Colonia Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3238 | Sponsor: Rep. Escobar, Veronica (D-TX)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
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.

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.
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