40 U.S.C. § 15505 — Local development districts and organizations

(a) Grants to Local Development Districts. A Commission can give grants to a local development district. The money helps pay for the district's planning and administrative costs. (b) Conditions for Grants. (1) Maximum amount: The grant cannot cover more than 80 percent of the district's administrative and planning expenses. (2) Maximum period for state agencies: If a State agency is certified as a local development district, it can only receive this grant for up to 3 fiscal years. (3) Local share: The district's own contribution toward its expenses can be cash, or it can be "in kind" — things like space, equipment, or services, fairly valued. (c) Duties of Local Development Districts. A local development district must: (1) act as the lead organization for multicounty areas within the region, at the local level; (2) help the Commission reach out to local governments, community development groups, businesses, and the public; (3) act as the go-between linking State and local governments, nonprofits (including community groups and schools), businesses, and citizens; and (4) help those same groups find, evaluate, and carry out projects and programs that promote the region's economic development.