§ 3117 — Capital Formation

(a) The Congress finds that— (1) promotion of full employment and balanced growth is in itself a principal avenue to high and sustained rates of capital formation; (2) high rates of capital formation are necessary to ensure adequate rates of capacity expansion and productivity growth, compliance with governmental health, safety and environmental standards, and the replacement of obsolete production equipment; (3) the ability of our economy to compete successfully in international markets, the development of new technology, improved working conditions, expanding job opportunities, and an increasing standard of living depend on the availability of adequate capital at reasonable cost to commerce and industry; (4) an important goal of national policy shall be to remove obstacles to the free flow of resources into new investment, particularly those obstacles that hinder the creation and growth of smaller businesses because general national programs and policies to aid and stimulate private enterprise are not sufficient to deal with the special problems and needs of smaller businesses; and (5) while private business firms are, and should continue to be, the major source of investment, the investment activities of the Federal, State, and local governments play an important role in affecting the level of output, employment, and productivity and in achieving other national purposes. (b) The Economic Report shall include an Investment Policy Report which shall, as appropriate, (1) review and assess existing Federal Government programs and policies which affect business investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the relevant aspects of the tax code, Federal expenditure policy, Federal regulatory policy, international trade policy, and Federal support for research, development, and diffusion of new technologies; (2) provide an assessment of the levels of investment capital available, required by, and applied to small, medium and large business entities; (3) provide an analysis of current foreseeable trends in the level of investment capital available to such entities; and (4) provide a description of programs and proposals for carrying out the policy set forth in section 1021(i) of this title. In addition, the Economic Report shall include an assessment of the effect of the overall economic policy environment and the rate of inflation on business investment. The President shall recommend in the President’s Budget, as appropriate, new programs or modifications to improve existing programs concerned with private capital formation. The President shall also transmit to the Congress as part of the President’s Budget such other recommendations as the President may deem necessary or desirable to achieve the policy as set forth in section 1021(i) of this title. The Investment Policy Report, when transmitted to the Congress, shall be referred to the Joint Economic Committee. (c) The Economic Report referred to in subsection (b) shall review and assess Federal policies and programs which directly, or through grants-in-aid to State and local governments, or indirectly through other means, affect the adequacy, composition and effectiveness of public investments, as a means of achieving the goals of this chapter and the Employment Act of 1946 [15 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.]. The President shall recommend, as appropriate, new programs and policies or modifications to improve existing Federal programs affecting public investment.