DISTRESSED COUNTIES AND AREAS AND NONDISTRESSED COUNTIES.

SEC. 383G. [7 U.S.C. 2009bb–5] DISTRESSED COUNTIES AND AREAS AND NONDISTRESSED COUNTIES. (a) Designations.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this subtitle, and annually thereafter, the Authority, in accordance with such criteria as the Authority may establish, shall designate— (1) as distressed counties, counties in the region that are the most severely and persistently distressed and underdeveloped and have high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration; (2) as nondistressed counties, counties in the region that are not designated as distressed counties under paragraph (1); and (3) as isolated areas of distress, areas located in nondistressed counties (as designated under paragraph (2)) that have high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. (b) Distressed Counties.— (1) In general.—The Authority shall allocate at least 50 percent of the appropriations made available under section 383N for programs and projects designed to serve the needs of distressed counties and isolated areas of distress in the region. (2) Funding limitations.—The funding limitations under section 383E(b) shall not apply to a project to provide transportation or telecommunication or basic public services to residents of 1 or more distressed counties or isolated areas of distress in the region. (c) Transportation Telecommunication, Renewable Energy, and Basic Public Infrastructure.—The Authority shall allocate at least 50 percent of any funds made available under section 383N for transportation, telecommunication, renewable energy, and basic public infrastructure projects authorized under paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 383D(a).