I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1088
To enhance the capacity of organizations working in the United States-
Mexico border region to develop affordable housing and infrastructure 
and to foster economic opportunity in the colonias. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2003
Mr. BONILLA (for himself and Mr. ORTIZ) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To enhance the capacity of organizations working in the 
United States-Mexico border region to develop affordable 
housing and infrastructure and to foster economic oppor-
tunity in the colonias.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Colonias Gateway Ini-
tiative Act’’.
SEC. 2. COLONIAS GATEWAY INITIATIVE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COLONIA.—The term ‘‘colonia’’ means any 
identifiable community that—
(A) is located in the State of Arizona, Cali-
fornia, New Mexico, or Texas; 
(B) is located in the United States-Mexico 
border region; 
(C) is determined to be a colonia on the 
basis of objective criteria, including lack of po-
table water supply, lack of adequate sewage sys-
tems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary 
housing; and 
(D) was in existence and generally recog-
nized as a colonia before the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(2) REGIONAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘re-
gional organization’’ means a nonprofit organization 
or a consortium of nonprofit organizations with the 
capacity to serve colonias. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
(4) UNITED
STATES-MEXICO
BORDER
RE-
GION.—The term ‘‘United States-Mexico border re-
gion’’ means the area of the United States within 
150 miles of the border between the United States
(A) consider the proposed work plan of the 
applicant under subsection (f); and 
(B) be based upon the criteria described in 
paragraph (3). 
(3) CRITERIA.—Criteria for the selection of a 
grant recipient shall include a demonstration of the 
extent to which the applicant organization has the 
capacity to—
(A) enhance the availability of affordable 
housing, economic opportunity, and infrastruc-
ture in the colonias by carrying out the eligible 
activities set forth in subsection (g); 
(B) provide assistance in each State in 
which colonias are located; 
(C) form partnerships with the public and 
private sectors and local and regional housing 
and economic development intermediaries to le-
verage and coordinate additional resources to 
achieve the purposes of this section; 
(D) ensure accountability to the residents 
of the colonias through active and ongoing out-
reach to, and consultation with, residents and 
local governments; and 
(E) meet such other criteria as the Sec-
retary may specify.
(4) DISTRIBUTION
OF
FUNDING.—In making 
the selection under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall ensure that—
(A) each State in the United States-Mexico 
border region receives a grant under this Act; 
and 
(B) each State receives not less than 15 
percent of the amounts appropriated to carry 
out this Act. 
(e) ADVISORY BOARD.—
(1) MEMBERSHIP.—The Secretary shall appoint 
an Advisory Board that shall consist of 9 members, 
who shall include—
(A) 1 individual from each State in which 
colonias are located; 
(B) 3 individuals who are members of non-
profit or private sector organizations having 
substantial investments in the colonias, at least 
1 of whom is a member of such a private sector 
organization; and 
(C) 2 individuals who are residents of a 
colonia. 
(2) CHAIRPERSON.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
designate a member of the Advisory Board to 
serve as Chairperson for a 1-year term. 
(B) ALTERNATING CHAIRPERSON.—At the 
end of the 1-year term referred to in subpara-
graph (A), the Secretary shall designate a dif-
ferent member to serve as Chairperson, ensur-
ing that the Chairperson position rotates to a 
member from every State in which colonias are 
located. 
(3) TERM.—Advisory Board members shall be 
appointed for 2-year terms that shall be renewable 
at the discretion of the Secretary. 
(4) COMPENSATION.—Advisory Board members 
shall serve without compensation, but the Secretary 
may provide members with travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(5) FUNCTIONS.—The Advisory Board shall—
(A) assist any regional organization that 
receives a grant under this section in the devel-
opment and implementation of its final work 
plan under subsection (f);
(B) review and approve all final work 
plans; 
(C) assist the Secretary in monitoring and 
evaluating the performance of any regional or-
ganization in implementing its final work plan; 
and 
(D) provide such other assistance as the 
Secretary may request. 
(f) WORK PLANS.—
(1) APPLICATION.—Each regional organization 
applying for a grant under this section shall include 
in its application a proposed work plan. 
(2) ANNUAL
SUBMISSION.—To be eligible to 
continue receiving annual grants under this section 
after selection pursuant to subsection (d), a regional 
organization shall, on an annual basis after such se-
lection and subject to the determination of the Sec-
retary to continue to provide grant amounts to such 
regional organization, submit a proposed work plan 
to the Advisory Board and the Secretary for review 
and approval. 
(3) FINAL WORK PLAN.—In any fiscal year, in-
cluding the fiscal year in which any regional organi-
zation is selected pursuant to subsection (d), prior to 
final determination and allocation of specific grant
amounts, each selected regional organization shall, 
with the assistance of the Advisory Board, develop 
a final work plan that thoroughly describes how the 
regional organization will use specific grant amounts 
to carry out its functions under this section, which 
shall include—
(A) a description of outcome measures and 
other baseline information to be used to mon-
itor success in promoting affordable housing, 
economic opportunity, and infrastructure in the 
colonias; 
(B) an account of how the regional organi-
zation will strengthen the coordination of exist-
ing resources used to assist residents of the 
colonias, and how the regional organization will 
leverage additional public and private resources 
to complement such existing resources; 
(C) an explanation, in part, of the effects 
that implementation of the work plan will have 
on areas in and around colonias; and 
(D) such assurances as the Secretary may 
require that grant amounts will be used in a 
manner that results in assistance and invest-
ments for colonias in each State containing 
colonias, in accordance with requirements that