UPDATED DISTRESS CRITERIA AND GRANT RATES.

SEC. 2225. UPDATED DISTRESS CRITERIA AND GRANT RATES. Section 301 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: “(3) Unemployment, underemployment, or economic adjustment problems. —The area is an area that the Secretary determines has experienced or is about to experience a special need arising from actual or threatened severe unemployment, underemployment, or economic adjustment problems resulting from severe short-term or long-term changes in economic conditions. “(4) Low median household income.—The area has a median household income of 80 percent or less of the national average. “(5) Workforce participation.—The area has— “(A) a labor force participation rate of 90 percent or less of the national average; or “(B) a prime-age employment gap of 5 percent or more. “(6) Expected economic dislocation and distress from energy industry transitions.—The area is an area that is expected to experience actual or threatened severe unemployment or economic adjustment problems resulting from severe short-term or long-term changes in economic conditions from energy industries that are experiencing accelerated contraction.” ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “(e) Transparency.—To the extent the Secretary includes neighboring counties and communities in an economic development district in accordance with subsection (a)(3), the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available online, a notification describing the justification for such inclusion and detailing the economic indicators of such neighboring counties and communities.” .