§2009aa–5 Distressed counties and areas and nondistressed counties

Summary

Within 90 days after December 21, 2000, and every year after, the Authority must use its own rules to put counties and areas in the region into three groups. It must name the most severely and long-term underdeveloped counties with high poverty or unemployment as distressed counties. Counties not in that group are nondistressed counties. It must also identify isolated areas of distress, which are poor or high-unemployment spots inside nondistressed counties. An isolated area’s designation must be backed by the most recent Federal data, or if none exists, by the most recent State data. At least 75% of the money made available under section 2009aa–12 must go to programs and projects for distressed counties and isolated areas of distress. The funding limits in section 2009aa–3(b) do not apply to projects that provide transportation or basic public services to people in those distressed places. No funds under this subchapter may be used for projects in nondistressed counties, except for grants to pay local development districts’ administrative costs under section 2009aa–4(b), or if the Authority waives the ban for a multicounty project that includes a nondistressed county or for any other project. Also, at least 50% of the funds under section 2009aa–12 must be used for transportation and basic public infrastructure projects authorized by paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 2009aa–2(a).