I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2740 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.

1. Establishment of Office of Colonia Affairs Title III of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by adding after section 309 ( 7 U.S.C. 6921 ) the following: 309A. Office of Colonia Affairs (a) In general The Secretary of Agriculture shall maintain in the Office of the Secretary an Office of Colonia Affairs, which shall— (1) serve as a resource for colonias and localities that have colonias by providing information about, and technical assistance pertaining to, Federal programs and funding sources applicable to colonias; (2) advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to colonias; and (3) carry out such other functions as the Secretary considers appropriate. (b) Reports Not less frequently than once every two years, the Office of Colonia Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that describes— (1) the infrastructure needs of colonias; and (2) recommendations for legislative or administrative action for the following two years. (c) Colonia defined In this section, the term colonia means any identifiable community that— (1) is in the State of Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas; (2) is in the area of the United States within 150 miles of the border between the United States and Mexico, except that the term does not include any standard metropolitan statistical area that has a population exceeding 1,000,000; and (3) is determined by the Secretary to be a colonia on the basis of objective criteria, including lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing. .