Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

Code · U.S. Code · Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE · CHAPTER 38— PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT · SUBCHAPTER III— ELIGIBILITY; COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES · § 3161

§ 3161. Eligibility of areas

870 words·~4 min read·/usc/title-42/section-3161

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)In general For a project to be eligible for assistance under section 3141 or 3149 of this title, the project shall be located in an area that, on the date of submission of the application, meets 1 or more of the following criteria:
(1)Low per capita income The area has a per capita income of 80 percent or less of the national average.
(2)Unemployment rate above national average The area has an unemployment rate that is, for the most recent 24-month period for which data are available, at least 1 percent greater than the national average unemployment rate.
(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.
(b)Political boundaries of areas An area that meets 1 or more of the criteria of subsection (a), including a small area of poverty or high unemployment within a larger community in less economic distress, shall be eligible for assistance under section 3141 or 3149 of this title without regard to political or other subdivisions or boundaries.
(c)Documentation
(1)In general A determination of eligibility under subsection
(a)shall be supported by the most recent Federal data available (including data available from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or any other Federal source determined by the Secretary to be appropriate), or, if no recent Federal data is available, by the most recent data available through the government of the State in which the area is located.
(2)Acceptance by Secretary The documentation shall be accepted by the Secretary unless the Secretary determines that the documentation is inaccurate.
(d)Prior designations Any designation of a redevelopment area made before the effective date of the Economic Development Administration Reform Act of 1998 shall not be effective after that effective date.
(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.
(Pub. L. 89–136, title III, § 301, as added Pub. L. 105–393, title I, § 102(a), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3607; amended Pub. L. 108–373, title III, § 301, Oct. 27, 2004, 118 Stat. 1767; Pub. L. 118–272, div. B, title II, § 2225, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 3191.)
Connections237 cite this · traces to 3
Cited by 237 sections · top 60
U.S. Code
statutes-at-large
22 references not yet in our index
  • Pub. L. 89–136, title III, § 301
  • Pub. L. 105–393, title I, § 102(a)
  • 112 Stat. 3607
  • Pub. L. 108–373, title III, § 301
  • 118 Stat. 1767
  • 138 Stat. 3191
  • section 105 of Pub. L. 105–393
  • Pub. L. 89–136, title IV, § 401
  • 79 Stat. 560
  • Pub. L. 89–794, title XI, § 1102
  • 80 Stat. 1477
  • Pub. L. 91–123, title III, § 304
  • 83 Stat. 219
  • Pub. L. 92–65, title I, § 106
  • 85 Stat. 167
  • Pub. L. 93–423
  • 88 Stat. 1158
  • Pub. L. 94–487, title I
  • 90 Stat. 2334
  • Pub. L. 105–393, § 102(a)
  • section 301 of Pub. L. 89–136
  • Pub. L. 108–373
Citation graph
cites case law
§ 3161
Eligibility of areas
Bills×110
Stat.×36
Fed. Reg.×35
U.S.C.×25
Stat. Comp.×19
Pub. L.×12
Pub. L.Pub. L. 89–136, title III, § 301
Pub. L.Pub. L. 105–393, title I, § 102(a)
Stat.112 Stat. 3607
Pub. L.Pub. L. 108–373, title III, § 301
Stat.118 Stat. 1767
Cites 25 · showing 8Cited by 237 across 6 sources
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.