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118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2740
To establish an Office of Colonia Affairs within the Department of
Agriculture, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 20, 2023
Ms. ESCOBAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To establish an Office of Colonia Affairs within the
Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF COLONIA AF-
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FAIRS.
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Title III of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and
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Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is
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amended by adding after section 309 (7 U.S.C. 6921) the
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following:
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•HR 2740 IH
‘‘SEC. 309A. OFFICE OF COLONIA AFFAIRS.
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‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture
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shall maintain in the Office of the Secretary an Office of
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Colonia Affairs, which shall—
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‘‘(1) serve as a resource for colonias and local-
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ities that have colonias by providing information
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about, and technical assistance pertaining to, Fed-
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eral programs and funding sources applicable to
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colonias;
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‘‘(2) advise the Secretary on matters pertaining
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to colonias; and
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‘‘(3) carry out such other functions as the Sec-
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retary considers appropriate.
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‘‘(b) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than once every
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two years, the Office of Colonia Affairs shall submit to
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Congress a report that describes—
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‘‘(1) the infrastructure needs of colonias; and
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‘‘(2) recommendations for legislative or admin-
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istrative action for the following two years.
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‘‘(c) COLONIA DEFINED.—In this section, the term
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‘colonia’ means any identifiable community that—
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‘‘(1) is in the State of Arizona, California, New
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Mexico, or Texas;
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‘‘(2) is in the area of the United States within
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150 miles of the border between the United States
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and Mexico, except that the term does not include
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•HR 2740 IH
any standard metropolitan statistical area that has
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a population exceeding 1,000,000; and
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‘‘(3) is determined by the Secretary to be a
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colonia on the basis of objective criteria, including
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lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sew-
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age systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary
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housing.’’.
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Æ
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