Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022
Bill: S.3552 | Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022
This bill addresses funding for areas of persistent poverty.
Specifically, the bill requires

To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs 
 for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Targeting Resources to 
Communities in Need Act of 2022''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
                Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation, and the Committee on 
                Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
                Senate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
                Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Energy and 
                Commerce, the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure, and the Committee on Oversight and 
                Reform of the House of Representatives; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) any other committee of Congress that 
                has jurisdiction over a department or agency with a 
                role developing or implementing measures under section 
                4(a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Area of persistent poverty.--The term ``area 
        of persistent poverty'' means an area that is a high-poverty 
        census tract or a persistent poverty county.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the 
        Director of the Office of Management and Budget.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) High-poverty census tract.--The term ``high-
        poverty census tract'' means a census tract that has a poverty 
        rate of not less than 20 percent in the most recent American 
        Community Survey 5-year survey by the Bureau of the 
        Census.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Persistent poverty county.--The term 
        ``persistent poverty county'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) a county, parish, or other equivalent 
                county division (as determined by the Bureau of the 
                Census) with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent 
                in the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates by the 
                Bureau of the Census for 1997, 2007, 2017, and the most 
                recent year for which the estimates are available; 
                or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) any territory or possession of the 
                United States.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF LIST OF AREAS OF PERSISTENT 
              POVERTY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Bureau of the Census shall publish a list of 
all areas of persistent poverty.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Update.--The Bureau of the Census shall update 
annually the list published under subsection (a).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO AREAS OF 
              PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER HIGH-POVERTY 
              AREAS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Guidance and Measures To Increase Federal 
Investments.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, shall develop 
and implement guidance and measures to increase the share of Federal 
investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other areas 
with high and persistent poverty (including any other areas that the 
Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, determines to be 
appropriate areas to target).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Guidance for Agencies.--Not later than 120 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue guidance to 
agencies regarding--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) identifying the scope of programs subject to 
        increased targeted investment described in subsection 
        (a);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) identifying the manner and share of targeted 
        investment described in subsection (a); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) outlining measures to track increased 
        investment in areas of persistent poverty and other areas with 
        high and persistent poverty over time.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Minimum Investment Amount.--In developing the guidance 
and measures under subsection (a), the Director shall include a minimum 
goal that Federal investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty 
or other areas with high and persistent poverty be in an amount that is 
greater than the amount that is proportional to the population of such 
areas in the United States relative to the population of the United 
States as a whole.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Reports to Congress.--The Director shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress an annual report that includes--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a list of the programs, by agency, that are 
        included in the effort to increase the share of Federal 
        investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other 
        areas with high and persistent poverty; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) for each program listed under paragraph (1)--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the amount of funds that were directed 
                under the program toward an area of persistent poverty 
                or other area with high and persistent poverty during 
                the previous fiscal year;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the percentage change from the fiscal 
                year before the previous fiscal year in the amount of 
                funds that were directed under the program toward an 
                area of persistent poverty or other area with high and 
                persistent poverty; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) to the extent practicable, an 
                assessment of the economic impact of the program, 
                including data on impacted individuals, disaggregated 
                by household income, race, gender, age, national 
                origin, disability status, and whether the individuals 
                live in an urban area, suburban area, or rural 
                area.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. GAO REPORTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the 
effectiveness of the measures implemented pursuant to section 4(a), 
including an assessment regarding the impact of the measures on 
increasing Federal funds spent in areas of persistent poverty and other 
areas with high and persistent poverty.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
2022, $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for entering 
contracts with non-Federal persons) to carry out this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Targeting Resources to Communities 
in Need Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO AREAS OF PERSISTENT 
              POVERTY AND OTHER HIGH-POVERTY AREAS.

    (a) Increasing Share of Federal Resources.--
            (1) Guidance and measures to increase federal 
        investments.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of this Act, the Director, in consultation with Federal 
        agencies, shall implement guidance and measures to increase the 
        share of Federal investments targeted to--
                    (A) areas of persistent poverty; and
                    (B) other areas of high and persistent poverty that 
                the Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, 
                determines to be appropriate.
            (2) Guidance for agencies.--Not later than 120 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue 
        guidance to Federal agencies identifying--
                    (A) the scope and type of programs subject to the 
                guidance and measures required under paragraph (1);
                    (B) the share of Federal investments to be targeted 
                to covered areas;
                    (C) the manner in which Federal investments are to 
                be targeted to covered areas; and
                    (D) measures to track the Federal investments 
                targeted to covered areas over time.
            (3) Investment amount.--In developing the guidance and 
        measures under paragraph (1), the Director shall include a 
        minimum goal that Federal investments targeted to covered areas 
        be in an amount that is greater than the amount that is 
        proportional to the population of covered areas in the United 
        States relative to the population of the United States as a 
        whole.
            (4) Reports to congress.--Each fiscal year, the Director, 
        in consultation with Federal agencies, shall submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes--
                    (A) a list of the programs, by agency, under which 
                the amount of Federal funds targeted to covered areas 
                were increased in the previous fiscal year, in 
                accordance with such paragraph; and
                    (B) for each program listed under subparagraph 
                (A)--
                            (i) the amount of funds that were targeted 
                        under the program to a covered area during the 
                        previous fiscal year;
                            (ii) the percent change from the fiscal 
                        year before the previous fiscal year in the 
                        amount of funds that were targeted under the 
                        program toward a covered area; and
                            (iii) to the extent practicable, an 
                        assessment of the economic impact of the 
                        program on the covered area, including data on 
                        the categories of individuals impacted by the 
                        targeting of funds to covered areas under the 
                        program, disaggregated by household income, 
                        race, gender, age, national origin, disability 
                        status, and whether the individuals live in an 
                        urban area, suburban area, or rural area.
    (b) Publication of List of Areas of Persistent Poverty.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Bureau of the Census shall publish a 
        list of all areas of persistent poverty.
            (2) Update.--The Bureau of the Census shall update annually 
        the list published under paragraph (1).
    (c) GAO Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress 
        a report on the effectiveness of the measures implemented under 
        subsection (a), including an assessment regarding the impact of 
        increasing Federal investments spent in covered areas.
            (2) Subsequent reports.--Not later than 10 years after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
        Congress at least 2 reports, in addition to the report under 
        paragraph (1), providing the information described in paragraph 
        (1).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2023, $5,000,000 for salaries and expenses 
(including for entering contracts with non-Federal persons) to carry 
out this Act.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on the Budget, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation, and the Committee on Homeland Security 
                and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on the Budget, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
                the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
                the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (C) any other committee of Congress that has 
                jurisdiction over an agency with a role developing or 
                implementing measures under subsection (a).
            (2) Area of persistent poverty.--The term ``area of 
        persistent poverty'' means an area that is a high-poverty 
        census tract or a persistent poverty county.
            (3) Covered area.--The term ``covered area'' means an area 
        of persistent poverty or other area of high and persistent 
        poverty described in subsection (a)(1).
            (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Management and Budget.
            (5) High-poverty census tract.--The term ``high-poverty 
        census tract''--
                    (A) means a census tract that has a poverty rate of 
                not less than 20 percent in the most recent American 
                Community Survey 5-year data published by the Bureau of 
                the Census; or
                    (B) in the case of an area where no such data is 
                collected from the American Community Survey, includes 
                a census tract in such an area with a poverty rate of 
                not less than 20 percent in the most recent decennial 
                census of population conducted by the Bureau of the 
                Census.
            (6) Persistent poverty county.--The term ``persistent 
        poverty county'' means--
                    (A) a county, parish, or other equivalent county 
                division (as determined by the Bureau of the Census) 
                with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent in the 
                Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates by the Bureau 
                of the Census during--
                            (i) the most recent year for which the 
                        estimates are available; and
                            (ii) at least 25 of the most recent 30 
                        years; or
                    (B) for an area for which Small Area Income and 
                Poverty Estimates are not available, a county, parish, 
                or equivalent level of geography, with a poverty rate 
                of not less than 20 percent, as determined by the 
                Bureau of the Census, during--
                            (i) the most recent year for which an 
                        estimate is available; and
                            (ii) at least 25 of the most recent 30 
                        years.
                                                       Calendar No. 487

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3552

                          [Report No. 117-148]

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