[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 908 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 908

To authorize appropriations for each of fiscal years 1996 through 2000 
 for the provision of grants for construction of wastewater treatment 
 works to serve United States colonias and for connecting residents to 
sewer collection systems and making any necessary plumbing improvements 
to enable residences to meet existing county or city code requirements.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 1995

 Mr. de la Garza introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
           the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize appropriations for each of fiscal years 1996 through 2000 
 for the provision of grants for construction of wastewater treatment 
 works to serve United States colonias and for connecting residents to 
sewer collection systems and making any necessary plumbing improvements 
to enable residences to meet existing county or city code requirements.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to protect the economy, public health, 
environment, surface water, ground water, and water quality in the 
United States colonias areas, which are endangered and are being 
polluted by raw or partially treated sewage, in furtherance of the 
goals of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF UNITED STATES COLONIA.

    As used in this Act, the term ``United States colonia''--
            (1) means any identifiable community that--
                    (A) is in the State of Arizona, California, New 
                Mexico, or Texas;
                    (B) is in the area of the United States within 100 
                kilometers of the border between the United States and 
                Mexico;
                    (C) is determined to be a colonia on the basis of 
                objective criteria, including lack of potable water 
                supply or lack of adequate sewage systems;
                    (D) is in an unincorporated area; and
                    (E) was in existence before January 1, 1990; and
            (2) includes a community within a standard metropolitan 
        statistical area that has a population exceeding 1,000,000, but 
        does not include the entire standard metropolitan statistical 
        area.

SEC. 3. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UNITED STATES COLONIAS.

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is 
authorized to make grants to any State of the United States along the 
United States-Mexico border, or to any entity designated by the 
Administrator, for the construction of treatment works to serve United 
States colonias or for connecting United States colonia residents to 
sewer collection systems and making any necessary plumbing improvements 
to enable United States colonia residences to meet existing county or 
city code requirements.

SEC. 4. APPROVAL OF PLANS.

    Any wastewater treatment works to serve United States colonias for 
which grants are made under this Act shall be constructed in accordance 
with plans approved by the State under appropriate standards required 
by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The plans 
shall include construction cost estimates and identify responsible 
parties and the appropriate allocation of costs associated with 
operating and maintaining the treatment works.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1996 through 2000.
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