Colonia Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2021
This bill provides support for low-income communities with economic hardships that are commonly referred to as colonias and are located along the United States-Mexico border.
Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises grant programs to provide assistance to those communities to construct drinking water infrastructure and wastewater infrastructure. Both grant programs are administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition, the bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a grant program to assist projects that facilitate the state of good repair of surface infrastructure in, or for the benefit of, colonias.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3238 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3238
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996 to reauthorize certain grant programs providing
assistance to colonias, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 14, 2021
Ms. Escobar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996 to reauthorize certain grant programs providing
assistance to colonias, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Colonia Infrastructure Improvement
Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. DRINKING WATER ASSISTANCE TO COLONIAS.
Section 1456 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-16) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph
(3); and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following
new paragraph:
``(2) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' means each
of the following:
``(A) A border State.
``(B) A local government with jurisdiction over an
eligible community.'';
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``border State'' and
inserting ``covered entity'';
(3) by striking subsection (d);
(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d); and
(5) in subsection (d), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``$25,000,000'' and inserting
``$100,000,000''; and
(B) by striking ``1997 through 1999'' and inserting
``2022 through 2026''.
SEC. 3. WASTEWATER ASSISTANCE TO COLONIAS.
Section 307 of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 (33
U.S.C. 1281 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as
paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' means each
of the following:
``(A) A border State.
``(B) A local government with jurisdiction over an
eligible community.'';
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``border State'' and
inserting ``covered entity'';
(3) by striking subsection (d);
(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d); and
(5) in subsection (d), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``$25,000,000'' and inserting
``$100,000,000''; and
(B) by striking ``1997 through 1999'' and inserting
``2022 through 2026''.
SEC. 4. COLONIAS STATE OF GOOD REPAIR GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish
a program under which the Secretary may award grants to assist projects
that--
(1) facilitate the state of good repair of surface
infrastructure; and
(2) are carried out in, or for the benefit of, a colonia.
(b) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under this
section to the following:
(1) A State.
(2) A metropolitan planning organization.
(3) A unit of local government.
(4) A Federal land management agency.
(5) A Tribal Government.
(c) Colonia Defined.--In this section, the term ``colonia'' means a
low-income community with economic hardship that--
(1) is commonly referred to as a colonia; and
(2) is located along the United States-Mexico border
(generally in an unincorporated area).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $125,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2022 through 2025.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line