Regional Development Act of 1975

(Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-727)

Regional Development Act - =Title I: Appalachia Regional Development Act Amendments= - Requires that each State member of the Appalachian Regional Commission be the Governor. Requires decisions of the Commission regarding policy, approval of State and regional development plans, and allocation of funds to be made with a quorum of State members present.

Authorizes appropriations for administrative expenses of the Commission of $4,600,000 through September 30, 1977, and $5,000,000 for the next two fiscal years.

Directs the Commission to publish regulations specifying minimum guidelines for public participation in the development, revision, and implementation of all plans and programs under the Appalachian Regional Development Act of the Commission.

Increases the authorized number of miles of the Appalachian development highway system and its local access roads, and authorizes appropriations for such system through fiscal year 1981.

States that no moneys authorized by this Act shall be expended for the purposes of reclaimining, improving, grading, seeding, or reforestation of strip-mined areas, except on lands owned by Federal, State, or local governments bodies or by private nonprofit entities organized under State law to be used for public recreation, conservation, community development facilities, and public housing.

Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants and loans from the Appalachian Housing Fund, to nonprofit, limited dividend, or cooperative organizations, and public bodies, for planning and obtaining federally insured mortgage financing or other financial assistance for housing construction or rehabilitation projects for low-and moderate-income families and individuals.

Authorizes grants for education projects which will serve to demonstrate areawide education planning, services, and programs, with special emphasis on vocational and technical education, career education, cooperative and recurrent education, guidance and counseling. Authorizes additional grants, not to exceed $2,500,000 per fiscal year, projects to develop and stimulate the area's arts and crafts.

Requires each State member to submit on such schedule as the Commission shall prescribe a development plan for the area of the State within the region. Requires the State development plan to reflect the goals, objectives, and priorities identified in the regional development plan and in any subregional development plan which may be approved for the subregion of which such State is a part.

Provides that States shall consult with local development districts, local units of government, and citizen groups.

Authorizes the President to make grants to the Commission for assistance to States for a period not in excess of two years to strengthen the State development planning process for the region and the coordination of State planning under this Act and the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965.

Allows the Commission to provide assistance under this section for demonstrations of enterprise development, including site acquisition or development where necessary for the feasibility of the project.

Requires the Commission to conduct a study and report on the status of Appalachian migrants in the destinations to which they have migrated, current migration patterns and implications, and the impact which the Commission program has had, and the potential for such impact, on out-migration and the welfare of Appalachian migrants.

States that an application for a grant or for any other assistance for a specific project under this Act shall be made through the State member of the Commission representing such applicant, and such State member shall evaluate the application for approval.

Authorizes appropriations through September 1977 to carry out the provisions of this Act, and extends its authority through October 1, 1979.

=Title II: Regional Action Planning Commission Improvement Act= - Authorizes appropriations for Federal grant-in-aid programs, under the Public Works and Economic Development Act, through September, 1977.

Authorizes each regional commission, until the assistance of the Secretary of Transportation, to conduct and facilitate full and complete investigations and studies of the transportation needs of economic development regions; and to make grants for the planning of regional transportation networks. Authorizes such commissions to make grants for the construction, purchase of equipment, and operation of transportation demonstration projects.

Authorizes such commissions to carry out energy-related demonstration projects and programs within its regions including programs and projects addressing the social, economic, and environmental impact of energy development, requirements, and utilization.

Authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make grants for the planning, construction, equipment, and operation of multicounty demonstration health, and nutrition including hospitals, regional health diagnostic and treatment centers, and other facilities and services.

Disallows a grant for operation of a demonstration health project unless the facility is publicly owned, or owned by a public or private nonprofit organization and is not operated for profit.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to make grants for planning, construction, equipping, and operating vocational and technical educational projects which will serve to demonstrate areawide educational planning services, and programs.

Permits each commission to carry out demonstration projects, not to exceed $2,500,000 per Commission per fiscal year, for the development and stimulation of the region's arts and crafts.

Requires each commission established pursuant to title V of the Public Works and Economic Development Act to submit to the Committees on Public Works of the Senate and House of Representatives, within 120 days after this Act becomes effective, their regional development plan.

Changes commission structure and operation to conform to like revisions of the Appalachian Commission.

Adds California, Texas, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands as exceptions to the requirement that a region must be within contiguous States to be designated as an "economic development region". Permits the Secretary to designate single State commissions for Texas or California if they otherwise meet the requirements for an economic development region. Expresses Congressional intent that the Secretary encourage formation of a regional commission along the Mexican border in the States of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.