Northern Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2023

I 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) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans- portation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Finan- cial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris- diction 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Border Re- 4 gional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 4188 IH SEC. 2. REGIONAL COMMISSIONS MODIFICATIONS. 1 (a) MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSIONS.—Section 2 15301(b)(2)(C) of title 40, United States Code, is amend- 3 ed— 4 (1) by striking ‘‘An alternate member’’ and in- 5 serting the following: 6 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An alternate 7 member’’; and 8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 9 ‘‘(ii) STATE ALTERNATES.—If the al- 10 ternate State member is unable to vote in 11 accordance with clause (i), the alternate 12 State member may delegate voting author- 13 ity to a designee, subject to the condition 14 that the executive director shall be notified, 15 in writing, of the designation not less than 16 1 week before the applicable vote is to take 17 place.’’. 18 (b) DECISIONS OF COMMISSIONS.—Section 15302 of 19 title 40, United States Code, is amended— 20 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or State al- 21 ternate members, including designees’’ after ‘‘State 22 members’’; and 23 (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 24 following: 25 ‘‘(c) QUORUMS.— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 4188 IH ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 1 Commission shall determine what constitutes a 2 quorum for meetings of the Commission. 3 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Any quorum for meet- 4 ings of a Commission shall include— 5 ‘‘(A) the Federal Cochairperson or the al- 6 ternate Federal Cochairperson; and 7 ‘‘(B) a majority of State members or alter- 8 nate State members, including designees (exclu- 9 sive of members representing States delinquent 10 under section 15304(c)(3)(C)).’’. 11 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS AND EXPENSES OF 12 COMMISSIONS.—Section 15304(a)(9) of title 40, United 13 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘maintain a govern- 14 ment relations office in the District of Columbia and’’. 15 (d) MEETINGS OF COMMISSIONS.—Section 15305(b) 16 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking 17 ‘‘with the Federal Cochairperson’’ and all that follows 18 through the period at the end and inserting the following: 19 ‘‘with— 20 ‘‘(1) the Federal Cochairperson; and 21 ‘‘(2) at least a majority of the State members 22 or alternate State members (including designees) 23 present in-person or via electronic means.’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 4188 IH SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM OTHER FEDERAL 1 AGENCIES. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 153 of subtitle V of title 3 40, United States Code, is amended— 4 (1) by redesignating section 15308 as section 5 15309; and 6 (2) by inserting after section 15307 the fol- 7 lowing: 8 ‘‘§ 15308. Transfer of funds from other Federal agen- 9 cies 10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (c), for 11 purposes of this subtitle, each Commission may accept 12 transfers of funds from other Federal agencies. 13 ‘‘(b) TRANSFERS.—Any Federal agency authorized to 14 carry out an activity that is within the authority of a Com- 15 mission may transfer to the Commission any appropriated 16 funds for the activity. 17 ‘‘(c) TREATMENT.—Any funds transferred to a Com- 18 mission under this section— 19 ‘‘(1) shall remain available until expended; and 20 ‘‘(2) may, to the extent necessary to carry out 21 this subtitle, be transferred to, and merged with, the 22 amounts made available by appropriations Acts for 23 the Commission by the Federal Cochairperson.’’. 24 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap- 25 ter 153 of subtitle V of title 40, United States Code, is 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 4188 IH amended by striking the item relating to section 15308 1 and inserting the following: 2 ‘‘15308. Transfer of funds from other Federal agencies ‘‘15309. Annual reports’’. SEC. 4. ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 3 GRANTS. 4 Section 15501 of title 40, United States Code, is 5 amended— 6 (1) in subsection (a)— 7 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (7) 8 through (9) as paragraphs (8) through (10), re- 9 spectively; 10 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) 11 through (6) as paragraphs (5) through (7), re- 12 spectively; 13 (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 14 following: 15 ‘‘(4) to promote the production of housing to 16 meet economic development and workforce needs;’’; 17 and 18 (D) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by 19 subparagraph (A)) by inserting before the semi- 20 colon the following: ‘‘, including to plan, con- 21 struct, acquire equipment, and operate health, 22 nutrition, and child care projects, including hos- 23 pitals, regional health diagnostic and treatment 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 4188 IH centers, and other facilities and services, includ- 1 ing— 2 ‘‘(A) the acquisition of privately owned fa- 3 cilities by an eligible entity— 4 ‘‘(i) not operated for profit; or 5 ‘‘(ii) previously operated for profit if 6 the Commission finds that health services 7 would not otherwise be provided in the 8 area served by the facility if the acquisition 9 is not made; and 10 ‘‘(B) initial equipment;’’; 11 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘paragraph 12 (1), (2), (3), or (7)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1), 13 (2), (3), (4), (5), or (8)’’. 14 SEC. 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 155 of subtitle V of title 16 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 17 the following: 18 ‘‘§ 15507. Discretionary grants 19 ‘‘(a) GRANTS TO WHICH PERCENTAGE LIMITATION 20 DOESN’T APPLY.—Discretionary grants made by a Com- 21 mission to implement significant regional initiatives, to 22 take advantage of special development opportunities, or to 23 respond to emergency economic distress in the region of 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 4188 IH the Commission may be made without regard to the per- 1 centage limitations described in section 15501(d). 2 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON AGGREGATE AMOUNT.—For 3 each fiscal year, the aggregate amount of discretionary 4 grants referred to in subsection (a) shall not be more than 5 10 percent of the amount made available to carry out this 6 subtitle for the fiscal year. 7 ‘‘§ 15508. Payment of non-Federal share for certain 8 Federal grant programs 9 ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating 10 to payment of a non-Federal share of a project carried 11 out under a Federal grant program, amounts made avail- 12 able to carry out this subtitle shall be available for the 13 payment of such a non-Federal share for any project for 14 which a Commission is not the sole or primary funding 15 source, subject to the condition that the project is con- 16 sistent with the purposes of the Commission.’’. 17 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap- 18 ter 155 of subtitle V of title 40, United States Code, is 19 amended by adding at the end the following: 20 ‘‘15507. Discretionary grants ‘‘15508. Payment of non-Federal share for certain Federal grant programs’’. SEC. 6. NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION. 21 (a) COUNTIES IN MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND 22 NEW YORK.—Section 15733 of title 40, United States 23 Code, is amended— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 4188 IH (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘Lincoln,’’ 1 after ‘‘Knox,’’; 2 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting 3 ‘‘Merrimack,’’ after ‘‘Grafton,’’; and 4 (3) in paragraph (3)— 5 (A) by inserting ‘‘Schoharie’’ after ‘‘Sche- 6 nectady,’’; and 7 (B) by inserting ‘‘Wyoming’’ after 8 ‘‘Wayne,’’. 9 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 10 15751 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 11 striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap- 13 propriated to each Commission to carry out this subtitle 14 $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 15 and $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 16 2032.’’. 17 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:15 Jul 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4188.IH H4188 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB