[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4071 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4071

 To establish an Office of Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives within 
         the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 22, 2024

 Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish an Office of Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives within 
         the Department of Agriculture, 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 ``Office of Colonias and Farmworker 
Initiatives Establishment Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF COLONIAS AND FARMWORKER INITIATIVES; COLONIAS AND 
              FARMWORKER INITIATIVES COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:

``SEC. 224B. OFFICE OF COLONIAS AND FARMWORKER INITIATIVES.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain in 
the Department an Office of Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives 
(referred to in this section as the `Office')--
            ``(1) to improve engagement with, and service to, border 
        colonias communities, farmworkers, and the family members and 
        children of farmworkers;
            ``(2) to improve collaboration between the Department and 
        national, State, and local colonias and farmworker programs and 
        nonprofit organizations; and
            ``(3) to carry out other such functions as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Office shall ensure that border colonias 
communities, farmworkers, the family members and children of 
farmworkers, and nonprofit organizations representing or assisting such 
communities and individuals have equitable access to, and equitable 
participation in, programs and services of the Department by--
            ``(1) establishing and monitoring the goals and objectives 
        of the Department to increase participation of such 
        communities, individuals, and nonprofit organizations in 
        Department programs;
            ``(2) assessing the effectiveness of Department outreach 
        programs to such communities, individuals, and nonprofit 
        organizations;
            ``(3) developing and implementing a plan to coordinate 
        outreach activities and services to such communities, 
        individuals, and nonprofit organizations provided by--
                    ``(A) the Department; and
                    ``(B) other Federal agencies, including services 
                relating to housing, education, health care, and 
                infrastructure development;
            ``(4) providing input to the Department and other Federal 
        agencies on programmatic and policy decisions relating to such 
        communities, individuals, and nonprofit organizations, 
        including--
                    ``(A) identifying obstacles for access to programs 
                and resources; and
                    ``(B) elevating Federal, State, and local best 
                practices;
            ``(5) measuring outcomes of the programs and activities of 
        the Department to serve such communities and individuals;
            ``(6) recommending new initiatives and programs to the 
        Secretary;
            ``(7) providing technical assistance to such organizations 
        with respect to Department programs and resources; and
            ``(8) carrying out any other related duties that the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate.
    ``(c) Colonias Coordinator.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish within the 
        Office the position of Colonias Coordinator (referred to in 
        this subsection as the `Coordinator').
            ``(2) Duties.--The Secretary shall delegate to the 
        Coordinator responsibility for the following:
                    ``(A) Serving as a liaison to nonprofit 
                organizations that represent and have demonstrated 
                experience serving and working in colonias communities.
                    ``(B) Coordinating with the Department, other 
                Federal agencies, and State and local governments to 
                ensure that the needs of colonias communities are 
                assessed and met, including during declared disasters 
                and other emergencies.
                    ``(C) Consulting within the Office and with other 
                entities to better integrate perspectives, concerns, 
                and interest of colonias communities into the ongoing 
                programs of the Department.

``SEC. 224C. COLONIAS AND FARMWORKER INITIATIVES COORDINATING 
              COMMITTEE.

    ``(a) Establishment of Committee.--The Secretary shall establish 
and convene a Federal coordinating committee, to be known as the 
`Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives Coordinating Committee' (referred 
to in this section as the `Committee'), to provide advice and guidance 
to the Secretary on matters relating to colonias and farmworker 
affairs.
    ``(b) Membership and Composition.--The Committee shall be composed 
of the following members:
            ``(1) 1 representative from each of the following:
                    ``(A) The Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development.
                    ``(B) The Department of the Treasury.
                    ``(C) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                    ``(D) The Department of Health and Human Services.
                    ``(E) The Department of Education.
                    ``(F) The Small Business Administration.
                    ``(G) The Department of Labor.
                    ``(H) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            ``(2) Such representatives not described in paragraph (1) 
        as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
    ``(c) Duties of Committee.--The Committee shall--
            ``(1) direct a working group composed of members of the 
        Committee (or designees of such members) and representatives 
        from other Federal agencies and mission areas within the 
        Department (such as the Rural Housing Service, the Rural 
        Utilities Service, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the 
        Food and Nutrition Service, and the Farm Service Agency);
            ``(2) engage stakeholders and identify State and municipal 
        best practices to assist colonias communities, farmworkers, and 
        the family members and children of farmworkers;
            ``(3) submit to the Secretary recommendations on, and 
        solutions to, issues raised at the local, regional, or national 
        level; and
            ``(4) identify and propose solutions to any 
        interdepartmental barriers between the Department and other 
        Federal agencies.
    ``(d) Federal Advisory Committee Act Exemption.--Section 1013 of 
title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Committee.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $2,500,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.''.
    (b) Transfer of Position of Farmworker Coordinator.--
            (1) In general.--The Farmworker Coordinator position 
        established under section 226B(f) of the Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6934(f)) (as 
        in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act) 
        is transferred to the Office of Colonias and Farmworker 
        Initiatives established under section 224B of the Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (as added by subsection 
        (a)).
            (2) Transfer of legal provisions.--The Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended--
                    (A) by moving subsection (f) of section 226B (7 
                U.S.C. 6934) so as to appear at the end of section 224B 
                (as added by subsection (a)); and
                    (B) by redesignating that subsection as subsection 
                (d).
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 225 of subtitle A of the Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6925) is 
        redesignated as section 224A.
            (2) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture 
        Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by 
        adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out the 
        amendments made to this title by the Office of Colonias and 
        Farmworker Initiatives Establishment Act of 2024''.
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