[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 15671-15672]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2006

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 513, S. 2832.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2832) to reauthorize and improve the program 
     authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 
     1965.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read a 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 2832) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2832

       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 ``Appalachian Regional 
     Development Act Amendments of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON AVAILABLE AMOUNTS; MAXIMUM COMMISSION 
                   CONTRIBUTION.

       (a) Grants and Other Assistance.--Section 14321(a) of title 
     40, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking clause (i) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(i) the amount of the grant shall not exceed--

       ``(I) 50 percent of administrative expenses;
       ``(II) at the discretion of the Commission, if the grant is 
     to a local development district that has a charter or 
     authority that includes the economic development of a county 
     or a part of a county for which a distressed county 
     designation is in effect under section 14526, 75 percent of 
     administrative expenses; or
       ``(III) at the discretion of the Commission, if the grant 
     is to a local development district that has a charter or 
     authority that includes the economic development of a county 
     or a part of a county for which an at-risk county designation 
     is in effect under section 14526, 70 percent of 
     administrative expenses;''; and

       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (A) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     of the cost of any activity eligible for financial assistance 
     under this section, not more than--
       ``(i) 50 percent may be provided from amounts appropriated 
     to carry out this subtitle;
       ``(ii) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this subtitle; or
       ``(iii) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this subtitle.''.
       (b) Demonstration Health Projects.--Section 14502 of title 
     40, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (2) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(2) Limitation on available amounts.--Grants under this 
     section for the operation (including initial operating 
     amounts and operating deficits, which include the cost of 
     attracting, training, and retaining qualified personnel) of a 
     demonstration health project, whether or not constructed with 
     amounts authorized by this section, may be made for up to--
       ``(A) 50 percent of the cost of that operation;
       ``(B) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent of the cost of that 
     operation; or
       ``(C) in the case of a project to be carried out for a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent of the cost of that 
     operation.''; and
       (2) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) At-risk counties.--The maximum Commission 
     contribution for a project to be carried out in a county for 
     which an at-risk county designation is in effect under 
     section 14526 may be increased to the lesser of--
       ``(A) 70 percent; or
       ``(B) the maximum Federal contribution percentage 
     authorized by this section.''.
       (c) Assistance for Proposed Low- and Middle-Income Housing 
     Projects.--Section 14503 of title 40, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (1) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1) Limitation on available amounts.--A loan under 
     subsection (b) for the cost of planning and obtaining 
     financing (including the cost of preliminary surveys and 
     analyses of market needs, preliminary site engineering and 
     architectural fees, site options, application and mortgage 
     commitment fees, legal fees, and construction loan fees and 
     discounts) of a project described in that subsection may be 
     made for up to--
       ``(A) 50 percent of that cost;
       ``(B) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent of that cost; or
       ``(C) in the case of a project to be carried out for a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent of that cost.''; and
       (2) in subsection (e), by striking paragraph (1) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--A grant under this section for expenses 
     incidental to planning and

[[Page 15672]]

     obtaining financing for a project under this section that the 
     Secretary considers to be unrecoverable from the proceeds of 
     a permanent loan made to finance the project shall--
       ``(A) not be made to an organization established for 
     profit; and
       ``(B) except as provided in paragraph (2), not exceed--
       ``(i) 50 percent of those expenses;
       ``(ii) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent of those expenses; or
       ``(iii) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent of those expenses.''.
       (d) Telecommunications and Technology Initiative.--Section 
     14504 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking 
     subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Limitation on Available Amounts.--Of the cost of any 
     activity eligible for a grant under this section, not more 
     than--
       ``(1) 50 percent may be provided from amounts appropriated 
     to carry out this section;
       ``(2) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section; or
       ``(3) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section.''.
       (e) Entrepreneurship Initiative.--Section 14505 of title 
     40, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (c) 
     and inserting the following:
       ``(c) Limitation on Available Amounts.--Of the cost of any 
     activity eligible for a grant under this section, not more 
     than--
       ``(1) 50 percent may be provided from amounts appropriated 
     to carry out this section;
       ``(2) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section; or
       ``(3) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section.''.
       (f) Regional Skills Partnerships.--Section 14506 of title 
     40, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (d) 
     and inserting the following:
       ``(d) Limitation on Available Amounts.--Of the cost of any 
     activity eligible for a grant under this section, not more 
     than--
       ``(1) 50 percent may be provided from amounts appropriated 
     to carry out this section;
       ``(2) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 80 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section; or
       ``(3) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
     county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
     under section 14526, 70 percent may be provided from amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section.''.
       (g) Supplements to Federal Grant Programs.--Section 
     14507(g) of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) At-risk counties.--The maximum Commission 
     contribution for a project to be carried out in a county for 
     which an at-risk county designation is in effect under 
     section 14526 may be increased to 70 percent.''.

     SEC. 3. DISTRESSED, AT-RISK, AND ECONOMICALLY STRONG 
                   COUNTIES.

       Section 14526(a)(1) of title 40, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
       (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end; 
     and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
       ``(B) designate as `at-risk counties' those counties in the 
     Appalachian region that are most at risk of becoming 
     economically distressed; and''.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 14703 of title 40, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) In General.--In addition to amounts made available 
     under section 14501, there are authorized to be appropriated 
     to the Appalachian Regional Commission to carry out this 
     subtitle--
       ``(1) $95,200,000 for fiscal year 2007;
       ``(2) $98,600,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       ``(3) $102,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
       ``(4) $105,700,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
       ``(5) $109,400,000 for fiscal year 2011.''.

     SEC. 5. TERMINATION.

       Section 14704 of title 40, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking ``2006'' and inserting ``2011''.

     SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by this Act take effect on October 1, 
     2006.

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