March 13, 2024 - U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, welcomed West Virginia economic development district leaders to a committee business meeting as the panel voted to advance the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024 by voice vote.

Capito, alongside Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Mark Kelly (R-Ariz.), introduced the legislation that would reauthorize the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024 makes key reforms to modernize EDA’s core programs and authorizes activities such as workforce development and disaster assistance, and authorizes dedicated funding for the Assistance to Coal Communities program within the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program.

“Today, the EPW Committee took an important step for local communities across the country by passing the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024,” Ranking Member Capito said. “This bipartisan legislation will help the EDA carry out its mission to drive investment, create jobs, and grow our local economies in West Virginia. I appreciate Chairman Carper, Senator Cramer, and Senator Kelly for joining in this effort to reauthorize the EDA, and look forward to working with them to advance the bill.”

Capito’s remarks welcoming the WV leaders can be found here.

BACKGROUND ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024:

The Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024 makes key reforms to modernize EDA’s core programs, and authorizes activities such as workforce development and disaster assistanceand authorizes dedicated funding for the Assistance to Coal Communities program within the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program. This bill would also authorize and update the laws pertaining to certain federal regional commissions, as well as establish two new regional commissions.

A summary of the bill is available here.

A section by section of the bill is available here.

The full text of the bill is available here.

In addition to passing the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024, the EPW Committee passed the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act by voice vote and the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act of 2024 by voice vote.