[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3552 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3552

 To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs 
 for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 1, 2022

Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Portman) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs 
 for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Targeting Resources to Communities 
in Need Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on the Budget, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation, and the Committee on Homeland Security 
                and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on the Budget, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
                the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
                the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (C) any other committee of Congress that has 
                jurisdiction over a department or agency with a role 
                developing or implementing measures under section 4(a).
            (2) Area of persistent poverty.--The term ``area of 
        persistent poverty'' means an area that is a high-poverty 
        census tract or a persistent poverty county.
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Management and Budget.
            (4) High-poverty census tract.--The term ``high-poverty 
        census tract'' means a census tract that has a poverty rate of 
        not less than 20 percent in the most recent American Community 
        Survey 5-year survey by the Bureau of the Census.
            (5) Persistent poverty county.--The term ``persistent 
        poverty county'' means--
                    (A) a county, parish, or other equivalent county 
                division (as determined by the Bureau of the Census) 
                with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent in the 
                Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates by the Bureau 
                of the Census for 1997, 2007, 2017, and the most recent 
                year for which the estimates are available; or
                    (B) any territory or possession of the United 
                States.

SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF LIST OF AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Bureau of the Census shall publish a list of all areas 
of persistent poverty.
    (b) Update.--The Bureau of the Census shall update annually the 
list published under subsection (a).

SEC. 4. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO AREAS OF PERSISTENT 
              POVERTY AND OTHER HIGH-POVERTY AREAS.

    (a) Guidance and Measures To Increase Federal Investments.--Not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, shall develop and 
implement guidance and measures to increase the share of Federal 
investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other areas 
with high and persistent poverty (including any other areas that the 
Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, determines to be 
appropriate areas to target).
    (b) Guidance for Agencies.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue guidance to agencies 
regarding--
            (1) identifying the scope of programs subject to increased 
        targeted investment described in subsection (a);
            (2) identifying the manner and share of targeted investment 
        described in subsection (a); and
            (3) outlining measures to track increased investment in 
        areas of persistent poverty and other areas with high and 
        persistent poverty over time.
    (c) Minimum Investment Amount.--In developing the guidance and 
measures under subsection (a), the Director shall include a minimum 
goal that Federal investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty 
or other areas with high and persistent poverty be in an amount that is 
greater than the amount that is proportional to the population of such 
areas in the United States relative to the population of the United 
States as a whole.
    (d) Reports to Congress.--The Director shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress an annual report that includes--
            (1) a list of the programs, by agency, that are included in 
        the effort to increase the share of Federal investments 
        targeted to areas of persistent poverty and other areas with 
        high and persistent poverty; and
            (2) for each program listed under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) the amount of funds that were directed under 
                the program toward an area of persistent poverty or 
                other area with high and persistent poverty during the 
                previous fiscal year;
                    (B) the percentage change from the fiscal year 
                before the previous fiscal year in the amount of funds 
                that were directed under the program toward an area of 
                persistent poverty or other area with high and 
                persistent poverty; and
                    (C) to the extent practicable, an assessment of the 
                economic impact of the program, including data on 
                impacted individuals, disaggregated by household 
                income, race, gender, age, national origin, disability 
                status, and whether the individuals live in an urban 
                area, suburban area, or rural area.

SEC. 5. GAO REPORTS.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
annually thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the effectiveness 
of the measures implemented pursuant to section 4(a), including an 
assessment regarding the impact of the measures on increasing Federal 
funds spent in areas of persistent poverty and other areas with high 
and persistent poverty.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2022, 
$5,000,000 for salaries and expenses (including for entering contracts 
with non-Federal persons) to carry out this Act.
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