TITLE IV—ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS 
SEC. 401. INCENTIVES. 
Section 403 (42 U.S.C. 3173), and the item relating 
to section 403 in the table of contents contained in section 
1(b), are repealed. 
SEC. 402. PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DE-
VELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO REGIONAL COM-
MISSIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404 (42 U.S.C. 3174) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 404. PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DE-
VELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO REGIONAL COM-
MISSIONS. 
‘‘If any part of an economic development district is 
in a region covered by one or more of the Regional Commis-
sions (as defined in section 3), the economic development 
district shall ensure that a copy of the comprehensive eco-
nomic development strategy of the district is provided to 
the affected Regional Commission.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
contained in section 1(b) is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 404 and inserting the following:
‘‘Sec. 404. Provision of comprehensive economic development strategies to Regional 
Commissions.’’.
TITLE V—ADMINISTRATION 
SEC. 501. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION CLEAR-
INGHOUSE. 
Section 502 (42 U.S.C. 3192) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(1) maintain a central information clearing-
house on the Internet with—
‘‘(A) information on economic development, 
economic adjustment, disaster recovery, defense 
conversion, and trade adjustment programs and 
activities of the Federal Government; 
‘‘(B) links to State economic development 
organizations; and 
‘‘(C) links to other appropriate economic de-
velopment resources;’’; 
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(2) assist potential and actual applicants for 
economic development, economic adjustment, disaster 
recovery, defense conversion, and trade adjustment as-
sistance under Federal and State laws in locating 
and applying for the assistance;’’; 
(3) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) obtain appropriate information from other 
Federal agencies needed to carry out the duties under 
this Act.’’. 
SEC. 502. BUSINESSES DESIRING FEDERAL CONTRACTS. 
Section 505 (42 U.S.C. 3195), and the item relating 
to section 505 in the table of contents contained in section 
1(b), are repealed. 
SEC. 503. PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS OF GRANT RECIPI-
ENTS. 
Section 506(c) (42 U.S.C. 3196(c)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘after the effective date of the Economic Develop-
ment Administration Reform Act of 1998’’. 
SEC. 504. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) STANDARDS.—Section 602 (42 U.S.C. 3212) is 
amended—
(1) in the first sentence by striking ‘‘in accord-
ance with’’ and all that follows before the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘in accordance with subchapter 
IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code’’; and 
(2) in the third sentence by striking ‘‘section 2 
of the Act of June 13, 1934, as amended (40 U.S.C. 
276c)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 3145 of title 40, United 
States Code’’.
(b) EVALUATION CRITERIA.—Section 506(d)(2) (42 
U.S.C. 3196(d)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘program per-
formance,’’ after ‘‘applied research,’’. 
TITLE VI—MISCELLANEOUS 
SEC. 601. RELATIONSHIP TO ASSISTANCE UNDER OTHER 
LAW. 
Section 609 (42 U.S.C. 3219) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (a); and 
(2) by striking ‘‘(b) ASSISTANCE UNDER OTHER 
ACTS.—’’. 
SEC. 602. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING ECONOMIC DE-
VELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Planning and coordination among Federal 
agencies, State and local governments, Indian tribes, 
and economic development districts is vital to the suc-
cess of an economic development program. 
(2) Economic Development Representatives of the 
Economic Development Administration provide dis-
tressed communities with the technical assistance nec-
essary to foster this planning and coordination. 
(3) In the past five years, the number of Eco-
nomic Development Representatives has declined by 
almost 25 percent.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that the Secretary should maintain a sufficient number of 
Economic Development Representatives to ensure that the 
Economic Development Administration is able to provide 
effective assistance to distressed communities and foster eco-
nomic growth and development among the States. 
TITLE VII—FUNDING 
SEC. 701. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 701 (42 U.S.C. 3231) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 701. GENERAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAMS.—There are authorized to be appropriated for eco-
nomic development assistance programs to carry out this 
Act—
‘‘(1) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; 
‘‘(2) $425,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
‘‘(3) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; 
‘‘(4) $475,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and 
‘‘(5) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2008. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended. 
‘‘(b) SALARIES AND EXPENSES.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated for salaries and expenses of admin-
istering this Act $33,377,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such
sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended.’’.
Union Calendar No. 137
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2535
[Report No. 108–242, Part I] 
A BILL 
To reauthorize and improve the program authorized 
by the Public Works and Economic Development 
Act of 1965. 
SEPTEMBER 2, 2003
Committee on Financial Services discharged; committed 
to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
the Union and ordered to be printed