdeveloped 
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and have high rates of poverty, unemployment, or 
outmigration. 
‘‘(2) TRANSITIONAL COUNTIES.—The Commis-
sion shall designate as transitional counties those 
counties in its region that are economically dis-
tressed and underdeveloped or have recently suffered 
high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigra-
tion. 
‘‘(3) ATTAINMENT
COUNTIES.—The Commis-
sion shall designate as attainment counties, those 
counties in its region that are not designated as dis-
tressed or transitional counties under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(4) ISOLATED
AREAS
OF
DISTRESS.—The 
Commission shall designate as isolated areas of dis-
tress, areas located in counties designated as attain-
ment counties under paragraph (3) that have high 
rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. 
‘‘(b) ALLOCATION.—A Commission shall allocate at 
least 50 percent of the appropriations made available to 
the Commission to carry out this subtitle for programs 
and projects designed to serve the needs of distressed 
counties and isolated areas of distress in the region. 
‘‘(c) ATTAINMENT COUNTIES.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), funds may not be provided under this 
subtitle for a project located in a county designated 
as an attainment county under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(A) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES
OF 
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS.—The fund-
ing prohibition under paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to grants to fund the administrative ex-
penses of local development districts under sec-
tion 15505. 
‘‘(B) 
MULTICOUNTY
AND
OTHER 
PROJECTS.—A Commission may waive the ap-
plication of the funding prohibition under para-
graph (1) with respect to— 
‘‘(i) a multicounty project that in-
cludes participation by an attainment 
county; and 
‘‘(ii) any other type of project, if a 
Commission determines that the project 
could bring significant benefits to areas of 
the region outside an attainment county. 
‘‘(3) ISOLATED
AREAS
OF
DISTRESS.—For a 
designation of an isolated area of distress to be ef-
fective, the designation shall be supported— 
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‘‘(A) by the most recent Federal data 
available; or 
‘‘(B) if no recent Federal data are avail-
able, by the most recent data available through 
the government of the State in which the iso-
lated area of distress is located. 
‘‘§ 15703. Counties eligible for assistance in more 
than one region 
‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—A political subdivision of a State 
may not receive assistance under this subtitle in a fiscal 
year from more than one Commission. 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF COMMISSION.—A political sub-
division included in the region of more than one Commis-
sion shall select the Commission with which it will partici-
pate by notifying, in writing, the Federal Cochairperson 
and the appropriate State member of that Commission. 
‘‘(c) CHANGES IN SELECTIONS.—The selection of a 
Commission by a political subdivision shall apply in the 
fiscal year in which the selection is made, and shall apply 
in each subsequent fiscal year unless the political subdivi-
sion, at least 90 days before the first day of the fiscal 
year, notifies the Cochairpersons of another Commission 
in writing that the political subdivision will participate in 
that Commission and also transmits a copy of such notifi-
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