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.—
‘‘(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—
‘‘(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-
cation to the Cochairpersons of the Commission in which 
the political subdivision is currently participating. 
‘‘(d) INCLUSION OF APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COM-
MISSION.—In this section, the term ‘Commission’ includes 
the Appalachian Regional Commission established under 
chapter 143. 
‘‘§ 15704. Inspector General; records 
‘‘(a) APPOINTMENT
OF
INSPECTOR
GENERAL.— 
There shall be an Inspector General for the Commissions 
appointed in accordance with section 3(a) of the Inspector 
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). All of the Commis-
sions shall be subject to a single Inspector General. 
‘‘(b) RECORDS OF A COMMISSION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Commission shall main-
tain accurate and complete records of all its trans-
actions and activities. 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—All records of a Commis-
sion shall be available for audit and examination by 
the Inspector General (including authorized rep-
resentatives of the Inspector General). 
‘‘(c) RECORDS OF RECIPIENTS OF COMMISSION AS-
SISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of funds from 
a Commission under this subtitle shall maintain ac-
curate and complete records of transactions and ac-
tivities financed with the funds and report to the 
Commission on the transactions and activities. 
‘‘(2) 
AVAILABILITY.—All 
records 
required 
under paragraph (1) shall be available for audit by 
the Commission and the Inspector General (includ-
ing authorized representatives of the Commission 
and the Inspector General). 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL AUDIT.—The Inspector General shall 
audit the activities, transactions, and records of each 
Commission on an annual basis. 
‘‘§ 15705. Biannual meetings of representatives of all 
Commissions 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Representatives of each Com-
mission, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the 
Denali Commission shall meet biannually to discuss issues 
confronting regions suffering from chronic and contiguous 
distress and successful strategies for promoting regional 
development. 
‘‘(b) CHAIR OF MEETINGS.—The chair of each meet-
ing shall rotate among the Commissions, with the Appa-
lachian Regional Commission to host the first meeting. 
‘‘§ 15706. Relationship to other laws 
‘‘Projects receiving assistance under this subtitle 
shall be treated in the manner provided in section 602 of
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 3212). 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—DESIGNATION OF REGIONS 
‘‘§ 15731. Delta Regional Commission 
‘‘The region of the Delta Regional Commission shall 
consist of the following political subdivisions: 
‘‘(1) ALABAMA.—The counties of Barbour, Bul-
lock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, 
Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, 
Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Sumter, Wash-
ington, and Wilcox in the State of Alabama. 
‘‘(2) ARKANSAS.—The counties of Arkansas, 
Ashley, Baxter, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clay, 
Cleveland, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, 
Desha, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Independence, 
Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, 
Lonoke, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, 
Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. 
Francis, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, 
White, and Woodruff in the State of Arkansas. 
‘‘(3) ILLINOIS.—The counties of Alexander, 
Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, 
Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, 
Saline, Union, White, and Williamson in the State of 
Illinois.