,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdei  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #g1 #bjbj,ms4 
,craig introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide    
funds to enable counties to make        
competitive grants to qualified local   
units of government to address major    
community development and public        
infrastructure challenges1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,small ,cities and  
,towns ,investment ,act4  #b4 ,grants   
for counties  7a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary of ,agriculture1 through the 
,rural ,development ,innovation ,center1
 shall make a block grant in accordance 
with this ,act to a county with a       
submission approved by the ,secretary   
under section #c1 for each year in the  
#e-year period during which the plan    
included in the submission is to be in  
effect4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this ,act3
 7#a7 ,qualified local unit of          

government ,the term qualified local    
unit of government means a town1 city1  
village1 township1 or similar entity    
that has a population of no greater than
 #cj1jjj individuals4  7#b7 ,regional   
planning entity ,the term regional      
planning entity means a regional        
planning commission1 regional council1  
or council of governments4  7#c7        
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture4  #c4    
,submission2 consolidated plan  7a7     
,submission ,a county that desires      
grants under this ,act shall submit to  
the ,secretary a consolidated plan      
that-- 7#a7 provides a broad overview of
 the projects for which the grants are  
to be used2  7#b7 identifies ways to    
engage residents of the county          
7including by holding public hearings1  
publishing information on available     
funds1 or providing technical assistance
 for persons interested in applying for 
grant funds7 throughout the process of  
applying for1 and using grants provided 

under this ,act2  7#c7 identifies       
specific areas in need of improvement in
 the county2  7#d7 describes the short- 
and long-term community and economic    
development objectives of the county2   
7#e7 identifies the private1 public1 and
 nonprofit institutions that are willing
 and able to assist in carrying out the 
plan2  7#f7 has been developed in       
coordination with the regional planning 
entity for the area in which the county 
is located 7or1 if there is no such     
entity for the area1 the ,secretary71   
and using the ,comprehensive ,economic  
,development ,strategy developed by the 
,economic ,development ,administration  
in coordination with the regional       
planning entity 7or1 if there is no such
 entity1 the ,secretary72  7#g7         
specifies the #e-year period during     
which the plan is to be in effect2  7#h7
 is submitted to the ,secretary and the 
office of economic development of the   
,state in which the county is located1  
not later than #de days before the      

beginning of the #e-year period referred
 to in paragraph 7#g72 and  7#i7        
includes-- 7,a7 a binding commitment    
from the ,state in which the county is  
located to provide the county with #aj  
7from funds not provided by the ,federal
 ,government7 to carry out the plan for 
each #he in funds provided to the county
 under this ,act to carry out the plan2 
and  7,b7 a binding commitment from the 
county that the county will1 alone or in
 combination with one or more local     
units of government in the county1      
expend a total of #e 7from funds not    
provided by the ,federal ,government7   
for each #he in funds provided to the   
county under this ,act to carry out the 
plan4  7b7 ,approval2 disapproval  7#a7 
,approval ,the ,secretary shall approve 
a submission that meets the requirements
 of subsection 7a7 if-- 7,a7 not less   
than #hj percent of the grants to be    
provided to the submitter under this    
,act would be distributed to one or more
 qualified local units of government    

through a competitive grant program1 and
 the submitter would retain not more    
than #bj percent of the grants2  7,b7   
the grants would be used1 in accordance 
with the consolidated plan contained in 
the submission1 to purchase1 construct1 
improve1 or operate essential community 
facilities 7including health care       
facilities2 public facilities1 such as  
town halls1 courthouses1 airport        
hangers1 or public transportation2      
community support services1 such as     
workforce housing1 child care centers1  
community centers1 or transitional      
housing2 public safety services2        
educational services1 including         
classroom technological modernization2  
utility services1 including             
environmental protection services such  
as sewage disposal1 sanitation1 and     
pollution abatement2 local food systems2
 and local amenities71 purchase         
equipment1 and pay related project      
expenses1 consistent with section #e2   
and  7,c7 each qualified local unit of  

government that would be receiving such 
a grant would ensure that each laborer  
and mechanic employed by a contractor or
 subcontractor in performance of        
construction work financed1 in whole or 
in part1 by the grant would be paid     
wages at rates not less than the rates  
prevailing on similar construction in   
the locality as determined by the       
,secretary of ,labor in accordance with 
subchapter ,,iv of chapter #ca of title 
#dj1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly    
known as the ,davis-,bacon ,act72 and   
7,d7 the submitter demonstrates that    
there is substantial community support  
for the plan4  7#b7 ,disapproval ,the   
,secretary shall make available to the  
general public the reasons for the      
disapproval of a submission made        
pursuant to this section4  #d4          
,allocation of funds  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary shall allocate the      
amounts made available by this ,act     
among counties with submissions approved
 under section #c1 in accordance a      

formula prescribed by the ,secretary in 
regulations1 that the ,secretary        
determines would best allow counties to 
address major community development and 
public infrastructure challenges4 ,in   
developing the formula1 the ,secretary  
shall consider the following criteria3  
7#a7 ,per capita income levels4  7#b7   
,population growth rates4  7b7          
,evaluation ,every #b years1 the        
,secretary shall evaluate the           
effectiveness of the formula prescribed 
under subsection 7a71 and revise the    
formula1 as necessary1 to best enable   
counties to address major community     
development and public infrastructure   
challenges4  7c7 ,report to ,congress   
,the ,secretary shall submit to the     
,congress a report on each formula used 
under this section1 which sets forth the
 formula and explains how allocating the
 amounts made available by this ,act    
best achieves the purposes of this ,act4
  #e4 ,limitations2 use of funds  7a7   
,limitations ,a local unit of government

 to which a grant is made under this    
,act may not use the grant-- 7#a7 to    
discriminate against any person on the  
basis of race1 color1 sex1 age1 sexual  
orientation1 or national origin2  7#b7  
as matching funds to receive ,federal   
funds under any other law2 or  7#c7 in  
contravention of the requirements under 
sections #cada through #cadd1 #cadf1 and
 #cadg of title #dj1 ,united ,states    
,code4  7b7 ,use of funds ,a county to  
which funds are provided under this ,act
 for a fiscal year shall reserve #a     
percent of the funds for administration 
of the funds4  #f4 ,annual action       
reports2 audits by the ,inspector       
,general  7a7 ,annual action reports ,by
 the end of each year for which a grant 
is made under this ,act to a county1 the
 county shall submit to the ,secretary a
 report that-- 7#a7 identifies the      
development goals of the county for the 
succeeding year2  7#b7 contains a brief 
summary of the actions and activities to
 be undertaken with funds provided under

 this ,act1 and identifies specific1    
measurable goals that match the         
priorities identified in the plan to be 
carried out using the funds2  7#c7      
outlines the ,federal and non-,federal  
resources that will be used in doing so2
  7#d7 details the progress made by the 
county in achieving the goals identified
 as described in this subsection for the
 preceding year2 and  7#e7 includes     
information on the amount of the grant  
provided to the county for the year     
covered by the report1 and details on   
how the money was distributed for each  
project under the plan referred to in   
section #c4  7b7 ,audits by the         
,inspector ,general ,the ,inspector     
,general of the ,department of          
,agriculture shall conduct periodic and 
random audits of the projects to which  
funds are provided under this ,act4  #g4
 ,authorization of appropriations ,there
 is authorized to be appropriated       
#aj1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba   
and each succeeding fiscal year to make 

grants under this ,act4