Jim is working hard to make 10-20-30 permanent law and more broadly applied.
Make the 10-20-30 funding formula permanent law and apply it more broadly.
Occurrences
Jim is working hard to make 10-20-30 permanent law and more broadly applied.
I continue to urge Congress to include the 10-20-30 approach in future funding proposals and expand it to all federal agencies.
Evidence
Jim is working hard to make 10-20-30 permanent law and more broadly applied.
Mr. Clyburn introduced H.R. 5571, the 10-20-30 Act of 2014, to provide an increased allocation of funding for assistance in persistent poverty counties; the bill was referred to committee.
The bill tracker shows H.R. 6531 had status 'Passed House'; actions include a failed suspension vote on 05/11/2022 and passage in the House on 05/18/2022, with the Senate receiving it on 05/19/2022.
GAO wrote that if Congress elects to include the 10-20-30 formula in future appropriations acts, it should consider tailoring its application and using a uniform list of persistent-poverty counties; GAO noted that as of February 2026 it was not aware of enacted legislation addressing this matter.
As of February 2026, we were not aware of enacted legislation addressing this matter.
his 10-20-30 federal funding formula ... has been expanded to 15 accounts of the appropriations bills.
Dedicated to making America’s greatness accessible and affordable for all citizens, his 10-20-30 federal funding formula – initially applied to three programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – has been expanded to 15 accounts of the appropriations bills.
Through the end of the 118th Congress much of the language used in these previous bills was included in P.L. 118-42 ... and P.L. 118-47 ... Additionally, 76 other bills introduced in the 118th Congress that were not enacted also referred to persistent poverty...
Section 533 of the House-reported FY2027 bill requires at least 10% of the Public Works and Stevenson-Wydler grant accounts to support persistent poverty counties, defined by 30 years of poverty data.
The enacted FY2026 law includes a 10% persistent-poverty counties set-aside for Public Works and Stevenson-Wydler grants and a separate persistent-poverty allocation for EPA brownfields funds, both tied to a 30-year poverty definition.
The page says Clyburn continues to urge Congress to include the 10-20-30 approach in future funding proposals and expand it to all federal agencies; it also says the formula was included in four sections of the Recovery Act.
Section 533 of the House-reported FY2027 bill sets aside at least 10% of Public Works and Stevenson-Wydler grant amounts for assistance in persistent poverty counties, using a 30-year poverty definition.
"I continue to urge Congress to include the 10-20-30 approach in future funding proposals and expand it to all federal agencies."
"As of February 2026, we were not aware of enacted legislation addressing this matter."
The official House issue page says Clyburn is still urging Congress to include the 10-20-30 approach in future funding proposals and expand it across federal agencies.
Clyburn's official biography says the 10-20-30 formula has been expanded to 15 appropriations accounts.
Assessments
Clyburn materially advanced the 10-20-30 formula and it was broadened in later appropriations language, including expansion across multiple accounts, but the core promise to make it permanent law was not enacted as of 2026. The record supports partial fulfillment rather than full delivery.
Clyburn did not deliver the full promise because the 10-20-30 formula was still not enacted as permanent statutory law as of 2026. However, he did materially advance the policy and part of the promise was delivered: the formula was broadened across multiple appropriations accounts, including enacted FY2026 funding law and additional House-reported FY2027 language applying persistent-poverty set-asides to more programs. His official House materials also credit the formula with expansion to 15 appropriations accounts, and he sponsored or pushed related legislation such as H.R. 6531 that passed the House. Because the broader-application portion was achieved in appropriations but the permanent-law portion was not, the best judgment is partial rather than delivered.
Clyburn materially advanced the 10-20-30 formula and won broader application in later appropriations measures, including enacted FY2026 spending language and additional House-reported FY2027 language covering more accounts. But the core pledge to make the formula permanent law was not achieved; the evidence says it remained an annual appropriations approach rather than permanent statutory codification as of 2026. Because one part of the promise was delivered in broader application while the permanent-law part was not, the best judgment is partial credit with later-term timing.
Clyburn materially advanced the 10-20-30 formula through multiple bills and appropriations language, and the broader-application part was expanded in later appropriations accounts. But the core promise to make the formula permanent law was not enacted, so this is partial rather than delivered.
The broader-application part of the promise was partly achieved: the 10-20-30 persistent-poverty formula has been expanded across multiple annual appropriations accounts, including enacted FY2026 funding language. But the central promise to make the formula permanent law has not been fulfilled; GAO still reported no enacted legislation addressing that matter as of February 2026, and Clyburn-backed standalone bills advanced but did not become law. Because Clyburn materially advanced the policy and it has continued through appropriations, but not as permanent codification, partial credit is appropriate.
Clyburn did not fulfill the full promise because the 10-20-30 formula was not made permanent law; GAO evidence indicates no enacted legislation addressing the permanent-law recommendation as of February 2026. However, he materially advanced the policy through repeated legislation, including H.R. 5571 in 2014 and H.R. 6531 in 2022, which passed the House, and the formula was broadened in practice across appropriations accounts, reportedly expanding from initial ARRA uses to 15 appropriations accounts and appearing in later enacted appropriations language. That satisfies part of the broader-application promise but not the permanence requirement.
The full promise required both making the 10-20-30 formula permanent law and applying it more broadly. The evidence shows Clyburn repeatedly introduced or advanced legislation, including H.R. 5571 and H.R. 6531, and H.R. 6531 passed the House, but GAO still reported no enacted legislation making the change permanent as of February 2026. However, the formula was expanded across appropriations accounts, so the broader-application portion was partly achieved. Because Clyburn materially advanced the policy but the permanent-law outcome was not delivered, this merits partial credit with an effort badge.
The promised outcome was to make the 10-20-30 funding formula permanent law and apply it more broadly. The evidence shows Clyburn made serious legislative efforts, including introducing H.R. 5571 in 2014 and advancing H.R. 6531 in 2022, which passed the House but did not become law. GAO reporting indicates that as of February 2026 it was not aware of enacted legislation addressing permanent or broader application. Because the substantive promised outcome was not enacted despite meaningful attempts, this is best classified as never delivered with an effort badge.