Union Calendar No. 403
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4275
[Report No. 105–684, Part I]
A BILL
To reauthorize and make reforms to programs au-
thorized by the Public Works and Economic De-
velopment Act of 1965 and the Appalachian Re-
gional Development Act of 1965.
SEPTEMBER 11, 1998
Committee on Banking and Financial Services dis-
charged; committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be
printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 403
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4275
[Report No. 105–684, Part I]
To reauthorize and make reforms to programs authorized by the Public
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 and the Appalachian
Regional Development Act of 1965.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 20, 1998
Mr. SHUSTER (for himself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. KIM, and Mr. TRAFICANT)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on
Banking and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
AUGUST 6, 1998
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with an
amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
AUGUST 6, 1998
Referral to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services extended for
a period ending not later than September 11, 1998
SEPTEMBER 11, 1998
Additional sponsors: Mr. ROGERS, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. NEY, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. RAHALL,
Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. BALDACCI, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. WISE,
Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. LIPIN-
SKI, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. HOLDEN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. WALSH, Mr. BOU-
CHER, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. WICKER, Mr.
PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. FROST, Mr. GOOD-
LATTE, Mr. METCALF, Mr. SPRATT, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. ALLEN, Mr.
LEWIS of Kentucky, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. JENKINS, Mr.
DUNCAN, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. COOK, Mr.
COOKSEY, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. QUINN, Mr. GOODE, Mr. HERGER, Mr.
WHITFIELD, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. THOMPSON, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr.
WAMP, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. POSHARD, Mr. ROEMER, Mr.
COSTELLO, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. BROWN of
Florida, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma, Mr.
HINOJOSA, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. CLEM-
ENT, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. BERRY, Mr. MASCARA, Ms.
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SKELTON,
Mr. FILNER, Mr. GORDON, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. OLVER, Mr. SAWYER,
Mr. TOWNS, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. NEAL of Massa-
chusetts, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. STABENOW,
Mr. CLAY, Mr. KIND, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. EVANS, Mr.
PEASE, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. GEJDENSON,
Mr. DINGELL, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. WATKINS, and Mr.
SPENCE
SEPTEMBER 11, 1998
Committee on Banking and Financial Services discharged; committed to the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered
to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 20, 1998]
A BILL
To reauthorize and make reforms to programs authorized
by the Public Works and Economic Development Act
of 1965 and the Appalachian Regional Development Act
of 1965.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Economic Development
Partnership Act of 1998’’.
TITLE I—PUBLIC WORKS AND
ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
Subtitle A—Reauthorizations
SEC. 101. AMENDMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1965.
The Public Works and Economic Development Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.) is amended by striking all
after the first section and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION.
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) the maintenance of the national economy at
a high level is vital to the best interests of the United
States, but some of our regions, counties, and commu-
nities are suffering substantial and persistent unem-
ployment and underemployment that cause hardship
to many individuals and their families and waste in-
valuable human resources;
‘‘(2) to overcome this problem the Federal Gov-
ernment, in cooperation with the States, should help
areas and regions of substantial and persistent unem-
ployment and underemployment to take effective steps
in planning and financing their public works and
economic development, with cooperation among area
local governments;
‘‘(3) Federal financial assistance, including
grants for public works and development facilities, to
communities, industries, enterprises, and individuals
in areas needing development should enable such
areas to help themselves achieve lasting improvement
and enhance domestic prosperity by the establishment
of stable and diversified local economies, sustainable
development, and improved local conditions, if such
assistance is preceded by and consistent with sound,
long-range economic planning; and
‘‘(4) under the provisions of this Act, new em-
ployment opportunities should be created by develop-
ing and expanding new and existing public works
and other facilities and resources rather than by
merely transferring jobs from one area of the United
States to another.
‘‘(b) DECLARATION.—Congress declares that, in fur-
therance of maintaining the national economy at a high
level—
‘‘(1) the assistance authorized by this Act should
be made available to both rural and urban areas;
‘‘(2) such assistance should be made available for
planning for economic development prior to the ac-
tual occurrences of economic distress in order to avoid
such condition; and
‘‘(3) such assistance should be used for long-term
economic rehabilitation in areas where long-term eco-
nomic deterioration has occurred or is taking place.
‘‘TITLE I—ECONOMIC DEVELOP-
MENT 
PARTNERSHIPS, 
CO-
OPERATION, AND COORDINA-
TION
‘‘SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PARTNERSHIPS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In providing assistance under this
Act, the Secretary shall cooperate with States and other en-
tities to ensure that, consistent with national objectives,
Federal programs are compatible with, and further the ob-
jectives of, State, regional, and local economic development
plans and comprehensive economic development strategies.
‘‘(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall
provide to States, local governmental subdivisions of States,
sub-State regional organizations (including organizations
that cross State boundaries), and multi-State regional orga-
nizations technical assistance that the Secretary determines
may be necessary or desirable to—
‘‘(1) alleviate economic distress;
‘‘(2) encourage and support public-private part-
nerships for the formation and improvement of eco-