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1 1 (March 15, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveoqe0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the IegisIative debate sinco 1914 Updated March 15, 2024 Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Overview of Structure and Activities Federal regional commissions and authorities address perceived regional economic underdevelopment. These organizations generally accommodate multileveled and multijurisdictional participation and implementation, which Congress could utilize to address growing interest in broad- based and intensive economic development efforts. Current commissions and authorities represent some regions; other regions could adopt similar entities. This In Focus outlines each organization's structure, activities, and recent funding. Figure 1 summarizes key structural features of the regional commissions and authorities. Appaachan Regional Commission The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) was established in 1965 to address economic distress in the Appalachian region. The ARC's jurisdiction spans 423 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ARC is a federal-state partnership, with administrative costs shared equally by the federal government and member states; its economic development activities are federally funded. Thirteen state governors and a federal co-chair oversee the ARC. The co-chair is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The current federal co-chair is Gayle Manchin, whose tenure began in May 2021. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is the states' co-chair, which is selected by the governors. According to authorizing legislation (40 U.S.C. §§14101- 14704), the ARC's programs abide by a Regional Development Plan, which is comprised of the strategic plan, bylaws, state development plans, the annual strategy statement for each participating state, the annual program budget, and internal implementation and performance management guidelines. The strategic plan is typically a five-year document, reviewed annually, and revised as necessary. The current strategic plan, adopted in October 2021, prioritizes five investment goals: (1) entrepreneurial and business development; (2) workforce development; (3) infrastructure development; (4) natural and cultural assets; and (5) leadership and community capacity. The ARC's structure enables local and state-level agenda- setting and implementation tied to federal and multistate regional perspectives. The ARC's economic development activities include significant state and local input. Through state plans and annual work statements, state governments regularly establish goals, priorities, and agendas for fulfilling them. State-level planning typically includes consultation with a network of 74 multicounty local development districts (LDDs), which are financially supported by the ARC and advise on local priorities and issues. Accordingly, state and local governments, governmental entities, and nonprofit organizations are eligible for the ARC's funding. Uniquely, this includes federal- and potentially state-designated tribal entities. The ARC statutorily designates counties according to levels of economic distress, which determine matching fund requirements for grants. The ARC's multileveled and multijurisdictional structure and activities make it a unique model of federal economic development, which is emulated in some other federal regional commissions and authorities. Dekta Regional Authority The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) was established in 2000 (P.L. 106-554) to address economic distress in the Mississippi River Delta region. The DRA's jurisdiction includes 252 designated parishes in Louisiana and counties in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Like the ARC, the DRA is a federal-state partnership that shares administrative expenses equally, while activities are federally funded. The DRA is governed by the eight state governors and a federal co-chair appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The current federal co-chair is Corey Wiggins, whose tenure began in March 2022. The states' co-chair is currently Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The DRA strategic plan illuminates economic development priorities. Its fourth and current strategic plan-Regional Development Plan IV-was released in February 2023. The strategic plan lists four goals related to public infrastructure; workforce; business growth and entrepreneurship; and community place-making and capacity-building. The DRA uses a federal-state-local model similar to the ARC's. State development plans are required by statute, and are issued every five years to coincide with the strategic plan. The DRA funds projects through a supported network of 45 LDDs. By statute, the DRA directs at least 75% of funds to distressed counties; half those funds target transportation and infrastructure. Denali Commission The Denali Commission was established in 1998 (P.L. 105- 277) to provide rural economic development in Alaska. It is unique as a single-state regional commission and relies on federal funding for its expenses and activities. By statute, it is comprised of seven members (or a designated nominee) appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, including the federal co-chair; the Alaska Governor, who is state co- chair; the University of Alaska president; the Alaska Municipal League president; the Alaska Federation of Natives president; the Alaska State AFL-CIO president; and the Associated General Contractors of Alaska president. Jocelyn Fenton is the interim federal co-chair. The Denali

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