National Defense Authorization Act Passes and Includes Rep. Leger Fernández’s Provisions to Improve Water Infrastructure and Funds for Acequias

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Leger Fernández voted to pass the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2023 in the House of Representatives. The NDAA includes provisions requested by the Congresswoman to improve water infrastructure and support acequias in New Mexico. The legislation will bolster the United States’ national security as it invests in service members and their families, promotes innovation and American ingenuity; it counters our adversaries and strengthens relationships with our allies.

“The bipartisan NDAA improves the quality of life for our brave service members, their families, and helps us uphold our responsibilities to care for them, while they risk their lives to protect us,” said Leger Fernández. “This bill also includes provisions that are important to New Mexicans, like greater funding and protection for our acequias and water infrastructure, and funding to clean up environmental contamination. Whether it’s support for military service members, firefighters, water users, or students, this bill will help protect America and Americans.”

The National Defense Authorization Act includes several provisions for New Mexico.  

• Funding for Acequias: 

• Increases the Acequia Irrigation System section of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) by $27 million. 

• Allows acequias located in tribal territories to access this critical funding.  
• Reduces the cost share from 75% federal, 25% non-federal to 90% federal, 10% non-federal for economically disadvantaged areas.

• Improvements to water infrastructure through funding WRDA:

• Authorizes New Environmental Infrastructure Projects:
  • $21,995,000 for water and wastewater infrastructure in the City of Española.
  • $15,500,000 for water infrastructure, including water supply,  in the City of Farmington.
  • $2,874,000  for wastewater infrastructure in Mora County.
  • $20,700,000 for water and wastewater infrastructure, including water reclamation, in the City of Santa Fe.
• Authorizes feasibility studies for the Lake Farmington Dam and McClure Dam in Santa Fe.
• Reduces the cost share for the Bernalillo to Belen flood risk management project.
• Makes Colfax County eligible for additional water infrastructure funding.

In addition, the Congresswoman supported the following NDAA provisions:

• Authorizes funding to accelerate cleanup activities in Los Alamos
  • $286,316,000 for Los Alamos National Laboratory 
  • $40,519,000 for Los Alamos Excess Facilities D&D 

• A 4.6% pay raise for military service members.

• Increase funding for basic research, applied research, and advanced technology development by $2.85 billion, an increase of 17% over the President’s budget request, including a 22.8% increase in basic research – enabling the DoD to invest in the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow.  New Mexico’s universities and national laboratories are prepared to contribute to this groundbreaking work. 

• Support for minority serving institutions, authorizing $131.7 million for defense research activities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). My district has 15 MSIs including nine Hispanic Serving Institutions, three Tribal Colleges, and two Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions.

• Historic changes to improve the ability of servicemembers, women in particular, to report and combat sexual assault, including the use of independent trained investigators outside of the immediate chain of command to investigate claims of sexual harassment.

• Greater support for military families, authorizing $50 million in aid for local educational agencies with military dependent students, and $20 million for local educational agencies eligible to receive a payment for children with severe disabilities.

• Resources for U.S. allies and partners, including $800 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, an increase of $500 million above the budget request.

• Requires transition of DoD non-tactical vehicle fleets to electric or zero-emission vehicles by 2035, and establishes a pilot program for the development of innovative electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

• Civilian harm mitigation measures, including $25 million for the implementation of the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan.

• Includes the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, which amends the Federal Employees' Compensation Act to improve firefighters' access to injury and illness benefits through an automatic presumption that an illness on a science-based list, such as mesothelioma, was work-related.

• Seeks to prevent suicide amongst service members by authorizing the Secretary of Defense to establish a voluntary pilot program to promote the safe storage of personally owned firearms. 

A summary of the provisions in the FY23 NDAA is available  here.

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