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Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), voted for the final passage of H.R. 7776, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, in the House of Representatives. The FY23 NDAA includes a provision authored by Congresswoman Escobar to authorize $500 million in funding for colonias over five years. The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote and will then be sent to the President’s desk for his signature. 

“It is spectacular that we were able to secure this funding for the colonias,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “This cause has been near and dear to my heart, going back to my work in local government as a Country Judge. Knowing this legislation will make a difference for families who have waited for generations to have water and wastewater services, while lowering the matched contribution costs from the county to help the community, is a wonderful feeling.” 

“We are grateful to Congresswoman Escobar’s efforts to help revive an important wastewater assistance program that allows communities to step forward for federal funding and bring more infrastructure to our most vulnerable residents,” El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said. “El Paso County has made robust investments in recent years to connect more of our residents to water and wastewater and so this program is a great vehicle to increase collaboration with the federal government and continue to improve the conditions for people living in our communities.”

The NDAA serves as the legislative foundation for elected representatives of the American people to steer U.S. national security priorities and deliver meaningful policy reforms that benefit service members, their families, and communities across the United States. This year’s NDAA includes language authored by Congresswoman Escobar which reauthorizes the Wastewater Assistance to Colonias program and includes $500 million in funding over 5 years for the program while lowering the local cost-share for localities. There has traditionally been little funding set aside solely for the needs of colonias and oftentimes localities have to tackle colonia-specific priorities on their own or compete for funding meant for other types of communities. This provision was drawn from Congresswoman Escobar’s bill, H.R. 3238, the Colonia Infrastructure Improvement Act. Additionally, a project was secured to conduct a flood risk management study specific to El Paso County for economically-disadvantaged communities like our colonias. 

For a comprehensive summary of the provisions in the FY23 NDAA, click here.