On April 14, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works adopted legislation (S. 782) (http://thomas NULL.loc NULL.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S NULL.782:) that would reauthorize the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for five years.  The measure, which was approved by voice vote, was amended to include a new study by the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) on duplicative federal economic development programs.

The EDA bill, introduced by Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK) and subcommittee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), contains a number of NADO-supported provisions.  These include:

• Codifying federal-local match rates for projects and programs, including increasing federal share for the most distressed communities
• Establishing in statute the roles and responsibilities of Economic Development Districts (EDDs)
• Increasing funding for the EDD planning program as overall appropriations for the agency increase
• Allowing the conversion of RLF assets into other EDA eligible projects

View the NADO Fact Sheet on the Senate EDA Reauthorization Bill.