Regional Development Act of 1979

(Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate)

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. Designates a portion of such funds for the expenses, alternate, and staff of the Federal Cochairman of the Commission.

Authorizes the Office of Personnel Management to offer retirement and other employee benefit programs to employees of the Appalachian Regional Commission and to employees of any other regional commission recognized under this Act who would not otherwise receive coverage. 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 1985. 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 31, 1979.

Authorizes the Commission to make grants to States for demonstrations of methods and techniques for meeting human services needs of individuals and families in remote areas and areas impacted by energy development. Permits funding of such demonstration projects through appropriations under this Act in combination with other Federal grant programs. Authorizes the use of such grants to increase the Federal share in a matching grant program up to a maximum of 80 percent.

Permits, upon State request, operational funding of child development centers which received assistance in fiscal year 1979 beyond the five year limitation placed on all demonstration projects.

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; (4) energy related development projects; and (5) assistance to communities in maintaining, restoring, or augmenting commercial air passenger service, excluding capital assistance or operating subsidies.

Extends the authority of the President to provide supplements to grant-in-aid programs authorized on or before October 1, 1983.

Limits the authority to obligate funds for energy related and indigenous arts and crafts demonstrations to specified amounts.

Directs the Appalachian Regional Commission to investigate, seek opportunities for, and report on the use of its assistance in increasing the use of solar energy in the Appalachian region.

Requires an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the Commission's programs in achieving the objectives of this Act.

Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 and for this Act through fiscal year 1983.

Directs the Appalachian Regional Commission to conduct a study on the desirability of including more contiguous counties within the region and transferring counties currently within the region to other regions recognized under this Act.

Repeals the terminating date of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965.

=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, and that the region is of sufficient geographic size and population to warrant recognition.

Expresses the intention of the Congress that: (1) every area of the nation be included in not more than one development region; and (2) every region consist of one or more States with the exception of Alaska which shall be recognized as the Alaska Development Region.

Directs the States to establish regional commissions for each region recognized by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to establish and operate the Alaska Regional Development Commission not later than October 1, 1979, upon the request of the Governor of Alaska.

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. Sets forth further duties and functions of each Federal Cochairman. Requires each regional commission to employ an executive director as its chief administrative officer.

Stipulates that no regional commission established pursuant to this Act shall have responsibility for the development or assessment of land use plans.

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 commissions to engage in planning, investigations, studies, and other forms of technical assistance programs to aid States, substate areas and communities. Authorizes each commission to provide assistance to communities in maintaining, restoring, or augmenting commercial air passenger service, excluding capital assistance or operating subsidies. Directs each commission to encourage the utilization of solar energy within its respective region.

Authorizes the Secretary to make incentive grants to the regional commissions for specified purposes.

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; (6) vocational, educational and training programs; and (7) indigenous arts and culture development.

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. Permits up to 20 percent of the funds available to a commission to be used for the operation of projects without funding from other Federal, State, or local government programs.

Prohibits the commissions from making grants to profit-seeking business enterprises and local governments which have not maintained their prior efforts and expenditures. Directs each commission to first address the problems of areas in economic decline or which are experiencing dislocation due to rapid growth.

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. Directs the Secretary to specify minimum fiscal and management standards, including uniform cost principles, for the commissions. Requires the promulgation of regulations governing: (1) boundary changes for the regions; (2) the keeping of books by the commissions; (3) the administrative procedures of the commissions; (4) the establishment of a management information system; and (5) conditions under which the Secretary may withhold funds from a commission. Requires each commission to adopt specified administrative, fiscal, and management policies.

Directs the Secretary to review annually the performance of the commissions in adhering to such regulations and policies.

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. Prohibits discrimination in any program of the commissions or any program receiving assistance from the commissions.

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. Provides for the payment of appropriations to the Federal Cochairman for the benefit of the commission.

=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 of the committee, the Chairman of the Regional Development Council, 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. Directs that, whenever possible, areawide clearinghouses shall be certified as substate planning and development districts.

Requires each regional commission to prepare a multiyear development plan and an annual investment strategy for its region, including specified elements, after the preparation of any required environmental impact statement. 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 reflect the goals, priorities, and recommendations of the local development districts. Directs that planning processes of the commissions shall not be duplicative and shall make use of existing institutions whenever practicable. Requires each commission to establish a process of consultation with units of general local government and other local 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.

Establishes a system of Border Resource Research Institutes under the jurisdiction of the Southwest Border Regional Commission. Sets forth the membership and functions of the Research Institutes. Directs the Commission, with State concurrence, to designate one University in each border State for Institute membership.