Bill Overview
Title: ARC Relocation Act
Description: This bill provides for the relocation of the headquarters of the Appalachian Regional Commission (an economic development agency focused on the Appalachian region) from the District of Columbia to West Virginia.
Sponsors: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Target Audience
Population: People living in the Appalachian region
Estimated Size: 5000000
- The Appalachian Regional Commission serves the entire Appalachian region, which extends across 13 states in the Eastern US.
- The ARC works with multiple local and state governments, impacting various economic and infrastructural projects in the region.
- The relocation of the ARC headquarters could affect employees currently working at the headquarters.
- The relocation could impact states in the Appalachian region, which collectively have a population of approximately 25 million people.
- The immediate impact would involve the employees and collaborators directly associated with the ARC and the economic policy coordination and implementation in the region.
Reasoning
- The ARC headquarters relocation could impact the local economy in its new location in West Virginia through job creation for local residents.
- The relocation could cause disruption or an adjustment period for current ARC employees who may need to move or commute further.
- Since the ARC serves a large rural area, potential indirect benefits could include improvements in local governance and infrastructure due to more localized coordination.
- The economic uplift in West Virginia could also have spillover benefits for other parts of the Appalachian region by improving regional economic management.
- However, the actual impact on regional policies might take time to manifest in measurable ways such as wellbeing scores.
- Given the size of the Appalachian region's population, only a small fraction may see direct impacts from a change in the location of the headquarters.
Simulated Interviews
Policy Analyst at ARC (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Relocation means I have to decide whether to move, which is stressful.
- Concerned about disruption to ongoing projects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Recently graduated civil engineer (West Virginia)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Optimistic about new job opportunities.
- Hope the ARC presence boosts local development.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retired factory worker (Ohio, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Skeptical about the actual impact on my town.
- Hopeful but not expecting significant change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Small business owner (Kentucky, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any increase in economic activity is good for my business.
- Concerned about short-term disruptions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Researcher in urban development (New York)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Relocation should make operations more efficient.
- Worried about potential loss of institutional knowledge.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Graduate student (West Virginia)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Excited about more opportunities for internships and jobs.
- Interested in ARC's direct impact on local policies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
County government worker (North Carolina, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Eager for more direct communication with ARC.
- Concerned about potential funding shifts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Industrial worker (Alabama, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If ARC projects increase, it could mean better jobs.
- Skeptical of changes reaching my community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired teacher (Georgia, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 66 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- ARC's move is promising if it enhances local development.
- Long-term impacts are uncertain but hopeful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
High school teacher (Tennessee, in the Appalachian region)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Good teaching example of economic policy impact.
- Hopes improved local engagement follows relocation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 2: $3000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $3500000)
Year 3: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 5: $500000 (Low: $300000, High: $700000)
Year 10: $200000 (Low: $100000, High: $300000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Potential resistance from current ARC employees who may not wish to relocate.
- Possible transition costs associated with maintaining efficiencies and operations during the move.
- The necessity to renegotiate or secure new contracts for leased buildings or properties in West Virginia.
- Potential regional benefits due to the presence of a federal agency focused on local issues.