has been designated by the Secretary as an economic development district.

(e) As used in this Act, the term "economic development center" refers to any area within the United States which has been identified as an economic development center in an approved district overall economic development program and which has been designated by the Secretary as eligible for financial assistance under sections 101, 201, and 202 of this Act in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(f) For the purpose of this Act the term "local government" means any city, county, town, parish, village, or other general-purpose political subdivision of a State.

(g) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $50,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1967, and for each fiscal year thereafter through the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, and not to exceed $45,000,000 per fiscal year for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1974, June 30, 1975, and June 30, 1976, for financial assistance extended under the provisions of subsection (a) (3) and (a) (4) hereof.

(h) In order to allow time for adequate and careful district planning, subsection (g) of this section shall not be effective until one year from the date of enactment.

(i) Each economic development district designated by the Secretary under this section shall as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this section or after its designation provide that a copy of the district overall economic development program be furnished to the appropriate regional commission established under title V of this Act, if any part of such proposed district is within such a region or to the Appalachian Regional Commission established under the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, if any part of such proposed district is within the Appalachian region.

(j) The Secretary is authorized to provide the financial assistance which is available to a redevelopment area under this Act to those parts of an economic development district which are not within a redevelopment area, when such assistance will be of a substantial direct benefit to a redevelopment area within such district. Such financial assistance shall be provided in the same manner and to the same extent as is provided in this Act for a redevelopment area, except that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit such parts to receive the increase in the amount of grant assistance authorized in paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this section.

PART C-INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 404 In order to assure a minimum Federal commitment to alleviate economic distress of Indians, in addition to their eligibilty for assistance with funds authorized under other parts of this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $25,000,000 per fiscal ear for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1975, and June 30, 1976, for e purpose of providing assistance under this Act to Indian tribes. uch sums shall be in addition to all other funds made available to indian tribes under this Act.

TITLE V-REGIONAL ACTION PLANNING COMMISSIONS

ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONS

SEC. 501. (a) The Secretary is authorized to designate appropriate "economic development regions" within the United States with the concurrence of the States in which such regions will be wholly or partially located if he finds (A) that there is a relationship between the areas within such region geographically, culturally, historically, and economically, (B) that with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, the region is within contiguous States, and (C) upon consideration of the following matters, among others, that the region has lagged behind the whole Nation in economic development:

(1) the rate of unemployment is substantially above the national rate;

(2) the median level of family income is significantly below the national median;

(3) the level of housing, health, and educational facilities is substantially below the national level;

(4) the economy of the area has traditionally been dominated by only one or two industries, which are in a state of long-term decline;

(5) the rate of outmigration of labor or capital or both is substantial;

(6) the area is adversely affected by changing industrial technology;

(7) the area is adversely affected by changes in national defense facilities or production; and

(8) indices of regional production indicate a growth rate subsubstantially below the national average.

(b) Upon resolution of the Committee on Public Works of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Secretary is directed to study the advisability of altering the geographical area of any region designated under this section, in order to further the purpose of this Act.

REGIONAL COMMISSIONS

SEC. 502. (a) Upon designation of development regions, the Secretary shall invite and encourage the States wholly or partially located within such regions to establish appropriate multistate regional com missions.

(b) Each such commission shall be composed of one Federal member, hereinafter referred to as the "Federal cochairman," appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and one member from each participating State in the region. Each State member may be the Governor, or his designee, or such other person as may be provided by the law of the State which he represents. The State members of the commission shall elect a cochairman of the commission from among their number.

(c) Decisions by a regional commission shall require the affirmative vote of the Federal cochairman and of a majority or at least one if

only two, of the State members. In matters coming before a regional commission, the Federal cochairman shall, to the extent practicable consult with the Federal departments and agencies having an interest in the subject matter.

(d) Each State member of a regional commission shall have an alternate, appointed by the Governor or as otherwise may be provided by the law of the State which he represents. The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint an alternate for the Federal cochairman of each regional commission. An alternate shall vote in the event of the absence, death, disability, removal, or resignation of the State or Federal cochairman for which he is an alternate.

(e) The Federal cochairman to a regional commission shall be compensated by the Federal Government from funds authorized by this Act up to level IV of the Federal Executive Salary Schedule. His alternate shall be compensated by the Federal Government from funds authorized by this Act at not to exceed the maximum scheduled rate for grade GS-18 of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, and when not actively serving as an alternate for the Federal cochairman shall perform such functions and duties as are delegated to him by the Federal cochairman. Each State member and his alternate shall be compensated by the State which they represent at the rate established by the law of such State.

(f) If the Secretary finds that the State of Alaska or the State of Hawaii meet the requirements for an economic development region, he may establish a Commission for either State in a manner agreeable to him and to the Governor or the affected State.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION

SEC. 503. (a) In carrying out the purposes of this Act, each Commission shall with respect to its region

(1) advise and assist the Secretary in the identification of optimum boundaries for multistate economic development regions;

(2) initiate and coordinate the preparation of long-range overall economic development programs for such regions, including the development of a comprehensive long-range economic plan approved by the Secretary;

(3) foster surveys and studies to provide data required for the preparation of specific plans and programs for the development of such regions;

(4) advise and assist the Secretary and the States concerned in the initiation and coordination of economic development districts, in order to promote maximum benefits from the expenditure of Federal, State, and local funds;

(5) promote increased private investment in such regions;

(6) prepare legislative and other recommendations with respect to both short-range and long-range programs and projects for Federal, State, and local agencies;

(7) develop, on a continuing basis, comprehensive and coordinated plans and programs and establish priorities thereunder, giving due consideration to other Federal, State, district, and local planning in the region;

(8) conduct and sponsor investigations, research, and studies, including an inventory and analysis of the resources of the region, and, in cooperation with Federal, State and local agencies, sponsor demonstration projects designed to foster regional productivity and growth;

(9) review and study, in cooperation with the agency involved, Federal, State, and local public and private programs and, where appropriate, recommend modifications or additions which will increase their effectiveness in the region;

(10) formulate and recommend, where appropriate, interstate compacts and other forms of interstate cooperation, and work with State and local agencies in developing appropriate model legislation; and

(11) provide a forum for consideration of problems of the region and proposed solutions and establish and utilize, as appropriate, citizens and special advisory councils and public conferences.

(b) The Secretary shall present such plans and proposals of the commissions as may be transmitted and recommended to him (but are not authorized by any other section of this Act) first for review by the Federal agencies primarily interested in such plans and proposals and then, together with the recommendations of such agencies, to the President for such action as he may deem desirable.

(c) The Secretary shall provide effective and continuing liaison between the Federal Government and each regional commission.

(d) Each Federal agency shall, consonant with law and within the limits of available funds, cooperate with such commissions as may be established in order to assist them in carrying out their functions under this section.

(e) Each regional commission may, from time to time, make additional recommendations to the Secretary and recommendations to the State Governors and appropriate local officials, with respect to—

(1) the expenditure of funds by Federal, State, and local departments and agencies in its region in the fields of natural resources, agriculture, education, training, health and welfare, transportation, and other fields related to the purposes of this Act; and

(2) such additional Federal, State, and local legislation or administrative actions as the commission deems necessary to further the purposes of this Act.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA

SEC. 504. In developing recommendations for programs and projects for future regional economic development, and in establishing within those recommendations a priority ranking for such programs and projects, the Secretary shall encourage each regional commission to follow procedures that will insure consideration of the following factors:

(1) the relationship of the project or class of projects to overall regional development including its location in an area determined by the State to have a significant potential for growth;

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(2) the population and area to be served by the project or class of projects including the relative per capita income and the unemployment rates in the area;

(3) the relative financial resources available to the State or political subdivisions or instrumentalities thereof which seek to undertake the project;

(4) the importance of the project or class of projects in relation to other projects or classes of projects which may be in competition for the same funds;

(5) the prospects that the project, on a continuing rather than a temporary basis, will improve the opportunities for employment, the average level of income, or the economic and social development of the area served by the project.

REGIONAL TECHNICAL AND PLANNING ASSISTANCE

SEC. 505. (a) (1) The Secretary is authorized to provide to the commissions technical assistance which would be useful in aiding the commissions to carry out their functions under this Act and to develop recommendations and programs. Such assistance shall include studies and plans evaluating the needs of, and developing potentialities for, economic growth of such region, and research on improving the conservation and utilization of the human and natural resources of the region, and planning, investigations, studies, demonstration projects, and training programs which will further the purposes of this Act. Such assistance may be provided by the Secretary through members of his staff, through the payment of funds authorized for this section to other departments or agencies of the Federal Government, or through the employment of private individuals, partnerships, firms, corporations, or suitable institutions, under contracts entered into for such purposes, or through grant-in-aid to the commissions. The Secretary, in his discretion, may require the repayment of assistance provided under this paragraph and prescribe the terms and conditions in such repayment.

(2) In carrying out their functions under this Act the commissions are authorized to engage in planning, investigations, studies, demonstration projects, training programs, and the payment of administrative expenses to sub-State planning and development organizations (including economic development districts), which will further the purposes of this Act and which have been approved by the Secretary. Such activities may be carried out by the commissions through the payment of funds to departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the Federal Government, or through the employment of private individuals, partnerships. firms, or corporations, or suitable institutions under contracts entered into for such purposes or through grants-inaid to agencies of State or local governments. In the case of demonstration projects and training programs, to the maximum extent possible, such projects and programs shall be carried out through departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the Federal Government or of State or local governments.

(b) For the period ending on June 30 of the second full Federal fiscal year following the date of establishment of a commission, the adrainistrative expenses of each commission as approved by the Sec