[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3169 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3169

   To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
establish university centers to encourage certain economic development, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 31, 2023

  Mr. Padilla introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
establish university centers to encourage certain economic development, 
                        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 ``University Centers for Growth, 
Development, and Prosperity Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY UNIVERSITY CENTERS.

    (a) Establishment.--Section 207 of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3147) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(D), by inserting ``in accordance 
        with subsection (c)'' after ``university centers''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) University Centers.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make awards to 
        institutions of higher education for such institutions to serve 
        as university centers.
            ``(2) Geographic coverage.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
        at least one university center is established in each State to 
        provide services in such State.
            ``(3) Prioritization of historically black colleges and 
        universities, tribal colleges and universities, hispanic-
        serving institutions, and minority-serving institutions.--In 
        establishing university centers under this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall prioritize institutions of higher education 
        that are eligible to receive funds under section 371(a) of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
            ``(4) Duties.--The university centers established under 
        this subsection, to the extent practicable, shall--
                    ``(A) collaborate with other university centers;
                    ``(B) collaborate with economic development 
                districts, trade adjustment assistance centers, 
                Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers of 
                the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
                Business Centers and Rural Business Centers of the 
                Minority Business Development Agency, and other 
                relevant Federal economic development technical 
                assistance and service providers to provide expertise 
                and technical assistance to develop, implement, and 
                support comprehensive regional economic development 
                strategies that assist in job creation, high-skilled 
                regional talent pools, and business expansion in a 
                region's innovation cluster;
                    ``(C) provide technical assistance, business 
                development services, and technology transfer services 
                to businesses in the service area of the university 
                center;
                    ``(D) establish partnerships with one or more 
                commercialization intermediaries that are public or 
                nonprofit technology transfer organizations eligible to 
                receive a grant under section 602(d)(1)(B) of the 
                American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1862s-9(d)(1)(B)); and
                    ``(E) provide to communities and regions assistance 
                relating to data collection and analysis and other 
                research relating to economic conditions and 
                vulnerabilities that can inform economic development 
                and adjustment strategies.
            ``(5) Amount of award.--The Secretary may provide to each 
        university center under this subsection for each fiscal year an 
        amount that is not less than $500,000 and not more than 
        $1,000,000.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3(12) of the Public Works and 
Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) is amended by 
striking ``section 207(a)(2)(D)'' and inserting ``section 207''.
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