United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-08-28 monographic deposited born digital 68 p. GA 1.13:RCED-97-193 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193 P0b002ee1803736e5 f:rc97193 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193 RCED-97-193 Grants to states Community development programs Intergovernmental fiscal relations Economically depressed areas Economic development Business assistance Employment or training programs Economic growth Federal aid to states Public works Dept. of Commerce Public Works and Development Facilities Program Community Development Block Grant DOL Employment and Training Assistance for Dislocated Workers Program Community Services Block Grant Clean Water State Revolving Fund RDA Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities Program DOT Surface Transportation Program HUD Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Program Social Services Block Grant USDA Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Program Letter Report RCED Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the economic development activities of eight federal programs, focusing on: (1) the economic development activities that major federal programs fund for the benefit of states and communities; (2) restrictions for using program funds to relocate existing businesses and jobs; (3) procedures that federal agencies established to ensure compliance with the restrictions; and (4) types of incentives that states and communities have used to attract businesses and the role that incentives may play in a business's decision to relocate.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) funds for the eight programs GAO examined can be used for a variety of economic development activities; (2) three of the programs, the Economic Development Administration's Public Works and Development Facilities Program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program, and HUD's and the Department of Agriculture's Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Program, fund activities that focus primarily on the economic development of distressed areas; (3) two of the programs, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Assistance for Dislocated Workers Program and the Department of Health and Human Services' Community Services Block Grant Program, focus on improving the economic viability of individuals by funding activities that help unemployed individuals qualify for and find new jobs and help low-income individuals and families obtain adequate jobs, education, nutrition, and housing; (4) the three remaining programs, the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program, Agriculture's Water and Waste Disposal Program, and the Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Program, fund infrastructure projects in the form of wastewater treatment projects and other water quality projects and highway, mass transit, or other transportation projects where economic development of an area may be an offshoot; (5) of the eight programs, three have restrictions against using funds to relocate jobs, four do not address the issue of using funds to relocate jobs, and under one, legislation that would impose prohibitions against relocating jobs is pending; (6) agencies responsible for programs with relocation restrictions rely on various procedures to ensure compliance with the prohibitions; (7) states may use a variety of incentives, such as tax concessions, financial assistance, and other benefits, to encourage economic development and attract businesses; (8) also, when federal funds are used for an activity that the state or community would have undertaken anyway, those federal funds free up state money for some other activity, including incentives to attract businesses; and (9) studies have shown that when making decisions to locate in a particular area, businesses consider a variety of factors, such as workers' productivity, the efficiency of transportation facilities, and the community receptivity; incentives may or may not be a major factor in a firm's decision to locate to a particular area. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193.pdf GAO/RCED-97-193 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-193 Letter Report GAO/RCED-97-193; Economic Development Activities: Overview of Eight Federal Programs; Grants to states Community development programs Intergovernmental fiscal relations Economically depressed areas Economic development Business assistance Employment or training programs Economic growth Federal aid to states Public works Dept. of Commerce Public Works and Development Facilities Program Community Development Block Grant DOL Employment and Training Assistance for Dislocated Workers Program Community Services Block Grant Clean Water State Revolving Fund RDA Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities Program DOT Surface Transportation Program HUD Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Program Social Services Block Grant USDA Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Program