Title: Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and Opportunity Task Force Act
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and Opportunity Task Force Act
This bill establishes the Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and Opportunity Task Force. The goals of the task force shall include expanding affordable housing, improving infrastructure, and spurring investment in Alexander County, Illinois.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2363 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2363

   To establish the Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and 
                        Opportunity Task Force.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2018

  Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment 
                            and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and 
                        Opportunity Task Force.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Creating American Investment, 
Redevelopment, and Opportunity Task Force Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
        ``broadband Internet access service'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, 
        or any successor regulation.
            (2) Cairo.--The term ``Cairo'' means the city of Cairo, 
        Illinois.
            (3) Covered state.--The term ``covered State'' means the 
        State of Illinois.
            (4) Executive agency.--The term ``Executive agency'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (5) Public housing.--The term ``public housing'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 3(b) of the United States 
        Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
            (6) Relevant federal entity.--The term ``relevant Federal 
        entity'' means--
                    (A) the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development;
                    (B) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (C) the Department of Justice;
                    (D) the Department of Education;
                    (E) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
                    (F) the Department of Labor;
                    (G) the Department of Commerce;
                    (H) the Department of Transportation;
                    (I) the Department of Energy;
                    (J) the Department of Health and Human Services;
                    (K) the Department of the Interior;
                    (L) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    (M) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
                    (N) the Small Business Administration;
                    (O) the Federal Communications Commission;
                    (P) the Delta Regional Authority;
                    (Q) the Corporation for National and Community 
                Service;
                    (R) the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and 
                Rural Prosperity;
                    (S) the Council of Economic Advisors;
                    (T) the National Economic Council;
                    (U) the Community Development Advisory Board; and
                    (V) any other Executive agency that the President 
                determines is appropriate.
            (7) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
            (8) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the task 
        force established under section 3(a).

SEC. 3. CREATING AMERICAN INVESTMENT, REDEVELOPMENT, AND OPPORTUNITY 
              TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known 
as the Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and Opportunity 
Task Force.
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall--
                    (A) establish a plan to carry out the goals 
                described in paragraph (2); and
                    (B) coordinate Federal efforts to carry out the 
                plan described in subparagraph (A).
            (2) Goals.--The goals described in this paragraph are--
                    (A) identifying existing public housing in 
                Alexander County, Illinois;
                    (B) building new affordable housing in Alexander 
                County, Illinois;
                    (C) recruiting investment in affordable housing in 
                Alexander County, Illinois;
                    (D) expanding and repairing infrastructure in 
                Cairo, while prioritizing safety and access to 
                interstate commerce, through methods such as--
                            (i) installing and improving street lights;
                            (ii) improving roads and sidewalks;
                            (iii) removing lead piping and implementing 
                        safe and sanitary piping;
                            (iv) introducing--
                                    (I) municipal broadband Internet 
                                access service; and
                                    (II) other modern improvements to 
                                rural infrastructure;
                            (v) ensuring affordable access to public 
                        utilities, including power, water, and sewage; 
                        and
                            (vi) assessing flood insurance rate maps in 
                        order to ensure safety in Cairo and allow for 
                        proper urban planning to encourage future 
                        economic investment;
                    (E) spurring public and private investment targeted 
                at economic growth and bringing industry employers to 
                Cairo;
                    (F) assisting small business concerns in Cairo by--
                            (i) examining present barriers that small 
                        business concerns in Cairo face;
                            (ii) establishing short-term and long-term 
                        goals to encourage growth of small business 
                        concerns and prosperity in Cairo; and
                            (iii) assisting small business concerns in 
                        Cairo to leverage Federal, covered State, and 
                        private funding;
                    (G) in partnership with covered State and local 
                schools, universities, community colleges, and other 
                relevant organizations, creating opportunities for 
                residents of Cairo to obtain education, technical 
                training, and employment counseling; and
                    (H) encouraging covered State and local 
                participation in and gathering local input on the 
                creation and implementation of programs related to the 
                plan described in paragraph (1)(A).
            (3) Consultation with covered state and local agencies and 
        stakeholders.--In carrying out the duties described in 
        paragraph (1), the Task Force shall consult regularly with--
                    (A) the Attorney General of the covered State;
                    (B) covered State and local agencies;
                    (C) organizations that provide services for 
                veterans; and
                    (D) consumer advocates.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Members.--
                    (A) In general.--The Task Force shall consist of 
                each of the heads, or the designee of the head, of each 
                of the relevant Federal entities.
                    (B) Designees.--A designee of a head of a relevant 
                Federal entity under subparagraph (A) shall be an 
                official of that relevant Federal entity who, in that 
                capacity, exercises significant decision-making 
                authority for oversight or investigatory activities and 
                responsibilities related to any of the goals described 
                in subsection (b)(2).
            (2) Chairperson.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development, or the designee of the Secretary of Housing and 
        Urban Development, shall serve as the Chairperson of the Task 
        Force.
    (d) Meetings.--The members of the Task Force shall meet regularly, 
but not less than once during each quarter of each fiscal year, to 
carry out the duties described in subsection (b)(1).
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Task Force 
        shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
                    (A) for the year for which the report is submitted, 
                an accounting of--
                            (i) any action by the Federal, covered 
                        State, or local government to carry out the 
                        plan described in subsection (b)(1)(A); and
                            (ii) any award of Federal funding for a 
                        project in Cairo, including information 
                        relating to--
                                    (I) the amount of the award;
                                    (II) the purpose of the award;
                                    (III) the beneficiary of the award; 
                                and
                                    (IV) the manner in which the award 
                                was used;
                    (B) a description of any partnerships created as a 
                result of the activities of the Task Force, including 
                partnerships involving--
                            (i) Federal agencies;
                            (ii) covered State and local governments;
                            (iii) investors; and
                            (iv) nonprofit and public service 
                        organizations;
                    (C) information relating to, as a result of the 
                Task Force--
                            (i) the number of jobs created;
                            (ii) the number of businesses started;
                            (iii) the amount of public housing provided 
                        to individuals in Cairo;
                            (iv) the industries recruited to assist in 
                        carrying out the plan described in subsection 
                        (b)(1)(A);
                            (v) benefits that have arisen in the region 
                        in which Cairo is located; and
                            (vi) housing vacancies in Cairo; and
                    (D) for the year following the date of submission 
                of the report--
                            (i) a description of the goals, priorities, 
                        and anticipated actions of the Task Force, 
                        local participants in programs related to the 
                        plan described in subsection (b)(1)(A), and 
                        partners of the Task Force; and
                            (ii) a detailed implementation plan for the 
                        goals, priorities, and anticipated actions 
                        described in clause (i).
            (2) Public access.--The report described in paragraph (1) 
        shall be made available to the public in a manner that is 
        easily accessible to stakeholders.
    (f) Task Force Support.--The head of each relevant Federal entity 
shall ensure appropriate staff and officials of that relevant Federal 
entity are available to support any Task Force-related work of that 
relevant Federal entity.
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