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EDA to be reauthorized? Senate defense leads add support

October 02, 2024
By: Jason Rittenberg

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) could see its first reauthorization since 2004, depending on how the post-election congressional work period progresses. Leaders of the Senate committee that oversees the annual defense bill have agreed to include a proposal to reauthorize EDA’s public works and economic adjustment programs in their negotiations with the House as part of the national defense authorization bill. Sections of the proposal that seem most relevant to tech-based economic development—Build to Scale and Tech Hubs are authorized separately—include codifying the University Centers program (which is authorized but not defined in detail by EDA’s current statutes), creating a new workforce training grant that would enable nonprofits and municipalities to offer new programs and states to provide scholarships, and establishing an office for disaster response so that EDA can be better-prepared to efficiently award future emergency funds.

Details are available from the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), which initially advanced the EDA authorization legislation.

Typically, Congress would seek approval from both the Senate EPW and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure before including EDA legislation in a final defense bill. The House has not been active on EDA authorization during this session, so its stance on the Senate proposal is currently unclear. Without approval from House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure leadership, recent history suggests that the provision likely would be dropped from the defense authorization bill.

The Senate and House have many areas of difference in their defense authorization bills and are expected to work toward a final agreement after the election.

eda, legislation