[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6531 Received in Senate (RDS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6531
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 19 (legislative day, May 17), 2022
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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,
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 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 by paragraph (1);
(B) the share of Federal investments to be targeted
to the areas described under paragraph (1);
(C) the manner in which Federal investments are to
be targeted to the areas described under paragraph (1);
and
(D) measures to track the Federal investments
targeted to the areas described under paragraph (1)
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 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.
(4) Reports to congress.--The Director, in consultation
with Federal agencies, shall submit each fiscal year 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 areas described
under paragraph (1) 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 an area of persistent
poverty or other area with high and persistent
poverty 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 an area of persistent poverty or
other area with high and persistent poverty;
and
(iii) to the extent practicable, an
assessment of the economic impact of the
program on the area, including data on the
categories of individuals impacted by the
targeting of funds to such 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 two 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
areas of persistent poverty and other areas with high and
persistent poverty.
(2) Subsequent reports.--Not later than 10 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall provide at least two subsequent reports (as
described in paragraph (1)) to the appropriate committees of
Congress.
(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 Act:
(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) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(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 data published by the Bureau of the Census, and
in the case of areas where no such data is collected from the
American Community Survey, such term includes a census tract
with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent in the most
recent decennial census of population conducted by the Bureau.
(5) 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 in at least 25 of the last 30 years,
including the most recent year for which the estimates
are available; or
(B) for areas where 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 in at least 25 of the last 30
years, including the most recent year for which an
estimate is available, as determined by the Bureau of
the Census.
Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2022.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.