,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #beeh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bf1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,udall of ,new ,mexico 7for  
himself and ,mr4 ,heinrich7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to require the ,administrator  
of the ,environmental ,protection       
,agency to revise the definition of the 
term colonia1 and for other purposes4   
#a4  ,short title  ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,colonias ,improvement ,act
 of #bjad4  #b4  ,definitions  ,in this 
,act3  7#a7  ,administrator  ,the term  
,administrator means the ,administrator 
of the ,environmental ,protection       
,agency4  7#b7  ,covered program  ,the  
term covered program means--  7,a7 water
 and waste facility loans and grants    
under section #cjf;,c of the            
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aibf;c72  7,b7 wastewater assistance to

 colonias under section #cjg of the     
,safe ,drinking ,water ,act ,amendments 
of #aiif 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #abha note2     
,public ,law #ajd-ahb72  7,c7 drinking  
water assistance to colonias under      
section #adef of the ,public ,health    
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#cjj;j-#af72  7,d7 housing assistance   
under section #eji7;f7 of the ,housing  
,act of #aidi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adgi7;f772
  7,e7 community development block grant
 assistance under section #iaf of the   
,cranston-,gonzalez ,national           
,affordable ,housing ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4
 #ecjf note2 ,public ,law #aja-fbe72    
7,f7 assistance under section #ajh of   
the ,housing and ,community ,development
 ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjh72   
and  7,g7 any other program of the      
,environmental ,protection ,agency1 the 
,department of ,housing and ,urban      
,development1 or the ,department of     
,agriculture that specifically includes 
assistance for colonias1 as determined  
by the ,administrator4  #c4  ,revised   

definition  7a7  ,revised definition    
required  ,not later than #ahj days     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,administrator1 in            
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,housing and ,urban ,development and the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture1 shall issue
 a proposed rule containing a definition
 of the term colonia that--  7#a7 is the
 same for each covered program1 to the  
extent consistent with the provisions of
 law described in subparagraphs 7,a7    
through 7,f7 of section #b7b7 and the   
requirements of any program described in
 subparagraph 7,g7 of such section      
#b7b72  7#b7 is limited to a community  
that--  7,a7 is located within #ge miles
 of the border between the ,united      
,states and ,mexico2 or  7,b7 has       
applied for or received funding under a 
covered program before the date of      
enactment of this ,act2  7#c7 reflects  
and preserves the historic1 geographic1 
and cultural character of the           
communities served by the covered       

programs2 and  7#d7 may be used to      
determine whether an applicant qualifies
 for assistance under any covered       
program4  7b7  ,exemptions  ,the rule   
issued under subsection 7a7 may include 
a process by which the ,administrator   
may request a limited exemption from the
 application of the revised definition  
to a covered program4  7c7  ,final rule 
,the ,administrator shall ensure that   
the final rule under subsection 7a7     
takes effect not later than #a year     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act4  #d4  ,webpage  ,the              
,administrator1 the ,secretary of       
,housing and ,urban ,development1 and   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall    
establish and regularly update a webpage
 that--  7#a7 serves as a clearinghouse 
for information relating to the covered 
programs2 and  7#b7 includes links to   
information specific to each ,state in  
which a covered program operates1       
including local contact information4    
#e4  ,working ,group  7a7               

,establishment  ,the ,administrator     
shall establish a working group that    
includes the ,secretary of ,housing and 
,urban ,development and the ,secretary  
of ,agriculture--  7#a7 to review       
covered programs2  7#b7 to record       
information relating to each award that 
is and has been made under a covered    
program2  7#c7 to hold public hearings  
relating to covered programs2 and  7#d7 
to make recommendations to ,congress for
 improvements to covered programs1      
including improvements--  7,a7 that     
address the economic and social         
development of colonias2 and  7,b7 to   
the application process for covered     
programs4  7b7  ,report  ,not later than
 #ah months after the date of enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall  
submit to ,congress a report that       
includes--  7#a7 the results of the     
review under subsection 7a77#a72  7#b7 a
 summary of the information recorded    
under subsection 7a77#b72  7#c7 the     
recommendations under subsection        

7a77#c72  7#d7 a plan to include        
transportation planning and health      
considerations in covered programs2     
7#e7 a survey of needs that are not met 
by covered programs2  7#f7 a plan to    
develop key indicators for living       
standards in communities served by      
covered programs1 including health1     
education1 and housing conditions2  7#g7
 proposed metrics for tracking the      
success of covered programs and         
identifying areas for the improvement of
 covered programs2 and  7#h7 any other  
applicable information1 as determined by
 the ,administrator4  #f4  ,cultural    
sensitivity  ,the ,administrator1 and   
any person working with the             
,administrator to carry out a covered   
program1 shall make every effort--  7#a7
 to carry out this ,act in a manner that
 is sensitive to the cultural and       
regional differences among communities  
served by covered programs2 and  7#b7 to
 work with local organizations that     
carry out activities in communities     

served by covered programs4