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Week Ending October 5, 2007

H.R.3246 To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide a comprehensive regional approach to economic and infrastructure development in the most severely economically distressed regions in the Nation.

{Note: the bill failed to garner two thirds of House votes on September 17, 2007}

Congress finds that certain regions of the US, including Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Great Northern Plains, the Southeast Crescent, the Southwest Border, the Northern Border and rural Alaska suffer chronic economic distress greater that the national average. The results include unemployment and poverty rates of 150% of the national average.

The solution the bill offers is seated in regional commissions, Federal-State partnerships that can target resources to alleviate the economic distress by providing the necessary tools to develop the basic building blocks for economic development. Transportation and public infrastructure, jobs skills training and business development are particular targets for improvement. There are 28 States qualified to participate in the program.

The regional commissions would be established for the distressed regions listed above and would look to local development districts for specific area needs. If a local development district does not exist, the bill requires one to be created. Participants would include local officials, community leaders and the public and must be certified by the State Governor.

The regional commissions would have Federal and State co-chairs both paid at executive levels. The Federal chair is appointed by the president, the State chair by the Governor. The chairs will be the liaisons between their respective governments. The bill provides for the president to appoint an Indian co-chair to the commission in the Northern Great Plains Region.

A State member or other employee of a commission may not participate personally or substantially in any decisions that affect something in which they, their spouses, minor children or partner have a financial interest. They must also recuse if they are an officer or director or an organization affected by the project or if the project involves prospective employment for them. A violation can bring a fine and one year in jail. If the individual makes full disclosure in advance to the commission and the commission produces a written decision determining that the interest is not substantial, the individual may participate.

The regional commissions will be responsible for assessing the needs and assets of its region, develop a comprehensive and coordinated economic infrastructure development strategy, and, within one year, establish priorities and a five year plan. Commissions are also responsible for approval of project and grant proposals.

States will invest financial resources in the commissions and, if over one year late in making payments, will forfeit financial aid for any future projects. The commissions will meet at least yearly.

The commissions can make grants to develop transportation, basic public and telecommunications infrastructure, to assist in job skills training and development, employment related education, entrepreneurships, technology and business development. Grants may also provide assistance to areas that lack financial resources for improving basic health care and other public services, promote resource conservation, tourism, recreation and preservation of open spaces as they relate to economic development.

At least 40% of the grants will go towards the infrastructure projects. Other grants may include development of renewable and alternative energy sources.

Projects will be scrutinized and prioritized by their relationship to overall regional development. Per capita income and poverty and unemployment and out-migration rates, the financial resources of the applicant to ensure the probability of success, the importance of the project in relation to other projects and the prospect that the project will improve on a continuing basis not just a temporary basis.

Based on the regions ability to participate financially, the Federal share of projects may range to 80%.

The Regions, States and counties designated as recipients of the grants are listed below in ‘MORE INFORMATION’.

Sponsor:  Rep. James Oberstar (MN-8^th)

Vote: Did not pass House 225 to 152. Two thirds of House did not vote to pass the bill September 17, 2007 RC 867. Passed House 264 to 164 RC 946 October 4, 2007. The Motion to Recommit the bill failed 201 to 218 RC 945

Cost to the taxpayers: $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; `(2) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; `(3) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; `(4) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and `(5) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. “, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3246 would cost $655 million over the 2008-2012 period” “H.R. 3246 would authorize the appropriation of $1.25 billion over the 2008-2012 period”

Earmark Certification:   Earmark certification was not included in the bill.

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MORE INFORMATION

`The region of the Delta Regional Commission shall consist of the following political subdivisions:

`(1) ALABAMA- The counties of Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Sumter, Washington, and Wilcox in the State of Alabama.

`(2) ARKANSAS- The counties of Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clay, Cleveland, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, White, and Woodruff in the State of Arkansas.

`(3) ILLINOIS- The counties of Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, White, and Williamson in the State of Illinois.

`(4) KENTUCKY- The counties of Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, Union, and Webster in the State of Kentucky.

`(5) LOUISIANA- The parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, E. Baton Rouge, E. Carroll, E. Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Union, Washington, W. Baton Rouge, W. Carroll, W. Feliciana, and Winn in the State of Louisiana.

`(6) MISSISSIPPI- The counties of Adams, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Franklin, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lawrence, Leflore, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Montgomery, Panola, Pike, Quitman, Rankin, Sharkey, Simpson, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tunica, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson, Yalobusha, and Yazoo in the State of Mississippi.

`(7) MISSOURI- The counties Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscott, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Texas, Washington, Wayne, and Wright in the State of Missouri.

`(8) TENNESSEE- The counties of Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Shelby, Tipton, and Weakley in the State of Tennessee.

`Sec. 15732. Northern Great Plains Regional Commission

`The region of the Northern Great Plains Regional Commission shall consist of the following:

`(1) All counties of the States of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

`(2) The counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clay, Clinton, Cooper, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Platte, Putnam, Schuyler, Sullivan, and Worth in the State of Missouri.

`Sec. 15733. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

`The region of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission shall consist of all counties of the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida not already served by the Appalachian Regional Commission or the Delta Regional Commission.

`Sec. 15734. Southwest Border Regional Commission

`The region of the Southwest Border Regional Commission shall consist of the following political subdivisions:

`(1) ARIZONA- The counties of Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yuma in the State of Arizona.

`(2) CALIFORNIA- The counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura in the State of California.

`(3) NEW MEXICO- The counties of Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra, and Socorro in the State of New Mexico.

`(4) TEXAS- The counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Coke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Gillespie, Glasscock, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Shleicher, Sutton, Starr, Sterling, Terrell, Tom Green Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Winkler, Zapata, and Zavala in the State of Texas.

`Sec. 15735. Northern Border Regional Commission

`The region of the Northern Border Regional Commission shall include the following counties:

`(1) MAINE- The counties of Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington in the State of Maine.

`(2) NEW HAMPSHIRE- The counties of Carroll, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan in the State of New Hampshire.

`(3) NEW YORK- The counties of Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego, Seneca, and St. Lawrence in the State of New York.

`(4) VERMONT- The counties of Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, and Orleans in the State of Vermont.

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