Title: Northern Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2018
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
Northern Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2018
This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 each of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, the Southwest Border Regional Commission, and the Northern Border Regional Commission.
The bill revises the process for determining the share of the commissions' administrative expenses payable by each state.
A commission may make economic and infrastructure development grants to states and local governments, Indian tribes, and public nonprofit organizations for projects to grow the capacity for successful community economic development in its region.
A commission must include the development of renewable and alternative energy sources in the categories to which at least 40% of economic and infrastructure development grant amounts are allocated.
Such grants may be used to attract businesses to a region from outside of the United States.
The Northern Border Regional Commission shall establish a state capacity building grant program to furnish grants to Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont for specified efforts that include support of business retention and expansion in eligible counties and establishment of programs to encourage job creation and workforce development.
The bill adds to such commission:

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2508 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2508

To amend title 40, United States Code, to promote regional economic and 
          infrastructure development, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2018

 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. 
 Gillibrand, Mr. King, and Ms. Hassan) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 40, United States Code, to promote regional economic and 
          infrastructure development, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Northern Border Regional Commission 
Reauthorization Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF REGIONAL COMMISSIONS.

    Section 15304(c)(3)(A) of title 40, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``unanimous'' and inserting ``majority''.

SEC. 3. ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

    Section 15501 of title 40, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph 
                (9); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
            ``(8) to grow the capacity for successful community 
        economic development in its region; and'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``paragraphs (1) through 
        (3)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (7)''; and
            (3) in subsection (f), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``, except that financial assistance may be used 
        as otherwise authorized by this subtitle to attract businesses 
        to the region from outside the United States.''.

SEC. 4. STATE CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Northern 
        Border Regional Commission established by section 15301(a)(3) 
        of title 40, United States Code.
            (2) Commission state.--The term ``Commission State'' means 
        each of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and 
        Vermont.
            (3) Eligible county.--The term ``eligible county'' means a 
        county described in section 15733 of title 40, United States 
        Code.
            (4) Program.--The term ``program'' means the State capacity 
        building grant program established under subsection (b).
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish a State capacity 
building grant program to provide grants to Commission States to carry 
out the purpose under subsection (c).
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to support the efforts 
of Commission States--
            (1) to better support business retention and expansion in 
        eligible counties;
            (2) to create programs to encourage job creation and 
        workforce development;
            (3) to prepare economic and infrastructure plans for 
        eligible counties;
            (4) to expand access to high-speed broadband;
            (5) to encourage initiatives that drive investments in 
        transportation, water, wastewater, and other critical 
        infrastructure;
            (6) to create initiatives to increase the effectiveness of 
        local or regional economic developers; and
            (7) to implement new or innovative economic development 
        practices that will better position the Commission States to 
        compete in the global economy.
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Funds from a grant under the program may 
        be used to support a project, program, or expense of the 
        Commission State in an eligible county.
            (2) Limitation.--Funds from a grant under the program shall 
        not be used for--
                    (A) the purchase of furniture, fixtures, or 
                equipment; or
                    (B) the compensation of--
                            (i) any State member of the Commission (as 
                        described in section 15301(b)(1)(B) of title 
                        40, United States Code); or
                            (ii) any State alternate member of the 
                        Commission (as described in section 
                        15301(b)(2)(B) of title 40, United States 
                        Code).
    (e) Annual Work Plan.--
            (1) In general.--For each fiscal year, before providing a 
        grant under the program, each Commission State shall provide to 
        the Commission an annual work plan that includes the proposed 
        use of the grant.
            (2) Approval.--No grant under the program shall be provided 
        to a Commission State unless the Commission has approved the 
        annual work plan of the State.
    (f) Amount of Grant.--
            (1) In general.--The amount of a grant provided to a 
        Commission State under the program shall be an amount equal to 
        the share of the State of administrative expenses of the 
        Commission for a fiscal year (as determined under section 
        15304(c) of title 40, United States Code).
            (2) Approval.--For each fiscal year, a grant provided under 
        the program shall be approved and made available as part of the 
        approval of the annual budget of the Commission.
    (g) Grant Availability.--Funds from a grant under the program shall 
be available only during the fiscal year for which the grant is 
provided.
    (h) Report.--Each fiscal year, each Commission State shall submit 
to the Commission and make publicly available a report that describes 
the use of the grant funds and the impact of the program in the State.
    (i) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        such sums as the Commission determines to be necessary, subject 
        to the condition that the Commission may use not more than 
        $5,000,000 to carry out this section for any fiscal year.
            (2) Supplement, not supplant.--Funds made available to 
        carry out this section shall supplement and not supplant funds 
        made available for the Commission and other activities of the 
        Commission.

SEC. 5. NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION.

    Section 15733 of title 40, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by inserting ``Belknap,'' before ``Carroll,''; 
                and
                    (B) by inserting ``Cheshire,'' before ``Coos,''; 
                and
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by inserting ``Addison, Bennington,'' before 
                ``Caledonia,'';
                    (B) by inserting ``Chittenden,'' before ``Essex,'';
                    (C) by striking ``and'' and inserting ``Orange,'' 
                and
                    (D) by inserting ``, Rutland, Washington, Windham, 
                and Windsor'' after ``Orleans''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 15751(a) of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``2018'' and inserting ``2023''.

SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

    Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 of subtitle V of title 40, United States 
Code, are redesignated as chapters 151, 153, 155, and 157, 
respectively.
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