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Reference
Primary sources and further reading
This site aims to be a starting point, not a last word. The sources below are the public, authoritative materials the factual pages here draw on. Where you need current or official detail — exact funding, eligibility, statutory text — go to these directly.
The governing law
The newer U.S. federal regional commissions share a common statutory home in the public code, under the subtitle on regional economic and infrastructure development. Reading the statute is the most reliable way to see exactly how a commission is structured, what it may fund, and how its region is defined.
- United States Code, Office of the Law Revision Counsel — the official browsable text of federal statutes, including the subtitle on regional economic and infrastructure development (Title 40) and the provisions governing individual commissions.
- GovInfo — the U.S. Government Publishing Office's repository of official publications, including public laws, the code, and the Federal Register.
Congressional research
Non-partisan analysts who serve the national legislature periodically publish concise overviews of the federal regional commissions and authorities — how they compare, how they are funded, and how they have changed. These reports are among the most useful single documents on the topic.
- Congress.gov research products on the regional commissions — overview reports comparing the federal commissions and authorities (search for the regional commissions and authorities reports, including the comparative overview and the short in-focus briefs).
- CRS Reports portal — the public catalogue of Congressional Research Service reports.
The regional-council field
- National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) — the membership network for regional councils, councils of governments, and metropolitan planning organisations; a good route to plain descriptions of what these bodies do.
- U.S. Economic Development Administration — the federal agency behind much of the economic-development-district system and the comprehensive economic development strategy process.
General reference
- Wikipedia: Regional planning — a broad, well-referenced overview of the field, useful for orientation and for its onward citations.
- Individual commissions and regional councils publish their own official websites, annual reports, and regional strategies. For any specific body, its own official site is the authoritative source for current programs and contacts.