Regional Development Act of 1979

Summary

Regional Development Act of 1979 - Title I: Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 1979 - Amends the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 to include the provision of services and investments to people, emerging small cities, and remote areas in the Appalachian region within the purposes of such Act. Authorizes appropriations through September 30, 1983, for the administrative expenses of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Authorizes the Office of Personnel Management to offer retirement and other employee benefit programs to Commission employees, not otherwise covered. Authorizes the Commission to lease office space through September 30, 1983. Removes the limitation on coverage of the Commission's employees under Federal employee benefit programs which restricts eligibility to those employees who were previously employed by the Federal Government. Authorizes appropriations for the Appalachian development highway system through fiscal year 1986. Extends the total mileage authorized to be constructed for such system. Increases the Federal share that will be paid to States constructing a segment of such system beginning March 30, 1979. Authorizes the Commission to make grants to States for demonstration health projects in remote areas and areas impacted by energy development. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants of up to 25 percent for housing project site development costs, including land acquisition. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire land pursuant to the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act for such housing projects. Directs the Commission to demonstrate programs to attract large scale housing developers to the central Appalachian region. Authorizes the Commission to make grants for: (1) business related technical assistance; (2) revolving funds for business, agricultural, and forestry enterprise development loans; (3) projects for the acquisition or rehabilitation of railroad property provided specified levels of non-Federal funding are maintained; and (4) energy related development projects. Extends the authority of the President to provide supplements to grant-in-aid programs authorized through fiscal year 1984. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 through fiscal year 1983. Repeals the terminating date of such Act. Title II: Regional Commission Act of 1979 - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to recognize development regions within the United States upon the written request of the Governors of the States in which such region will be wholly or partially located if the Secretary finds that there are common cultural, economic, geographic, natural resource, and social relationships among the areas within such region. Expresses the intention of the Congress that: (1) every area of the nation be included in a development region; and (2) every region consist of one or more States with the exception of Alaska. Directs the States to establish development commissions for such regions. Directs that such commissions: (1) prepare a multiyear development plan for their respective regions; (2) coordinate and establish priorities for Federal, regional, State, private and local investments; and (3) advise Federal agencies on their programs in the region. Provides for a Presidentially appointed Federal Cochairman for each regional commission to be responsible for the coordination and cooperation between the regional commission and Federal agencies. Requires each regional commission to employ an executive director as its chief administrative officer. Sets forth requirements to be met by the regional commissions when applying for Federal grants. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance and incentive grants to the regional commissions. Authorizes the regional commissions to provide financial assistance to development projects including, but not limited to, the following: (1) transportation; (2) energy conservation and development; (3) agriculture; (4) business and industrial development; (5) forestry; and (6) vocational, educational and training programs. Directs the regional commissions to transfer funds to Federal agencies whenever possible to finance development projects. Authorizes the regional commissions to make direct grants and to increase the Federal share in matching grant programs to finance such projects. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate and provide Federal policy guidance to the Federal Cochairman. Establishes the Regional Development Council, composed of the Federal Cochairmen, to serve as the mechanism for consultation about policy and administrative improvements. Establishes an Office of Regional Development in the Department of Commerce to provide support and minimum standards to the regional commissions. Provides for insurance and the bonding of designated employees of the regional commissions. Requires each regional commission to keep records showing the amount and disposition of appropriated funds. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Act (other than Title I) through fiscal year 1983. Establishes a basis for the apportionment of appropriations among the commissions and eligible projects. Title III: Regional Growth Policy Process Act - Directs the President to establish an interagency committee or utilize an existing committee, composed of a senior White House official as chairman and senior department and agency officials to coordinate and support the policies of the regional development commissions. Authorizes the regional commissions to require State members to prepare and submit development plans for their States in the region. Directs local planning be carried out by local development districts. Defines such district as the group of nonprofit entities certified to each regional development commission by the Governors of the States in which they are located. Requires each regional commission to prepare a multiyear development plan and an annual investment strategy for its region, including specified elements. Requires the Federal Cochairman and the Secretary of Commerce to review such plans or strategies to assure consistency with national policies and trends. Requires development plans to be based on the goals, priorities, and recommendations of the local development districts. Requires the regional commissions to submit to the Congress: (1) an annual report on their past and proposed activities; and (2) a biennial report consisting of economic and social data for their region. Directs the President to review the regional commissions within two and one half years and report the results of such review to the Congress.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 29 March 1979

   Introduced

   Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 29 March 1979

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 15 May 1979

   Reported

   Reported to Senate from the Committee on Environment and Public Works with amendment, S. Rept. 96-171.

   Source: Committee

4. 15 May 1979

   Reported

   Reported to Senate from the Committee on Environment and Public Works with amendment, S. Rept. 96-171.

   Source: Committee

5. 31 July 1979

   Floor

   Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.

   Source: Floor

6. 1 August 1979

   Passed

   Provisions as passed Senate inserted in S. 914.

   Source: Floor

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

3 official files

• Indefinitely postponed in Senate

  summary · EN · 1 August 1979

  Open at official source

• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 15 May 1979

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 29 March 1979

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Randolph, Jennings [D-WV] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Moynihan, Daniel Patrick [D-NY] · D · Cosponsor
• · ssev00 · Standing

Related records

• related to ← National Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1979