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1 1 (March 6, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govekuf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 Updated March 6, 2023 Forming a Funded Federal Regional Commission During the 117th Congress, the Senate confirmed the nominations of the federal co-chairs for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) and the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC), thereby allowing them to convene and begin other activities. Also during the 117th Congress, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) authorized a new federal regional commission, the Great Lakes Authority (GLA). However, the GLA is not currently operational, and has not received appropriations. Although appropriations are necessary for their full activation, they are also insufficient without additional steps. This In Focus describes potential additional steps that may be necessary for a federal regional commission to achieve full formation, and potential policy options for Congress as it continues to consider creating new federal regional commissions and authorities. Background on the Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities Eight federal regional commissions and authorities have been authorized by Congress to address instances of major economic distress in geographically defined socio- economic regions. Congress authorized the first federal regional commission, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), in 1965. Additional commissions and authorities were founded in 1998 (the Denali Commission), 2000 (the Delta Regional Authority, or DRA), and 2002 (the Northern Great Plains Regional Authority, or NGPRA). Three commissions-the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), SCRC, and the SBRC- were authorized in 2008. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) amended 40 U.S.C. §15301(a) to establish the GLA in December 2022. Six of the eight entities-the ARC, DRA, Denali, and NBRC, SBRC, and SCRC-receive annual appropriations and have presidentially-nominated, Senate-confirmed federal co- chairs in place. The NGPRA and GLA are currently inactive. The NGPRA's authorization lapsed at the end of FY2018; it received one appropriation for $1.5 million in FY2004. The authorizing legislation for the GLA, NBRC, SBRC, and SCRC requires a presidentially-appointed federal co- chair. The U.S. Senate recently confirmed the SCRC's and SBRC's first federal co-chairs in December 2021 and December 2022, respectively, allowing the commissions to convene and begin other activities. As of February 2023, President Biden had not nominated a federal co-chairperson for the GLA. The regional commissions and authorities established after the ARC-with the exception of the Denali Commission- are all broadly modeled after the ARC's structure. The structure includes a federal co-chair, appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, and the member state governors, of which one is elected by the governors as state co-chair. Comrission Funding, FY2O22-FY2O23 The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) provided annual appropriations for ARC, Denali Commission, DRA, SCRC, SBRC, and NBRC, but not the GLA. Table 1 summarizes funding amounts for the six federal regional commissions that have received appropriations in FY2022 and FY2023, along with the year authorized. Table I. Funded Federal Regional Commissions at a Glance Year FY2022 FY2023 Enacted Appropriations Appropriations SBRC FY2008 $3.75 million $5.0 million SCRC FY2008 $10.00 million $20.0 million NBRC FY2008 $185.00 million $40.0 million DRA FY2000 $180.10 million $31.0 million Denali FYI 998 $90.10 million $17.0 million ARC FYI 965 $395.00 million $400.0 million Source: Appropriations figures tabulated from, P.L. 117-58, P.L. 117- 103, and P.L. 117-328. Notes: The federal commissions listed have received appropriations in FY2022 and FY2023. FY2022 amounts include appropriations provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). Steps for Commission Formation Appropriations represent a first step towards the full formation and operation of regional commissions; however, several additional steps must be completed before a commission can be fully convened and active. These steps include, broadly: 1. The presidential appointment and Senate confirmation of a federal co-chair, and potentially an alternate federal co-chair; 2. The convening of the commission, including the federal co-chair and the member state governors; 3. Organizational development of the commission, which includes the development of bylaws, hiring of a professional staff, and the identification of program priorities; and

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