§ 3141 — Grants For Public Works And Economic Development

(a) On the application of an eligible recipient, the Secretary may make grants for— (1) acquisition or development of land and improvements for use for a public works, public service, or development facility or for the improvement of waste management and recycling systems; and (2) or improvement of such a facility, including related machinery and equipment. (b) The Secretary may make a grant under this section only if the Secretary determines that— (1) the project for which the grant is applied for will, directly or indirectly— (A) of industrial or commercial plants or facilities; (B) assist in the creation of additional long-term employment opportunities in the area; or (C) primarily benefit the long-term unemployed and underemployed and members of low-income families; (2) the project for which the grant is applied for will fulfill a pressing need of the area, or a part of the area, in which the project is or will be located; and (3) the area for which the project is to be carried out has a comprehensive economic development strategy and the project is consistent with the strategy. (c) In awarding grants under subsection (a) and subject to the criteria in subsection (b), the Secretary may also consider the extent to which a project would— (1) lead to economic diversification in the area, or a part of the area, in which the project is or will be located; (2) address and mitigate economic impacts from extreme weather events, including development of resilient infrastructure, products, and processes; (3) benefit highly rural communities without adequate tax revenues to invest in long-term or costly infrastructure; (4) increase access to high-speed broadband; (5) support outdoor recreation to spur economic development, with a focus on rural communities; (6) promote job creation or retention relative to the population of the impacted region with outsized significance; (7) promote travel and tourism; or (8) promote blue economy activities. (d) Not more than 15 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section may be expended in any 1 State.