I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4048 
To establish the Gulf Coast Recovery Authority to administer a Gulf Coast 
Civic Works Project to provide job-training opportunities and increase 
employment to aid in the recovery of the Gulf Coast region. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2007 
Ms. ZOE
LOFGREN
of California (for herself, Mr. TAYLOR, and Mr. 
MELANCON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish the Gulf Coast Recovery Authority to administer 
a Gulf Coast Civic Works Project to provide job-training 
opportunities and increase employment to aid in the re-
covery of the Gulf Coast region. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Gulf Coast Civic Works Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
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Sec. 2. Purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—THE GULF COAST RECOVERY AUTHORITY 
Sec. 101. Establishment of corporation. 
Sec. 102. Board of directors. 
Sec. 103. Capitalization of the corporation. 
Sec. 104. Officers, employees, and other agents of the corporation. 
Sec. 105. Powers of the corporation. 
TITLE II—THE GULF COAST CIVIC WORKS PROJECT 
Sec. 201. Purpose statement. 
Sec. 202. Establishment. 
Sec. 203. General Activities. 
Sec. 204. Job training programs. 
Sec. 205. Job creation. 
Sec. 206. Wages. 
Sec. 207. General provisions and guidelines. 
Sec. 208. Gulf Coast Artists grants. 
Sec. 209. Chronicle of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita grants. 
Sec. 210. Funding. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
It is the purpose of this Act to— 
(1) establish a Federal authority to implement 
the necessary government response to the disaster 
experienced in the Gulf Coast region; 
(2) provide a minimum of 100,000 jobs and fi-
nancial security to those whose livelihood has been 
affected by the devastation of the Gulf Coast region; 
(3) strengthen the workforce by providing job 
training for thousands of workers that will enable 
them to rebuild communities and make an inde-
pendent living; 
(4) rebuild homes, public infrastructure and 
community resources, restoring lives and faith in the 
Federal government; 
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(5) ensure quality living conditions by providing 
workers with fair wages; 
(6) encourage individuals to move from unem-
ployment to work, and from homelessness to home- 
ownership; 
(7) utilize the recommendations of community 
organizations and coalitions in order to rebuild and 
strengthen communities; and 
(8) strengthen partnerships between the public 
and private sector that will lead to increased eco-
nomic growth in the region. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act, the term ‘‘Gulf Coast region’’ 
means the areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Ala-
bama that were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita. 
TITLE I—THE GULF COAST 
RECOVERY AUTHORITY 
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF CORPORATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established a 
body corporate by the name of the ‘‘Gulf Coast Recovery 
Authority’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Corporation’’). 
(b) STATUS
OF CORPORATION.—The Corporation 
shall be an independent establishment in the executive 
branch and shall be deemed to be an agency of the United 
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States for purposes of subchapter II of chapter 5 and 
chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The Board of Directors 
first appointed shall be deemed the incorporators, and the 
incorporation shall be held to have been effected from the 
date of the first meeting of the Board. 
(d) PRINCIPLE OFFICE.—The principal office of the 
Corporation shall be located in the State of Louisiana, but 
there may be established agencies or branch offices in the 
District of Columbia and in any municipality in the Gulf 
Coast region to the extent provided for in the by-laws of 
the Corporation. 
(e) PROPERTY
OWNERS’ RIGHTS
AND
PROTEC-
TIONS.— 
(1) NO AUTHORITY TO EXERCISE EMINENT DO-
MAIN.—The Corporation shall have no authority to 
acquire interests in property by eminent domain. 
(2) LOCAL INVITATION.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this title, the Corporation may 
take no action in any municipality unless the local 
government of such municipality has adopted a reso-
lution of invitation for the Corporation’s assistance. 
SEC. 102. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
(a) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.— 
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pany, investment bank, mortgage bank, or any 
other entity which enters into any contract with 
the Corporation. 
(3) CERTIFICATION.—Upon taking office, each 
member of the Board shall certify under oath that 
such member has complied with this subsection and 
such certification shall be filed with the secretary of 
the Board. 
(f) CLARIFICATION OF NONLIABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A director, member, officer, 
or employee of the Corporation has no liability under 
the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any claim 
arising out of or resulting from any act or omission 
by such person within the scope of such person’s em-
ployment in connection with any transaction involv-
ing the disposition of assets (or any interests in any 
assets or any obligations backed by any assets) by 
the Corporation. This subsection shall not be con-
strued to limit personal liability for criminal acts or 
omissions, willful or malicious misconduct, acts or 
omissions for private gain, or any other acts or 
omissions outside the scope of such person’s employ-
ment. 
(2) EFFECT ON OTHER LAW.—This subsection 
shall not be construed as— 
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(A) affecting— 
(i) any other immunities and protec-
tions that may be available to person to 
whom paragraph (1) applies under applica-
ble law with respect to such transactions, 
or 
(ii) any other right or remedy against 
the Corporation, against the United States 
under applicable law, or against any per-
son other than a person described in para-
graph (1) participating in such trans-
actions; or 
(B) limiting or altering in any way the im-
munities that are available under applicable law 
for Federal officials and employees not de-
scribed in this subsection. 
SEC. 103. CAPITALIZATION OF THE CORPORATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall have cap-
ital stock subscribed to by the United States Government 
in such amount as the President may determine to be ap-
propriate, to the extent provided in advance in an appro-
priation Act for any fiscal year. 
(b) CERTIFICATES.—Certificates evidencing shares of 
nonvoting capital stock of the Corporation shall be issued 
by the Corporation to the President of the United States, 
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or to such other person or persons as the President may 
designate from time to time, to the extent of payments 
made for the capital stock of the Corporation. 
(c) PUBLIC DEBT TRANSACTION.—For the purpose 
of purchasing shares of capital stock of the Corporation, 
the Secretary of the Treasury may use as a public-debt 
transaction the proceeds of any securities issued under 
chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall submit to 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et and to the Secretary of the Treasury quarterly re-
ports and an annual report on the expenses of the 
Corporation during the period covered by the report, 
the financial condition of the Corporation as of the 
end of such period, the results of the Corporation’s 
operations during such period, and the progress 
made during such period in fulfilling the mission 
and purposes of the Corporation, together with a 
copy of the Corporation’s financial operating plans 
and forecasts for the annual or quarterly period (as 
the case may be) succeeding the period covered by 
the report. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Each report sub-
mitted to the Director of the Office of Management 
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and Budget and to the Secretary of the Treasury 
under paragraph (1) shall be made available to the 
public. 
(e) 
TERMINATION
OF
AUTHORITY
TO
ISSUE 
STOCK.—No shares of capital stock of the Corporation 
may be issued after the end of the 10-year period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(f) REVENUE USED TO RETIRE STOCK.—Any net 
revenue of the Corporation in excess of amounts required 
to meet on-going expenses and investments shall be paid 
to the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem the capital 
stock of the Corporation and shall be deposited in the gen-
eral fund of the Treasury. 
SEC. 104. OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS OF 
THE CORPORATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall appoint such 
managers, assistant managers, officers, employees, attor-
neys, and agents, as are necessary for the transaction of 
its business, fix their compensation, provide benefits in-
cluding pension and health care, define their duties, re-
quire bonds of such of them as the Board may designate, 
and provide a system of organization to fix responsibility 
and promote efficiency. 
(b) REMOVAL.—Any appointee of the Board may be 
removed in the discretion of the Board. 
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(c) CONTRACTS, SALARIES, AND WAGES.—No reg-
ular officer or employee of the Corporation shall receive 
a salary in excess of that received by the members of the 
Board, and— 
(1) all contracts to which the Corporation is a 
party and which require the employment of laborers 
and mechanics in the construction, alteration, main-
tenance, or repair of buildings, levees, or other 
projects shall contain a provision that not less than 
the prevailing rate of wages for work of a similar na-
ture prevailing in the vicinity shall be paid to such 
laborers or mechanics; 
(2) in the event any dispute arises as to what 
are the prevailing rates of wages, the question shall 
be referred to the Secretary of Labor for determina-
tion, and his decision shall be final. In the deter-
mination of such prevailing rate or rates, due regard 
shall be given to those rates which have been secured 
through collective agreement by representatives of 
employers and employees; 
(3) where such work as is described in the two 
preceding paragraphs is done directly by the Cor-
poration the prevailing rate of wages shall be paid 
in the same manner as though such work had been 
let by contract; and 
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(4) insofar as applicable, the workers com-
pensation laws of the United States shall extend to 
persons given employment under the provisions of 
this Act. 
(d) POLITICAL TESTS PROHIBITED
IN EMPLOY-
MENT.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—In the appointment of offi-
cials and the selection of employees for the Corpora-
tion, and in the promotion of any such employees or 
officials, no political test or qualification shall be 
permitted or given consideration, but all such ap-
pointments and promotions shall be given and made 
on the basis of merit and efficiency. Any member of 
the Board who is found by the President of the 
United States to be guilty of a violation of this sec-
tion shall be removed from office by the President 
of the United States, and any appointee of the 
Board who is found by the Board to be guilty of a 
violation of this section shall be removed from office 
by the Board. 
(2) COMPENSATION.—In the selection of em-
ployees for works projects authorized by the Cor-
poration, made by an official, employee, or other au-
thorized agent of the Corporation, and in the deter-
mination of wages or salaries, no political test or 
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chapter 51 or subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 
5; 
(4) sue and be sued, and complain and defend, 
by and through its own attorneys, in any court of 
law or equity, State or Federal; 
(5) with the consent of any executive agency, 
department, or independent agency utilize the infor-
mation, services, staff, and facilities of such depart-
ment or agency, on a reimbursable (or other) basis, 
in carrying out this section; 
(6) prescribe, by the Board, bylaws that are 
consistent with law to provide for— 
(A) the management and operational struc-
ture of the Corporation, subject to sections 101 
(e) and 102; 
(B) the manner in which general oper-
ations are to be conducted; and 
(C) such other matters as the Board deter-
mines to be appropriate; 
(7) enter into contracts and modify or consent 
to the modification of any contract or agreement; 
(8) purchase or lease and hold such real and 
personal property as it deems necessary or conven-
ient in the transaction of its business, and may dis-
pose of any such personal property held by it; 
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(9) contract with commercial producers for the 
production of such materials as may be needed in 
the Government’s program of recovery and develop-
ment. Such contracts may provide either for outright 
purchase of materials by the Board or only for the 
payment of carrying charges on special materials 
manufactures at the Board’s request for its pro-
gram; 
(10) make alterations, modifications, or im-
provements in existing structures and facilities, and 
to construct new structures and facilities as nec-
essary for the recovery of the Gulf Coast region; 
(11) coordinate national, State, district, county 
or municipal programs for the recovery and develop-
ment of the Gulf Coast region; 
(12) request the assistance and advice of any 
officer, agent, or employee of any executive depart-
ment or of any independent office of the United 
States, to enable the Corporation the better to carry 
out its powers successfully, and as far as practicable 
shall utilize the services of such officers agents, and 
employees an the President shall if in his opinion, 
the public interest, service, or economy so require, 
direct that such assistance, advice, and service be 
rendered to the Corporation, and any individual that 
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may be by the President directed to render such as-
sistance, advice, and service shall be thereafter sub-
ject to the orders, rules, and regulations of the 
Board; 
(13) establish and oversee Regional Operating 
Authorities as are necessary to develop and coordi-
nate the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project, and to 
carry out other local initiatives and Federal pro-
grams; 
(14) formulate and periodically require reports 
of progress on all projects; and, where avoidable 
delay or malfeasance appears, to recommend appro-
priate measures for eliminating such problems, and, 
similarly, to recommend the termination of projects 
where it develops that they are not affording the 
amount of employment warranting their continu-
ance; 
(15) prescribe rules and regulations to— 
(A) assure that as many of the persons 
employed on all work projects as is feasible 
shall be persons initially affected by job loss in 
the region; 
(B) utilize and support as many of those 
individuals, communities, community organiza-
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tions and businesses within the region as is fea-
sible; 
(C) govern the selection of such persons 
for employment; 
(D) govern the selection of such partici-
pating business and organizations on an open- 
bid basis; 
(E) formulate and administer a system of 
uniform periodic reports of the employment on 
such projects of persons, businesses, organiza-
tions, and communities from the region; and 
(F) investigate wages and working condi-
tions and to make and submit to Congress such 
findings as will aid Congress in prescribing 
working conditions, rates of pay, and continu-
ance or development of projects; and 
(16) recommend and carry out useful projects 
designed to assure a maximum of employment and 
recovery in affected localities. 
(b) TERMINATION OF CONTRACT FOR CAUSE.—In 
the case of any service contract between the Corporation 
and any other person, the Corporation may terminate such 
contract for cause, whether by reason of breach of con-
tract, violation of regulations or guidelines of the Corpora-
tion, or otherwise, or bar any such person from entering 
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into any other contract, after notice and an opportunity 
for an agency hearing on the record. 
(c) AGENCY AUTHORITY.— 
(1) STATUS.—The Corporation, in any capacity, 
shall be an agency of the United States for purposes 
of section 1345 of title 28 without regard to whether 
the Corporation commenced the action. 
(2) FEDERAL COURT JURISDICTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—All suits of a civil na-
ture at common law or in equity to which the 
Corporation, in any capacity, is a party shall be 
deemed to arise under the laws of the United 
States. 
(B) REMOVAL.—The Corporation may, 
without bond or security, remove any action, 
suit, or proceeding from a State court to the 
appropriate United States district court before 
the end of the 90-day period beginning on the 
date the action, suit, or proceeding is filed 
against the Corporation or the Corporation is 
substituted as a party. 
(C) APPEAL OF REMAND.—The Corpora-
tion may appeal any order of remand entered 
by any United States district court. 
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