SENATE BILL: Appalachian Region Development Act (Passed)
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  SENATE BILL: Appalachian Region Development Act (Passed)
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Author Topic: SENATE BILL: Appalachian Region Development Act (Passed)  (Read 3477 times)
Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« on: May 17, 2020, 03:25:12 AM »
« edited: August 12, 2020, 12:42:10 AM by Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee »

Quote
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.

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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 —
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(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, Gwinnett, 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, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Green, Greenup, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, 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, 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, Loudon, McMinn, Macon, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, and White;
(l) in Virginia, the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe; and
(m) all the counties of West Virginia.

Section 3. Establishment

(a) In general. —

There shall be created a "Appalachian Region Development Program", hereafter referred to as the ARDP.

(b) Applications. —

The ARDP shall determine eligible applicants from businesses, other entities, and individuals who apply by determining which proposals for environmental and economic development plans meet —
  (a) the requirements of a qualified purpose; and
  (b) other such aspects as necessary, including, but not limited to —
      (i) feasibility;
      (ii) cost;
      (iii) effectiveness; and
      (iv) any past activities by the applicants.

Section 4. Grants

(a) In general. —

Eligible applicants shall be eligible to receive grants for a reasonable amount as determined by the ARDP, which shall not be required to be paid back by eligible applicants, except where described in this Act.

(b) Terms. —

The ARDP shall establish such reasonable terms and conditions as necessary to ensure participation and proper use of received funds by eligible applicants.

Section 5. Interest free loans

(a) In general. —

Eligible applicants shall be eligible to receive interest-free loans for a reasonable amount as determined by the ARDP.

(b) Terms. —

The ARDP shall establish such reasonable terms and conditions as necessary to ensure participation, proper use of received funds, and repayment by eligible applicants.

Section 6. 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 7. Appropriations

There is hereby authorized to carry out this Act $[placeholder] for fiscal year 2020, and for each succeeding fiscal year.

Section 8. Effective date

This Act shall take effect immediately on the date of the enactment of this Act.

Sponsor: Jimmy
Senate Designation: SB24:06
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2020, 03:25:46 AM »

Initial Debate Period - Sponsor Advocacy!!!
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Esteemed Jimmy
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« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2020, 02:56:40 PM »

This bill will allow communities in Appalachian counties the chance to revitalize and rebuild through grants and interest-free loans.

This bill will need a cost estimate to know how much money to appropriate to the program per year.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2020, 12:40:20 AM »

Am I to assume the placeholder amount is to be dealt with via a later appropriation?
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Esteemed Jimmy
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« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2020, 11:45:15 AM »

Am I to assume the placeholder amount is to be dealt with via a later appropriation?

I was hoping to get a final appropriated amount by an amendment before this bill is passed. Not sure how much money would be needed yearly for a program like this.
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« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2020, 11:19:30 PM »

Love the concept but we need a placeholder for this unless we want this done during the budget process.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2020, 03:01:05 AM »
« Edited: May 23, 2020, 03:04:10 AM by Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee »

Love the concept but we need a placeholder for this unless we want this done during the budget process.

Speaking of, we should look into getting that going. Historically (pre-reset) budgets were presented in the Spring/Summer to give time for thorough debate before the end of the fiscal year (something we have struggled since on). Current statute actually stipulates end of April (23 days ago).
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2020, 08:16:34 PM »

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how close we are to an administration budget or is that being deferred for later?
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Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)
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« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2020, 11:18:41 PM »

I commend the Senator from Lincoln for this bill.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2020, 11:06:27 AM »

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how close we are to an administration budget or is that being deferred for later?
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Esteemed Jimmy
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« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2020, 11:20:17 AM »

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how close we are to an administration budget or is that being deferred for later?

No idea about that.
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2020, 11:45:59 AM »

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how close we are to an administration budget or is that being deferred for later?

I believe Encke just introduced a budget in the House, though it seems to just be last year's budget with no changes to it
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« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2020, 11:42:01 PM »

I alluded to this in a recent post on the FC board, but how would we feel about investing in a job retraining program for out-of-work coal miners and offering a lifetime UBI for miners who can't be retrained?  This should be a worthwhile strategy for a region that historically has been so dependent on coal.
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« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2020, 11:48:10 PM »

I alluded to this in a recent post on the FC board, but how would we feel about investing in a job retraining program for out-of-work coal miners and offering a lifetime UBI for miners who can't be retrained?  This should be a worthwhile strategy for a region that historically has been so dependent on coal.

I don’t support job retraining largely for political reasons IRL but may not mind as much in game. Strongly support a UBI though for those specific ex-workers.
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Esteemed Jimmy
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« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2020, 11:48:27 PM »

I alluded to this in a recent post on the FC board, but how would we feel about investing in a job retraining program for out-of-work coal miners and offering a lifetime UBI for miners who can't be retrained?  This should be a worthwhile strategy for a region that historically has been so dependent on coal.

I'd definitely support adding the job training program to this bill. I don't support a UBI though.
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2020, 03:12:57 AM »

I will say a UBI is probably overkill on this bill yeah
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #16 on: June 02, 2020, 11:14:55 PM »

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how close we are to an administration budget or is that being deferred for later?

I believe Encke just introduced a budget in the House, though it seems to just be last year's budget with no changes to it

Thats not a bad idea, you can always amend it from there and that might get the ball rolling. Congress is suppose to have long debates on budgets (as I recall someone said about focusing on the issues recently. Tongue), and this might be a little of my 2015 era Whiggery coming back but Congress reclaiming some ground here and having actual and early debate on those would be healthy compared to last minute passage, which by definition cedes power to the executive at the expense of the Congress.

Of course knowing modern Atlasia, it might just languish untouched.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2020, 11:19:46 PM »

I alluded to this in a recent post on the FC board, but how would we feel about investing in a job retraining program for out-of-work coal miners and offering a lifetime UBI for miners who can't be retrained?  This should be a worthwhile strategy for a region that historically has been so dependent on coal.

I don’t support job retraining largely for political reasons IRL but may not mind as much in game. Strongly support a UBI though for those specific ex-workers.

Could you expound on this? I am dubious about them because they typically are an empty or impractical piece of political theater that gets peddled out with trade deals only for nothing to happen, workers to get screwed, schools to lose their tax base, and communities to decline etc.

Is your criticism of a similar variety or something different?
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« Reply #18 on: June 09, 2020, 06:40:06 PM »

I alluded to this in a recent post on the FC board, but how would we feel about investing in a job retraining program for out-of-work coal miners and offering a lifetime UBI for miners who can't be retrained?  This should be a worthwhile strategy for a region that historically has been so dependent on coal.

I don’t support job retraining largely for political reasons IRL but may not mind as much in game. Strongly support a UBI though for those specific ex-workers.

Could you expound on this? I am dubious about them because they typically are an empty or impractical piece of political theater that gets peddled out with trade deals only for nothing to happen, workers to get screwed, schools to lose their tax base, and communities to decline etc.

Is your criticism of a similar variety or something different?

To the average boomer or Gen Xers, such rheotric is condescending if the policy is sufficent at best and at worst, it is not sufficient for the reasons you mentioned.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2020, 03:27:08 AM »

So is there any desire to move forward with worker retraining as a component of a development strategy? Amendments etc?
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« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2020, 04:18:23 PM »

So from what I understand, two senators oppose UBI, two support it, and two oppose job retraining.

I am personally in favor of both but I think it makes more practical sense to make job retraining more available to younger workers.  I would assume it should be relatively inexpensive, because most young people are not pursuing jobs in coal mining.  In fact (and I don't have the numbers in front of me), I would assume that more young people are leaving the Appalachian region purely because job opportunities are scarce.

Still, we probably should make retraining available to tenured miners as well as more and more of those jobs are lost to automation.
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #21 on: June 17, 2020, 05:08:55 PM »

With regards to the UBI, while I think it is overkill I am not opposed to allowing miners to access early retirement.

Also I do favour giving young people opportunities through job retraining though it should not be mandatory
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #22 on: June 17, 2020, 05:23:28 PM »

So from what I understand, two senators oppose UBI, two support it, and two oppose job retraining.

I am personally in favor of both but I think it makes more practical sense to make job retraining more available to younger workers.  I would assume it should be relatively inexpensive, because most young people are not pursuing jobs in coal mining.  In fact (and I don't have the numbers in front of me), I would assume that more young people are leaving the Appalachian region purely because job opportunities are scarce.

Still, we probably should make retraining available to tenured miners as well as more and more of those jobs are lost to automation.

Certainly though it does get complicated bc so many younger people move out of such areas
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #23 on: June 17, 2020, 05:25:16 PM »

With regards to the UBI, while I think it is overkill I am not opposed to allowing miners to access early retirement.

Also I do favour giving young people opportunities through job retraining though it should not be mandatory

How would it be mandatory. Are you talking about conditioning some kind of aid or ubi to that?
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #24 on: June 17, 2020, 05:38:02 PM »

With regards to the UBI, while I think it is overkill I am not opposed to allowing miners to access early retirement.

Also I do favour giving young people opportunities through job retraining though it should not be mandatory

How would it be mandatory. Are you talking about conditioning some kind of aid or ubi to that?

Yeah I was imagining the retraining tied to the loans and grants and the UBI, which would be very bad indeed
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