[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JOHNSON:
  S. 1540. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to correct 
the inadvertent failure in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to apply to 
exception for developable sites to Round I Empowerment Zone and 
Enterprise Communities; to the Committee on Finance.


   empowerment zones and enterprise communities technical correction 
                              legislation

 Mr. JOHNSON Mr. President, I rise today to introduce 
legislation that would provide a technical correction to laws governing 
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC).

  In the second round of EZ/EC designations, language was included to 
allow for investments in `developable sites.' The developable sites 
provision provides local leaders with needed flexibility to pursue 
community and economic development initiatives that advance the goals 
of the EZ/EC program, but that may include areas adjacent to the local 
EZ/EC boundaries. Unfortunately, the existing language only applies to 
Round II EZ/ECs. My bill would expand the existing `developable site' 
criteria to Round I EZ/ECs.
  The addition of the developable site option represents a thoughtful 
improvement to administering the EZ/EC program. Thoughtful, worthy 
initiatives should not go unrealized because of restrictions imposed by 
a line on a map. The developable site option is a critical tool and it 
should be applied equally to Round I and Round II awardees. This 
legislation would not authorize new funding, but it would assist EZs 
and ECs to invest in meaningful projects located adjacently to their 
established service area.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in this effort to provide equal 
treatment for Round I EZ/ECs to pursue comprehensive investments for 
growth and prosperity which may include projects encompassing areas 
tangential to the designated EZ/EC service area.
                                 ______