[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4188 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4188

 To amend title 40, United States Code, to modify certain requirements 
 for Regional Commissions, to reauthorize the Northern Border Regional 
                  Commission, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2023

  Ms. Stefanik (for herself, Ms. Kuster, Ms. Tenney, Ms. Pingree, Mr. 
 Golden of Maine, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Balint, and Mr. Molinaro) introduced 
      the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 40, United States Code, to modify certain requirements 
 for Regional Commissions, to reauthorize the Northern Border Regional 
                  Commission, 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 ``Northern Border Regional Commission 
Reauthorization Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. REGIONAL COMMISSIONS MODIFICATIONS.

    (a) Membership of Commissions.--Section 15301(b)(2)(C) of title 40, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``An alternate member'' and inserting the 
        following:
                            ``(i) In general.--An alternate member''; 
                        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) State alternates.--If the alternate 
                        State member is unable to vote in accordance 
                        with clause (i), the alternate State member may 
                        delegate voting authority to a designee, 
                        subject to the condition that the executive 
                        director shall be notified, in writing, of the 
                        designation not less than 1 week before the 
                        applicable vote is to take place.''.
    (b) Decisions of Commissions.--Section 15302 of title 40, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or State alternate 
        members, including designees'' after ``State members''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Quorums.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a Commission 
        shall determine what constitutes a quorum for meetings of the 
        Commission.
            ``(2) Requirements.--Any quorum for meetings of a 
        Commission shall include--
                    ``(A) the Federal Cochairperson or the alternate 
                Federal Cochairperson; and
                    ``(B) a majority of State members or alternate 
                State members, including designees (exclusive of 
                members representing States delinquent under section 
                15304(c)(3)(C)).''.
    (c) Administrative Powers and Expenses of Commissions.--Section 
15304(a)(9) of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``maintain a government relations office in the District of Columbia 
and''.
    (d) Meetings of Commissions.--Section 15305(b) of title 40, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``with the Federal Cochairperson'' 
and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the 
following: ``with--
            ``(1) the Federal Cochairperson; and
            ``(2) at least a majority of the State members or alternate 
        State members (including designees) present in-person or via 
        electronic means.''.

SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 153 of subtitle V of title 40, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 15308 as section 15309; and
            (2) by inserting after section 15307 the following:
``Sec. 15308. Transfer of funds from other Federal agencies
    ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (c), for purposes of this 
subtitle, each Commission may accept transfers of funds from other 
Federal agencies.
    ``(b) Transfers.--Any Federal agency authorized to carry out an 
activity that is within the authority of a Commission may transfer to 
the Commission any appropriated funds for the activity.
    ``(c) Treatment.--Any funds transferred to a Commission under this 
section--
            ``(1) shall remain available until expended; and
            ``(2) may, to the extent necessary to carry out this 
        subtitle, be transferred to, and merged with, the amounts made 
        available by appropriations Acts for the Commission by the 
        Federal Cochairperson.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 153 of subtitle V 
of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 15308 and inserting the following:

``15308. Transfer of funds from other Federal agencies
``15309. Annual reports''.

SEC. 4. ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

    Section 15501 of title 40, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (9) as 
                paragraphs (8) through (10), respectively;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6) as 
                paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) to promote the production of housing to meet economic 
        development and workforce needs;''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A)) by inserting before the semicolon the 
                following: ``, including to plan, construct, acquire 
                equipment, and operate health, nutrition, and child 
                care projects, including hospitals, regional health 
                diagnostic and treatment centers, and other facilities 
                and services, including--
                    ``(A) the acquisition of privately owned facilities 
                by an eligible entity--
                            ``(i) not operated for profit; or
                            ``(ii) previously operated for profit if 
                        the Commission finds that health services would 
                        not otherwise be provided in the area served by 
                        the facility if the acquisition is not made; 
                        and
                    ``(B) initial equipment;'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``paragraph (1), (2), 
        (3), or (7)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), 
        (5), or (8)''.

SEC. 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 155 of subtitle V of title 40, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 15507. Discretionary grants
    ``(a) Grants to Which Percentage Limitation Doesn't Apply.--
Discretionary grants made by a Commission to implement significant 
regional initiatives, to take advantage of special development 
opportunities, or to respond to emergency economic distress in the 
region of the Commission may be made without regard to the percentage 
limitations described in section 15501(d).
    ``(b) Limitation on Aggregate Amount.--For each fiscal year, the 
aggregate amount of discretionary grants referred to in subsection (a) 
shall not be more than 10 percent of the amount made available to carry 
out this subtitle for the fiscal year.
``Sec. 15508. Payment of non-Federal share for certain Federal grant 
              programs
    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to payment of 
a non-Federal share of a project carried out under a Federal grant 
program, amounts made available to carry out this subtitle shall be 
available for the payment of such a non-Federal share for any project 
for which a Commission is not the sole or primary funding source, 
subject to the condition that the project is consistent with the 
purposes of the Commission.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 155 of subtitle V 
of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``15507. Discretionary grants
``15508. Payment of non-Federal share for certain Federal grant 
                            programs''.

SEC. 6. NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION.

    (a) Counties in Maine, New Hampshire and New York.--Section 15733 
of title 40, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``Lincoln,'' after 
        ``Knox,'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``Merrimack,'' after 
        ``Grafton,''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) by inserting ``Schoharie'' after 
                ``Schenectady,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``Wyoming'' after ``Wayne,''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 15751 of title 40, 
United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (a) and inserting 
the following:
    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to each 
Commission to carry out this subtitle $40,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2027 and $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 
through 2032.''.
                                 <all>