An Act
To increase investment in economic development, environmental reclamation, and other development in localities in the Appalachian Region of Atlasia, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act shall be cited as the Appalachian Region Development Act".
Section 2. Definitions
As used in Act, unless otherwise provided or indicated by the context
(1) the term "eligible applicant" means
(a) an entity or individual that has received a loan or loan guarantee under this Act; or
(b) a cooperative that is eligible to receive a loan or loan guarantee under this Act.
(2) the term "qualified purpose" shall mean the following
(a) the purchase, repair, construction, restoration, or redevelopment, of property or infrastructure, including, but not limited to
(A) abandoned mine land, and other approved land;
(B) abandoned, condemned, blighted property or buildings;
(C) public roads and sidewalks; and
(D) public utility poles and underground pipes;
(b) the cleanup of any lands or water bodies; and
(c) any other necessary costs for research and development.
(3) the term "Appalachian region" shall mean
(a) in Alabama, the counties of Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, De Kalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston;
(b) in Georgia, the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield;
(c) in Kentucky, the counties of Adair, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Green, Greenup, Harrison, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe;
(d) in Maryland, the counties of Allegany, Garrett, and Washington;
(e) in Mississippi, the counties of Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Itawamba, Kemper, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster, Winston, and Yalobusha;
(f) in New York, the counties of Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins;
(g) in North Carolina, the counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey;
(h) in Ohio, the counties of Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington;
(i) in Pennsylvania, the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, and Wyoming;
(j) in South Carolina, the counties of Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union;
(k) in Tennessee, the counties of Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, De Kalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, McMinn, Macon, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Sullivan, Sumner, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, White, and Wilson;
(l) in Virginia, the counties of Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Clarke, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Frederick, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Page, Patrick, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, as well as the independent cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester; and
(m) all the counties of West Virginia.
Section 3. Grants
(a) In general.
Eligible applicants shall be eligible to receive grants for a reasonable amount as determined by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which shall not be required to be paid back by eligible applicants, except where described in this Act.
(b) Terms.
The ARC shall establish such reasonable terms and conditions as necessary to ensure participation and proper use of received funds by eligible applicants.
Section 4. Interest free loans
(a) In general.
Eligible applicants shall be eligible to receive interest-free loans for a reasonable amount as determined by the ARC.
(b) Terms.
The ARC shall establish such reasonable terms and conditions as necessary to ensure participation, proper use of received funds, and repayment by eligible applicants.
Section 5. Compliance
In the event of any
(1) fraud;
(2) misconduct; or
(3) other misuse of any grant or loan money received as listed in the signed agreements to receive such grant or loan
(a) any such grants or loan money received shall be payed back in full; and
(b) any failure to do so shall result in further civil and criminal penalties.
Section 6. Appropriations
There is hereby authorized to carry out this Act $300,000,000, to be drawn from funding allotted to the ARCfor fiscal year 2020 and for each succeeding fiscal year, of which
(1) a minimum of $30,000,000 shall be allotted to fund grants as per Section 3; and
(2) a minimum of $30,000,000 shall be allotted to fund interest-free loans as per Section 4.
Section 7. Effective date
This Act shall take effect immediately on the date of the enactment of this Act.
People's Regional SenatePassed 6-0 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,
