[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5400 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5400

  To authorize the President of the United States to agree to certain 
amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the United States 
 of America and the Government of the United Mexican States concerning 
the establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation Commission and a 
        North American Development Bank, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2002

  Mr. Bereuter (for himself, Mr. Ose, Mr. Gonzalez, and Mr. Hinojosa) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the President of the United States to agree to certain 
amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the United States 
 of America and the Government of the United Mexican States concerning 
the establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation Commission and a 
        North American Development Bank, 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. AUTHORITY TO AGREE TO CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO THE BORDER 
              ENVIRONMENT COOPERATION AGREEMENT.

    Part 2 of subtitle D of title V of Public Law 103-182 (22 U.S.C. 
290m--290m-3) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 545. AUTHORITY TO AGREE TO CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO THE BORDER 
              ENVIRONMENT COOPERATION AGREEMENT.

    ``The President may agree to amendments to the Cooperation 
Agreement that--
            ``(1) enable the Bank to make grants and nonmarket rate 
        loans out of its paid-in capital resources with the approval of 
        its Board of Directors; and
            ``(2) amend the definition of `border region' to include 
        the area in the United States that is within 100 kilometers of 
        the international boundary between the United States and 
        Mexico, and the area in Mexico that is within 300 kilometers of 
        the international boundary between the United States and 
        Mexico.''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT.

    The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit annually to the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a written report on the 
North American Development Bank, which addresses the following issues:
            (1) The number and description of the projects that the 
        North American Development Bank has approved. The description 
        shall include the level of market-rate loans, non-market-rate 
        loans, and grants used in an approved project, and a 
        description of whether an approved project is located within 
        100 kilometers of the international boundary between the United 
        States and Mexico or within 300 kilometers of the international 
        boundary between the United States and Mexico.
            (2) The number and description of the approved projects in 
        which money has been dispersed.
            (3) The number and description of the projects which have 
        been certified by the Border Environment Cooperation 
        Commission, but yet not financed by the North American 
        Development Bank, and the reasons that the projects have not 
        yet been financed.
            (4) The total of the paid-in capital, callable capital, and 
        retained earnings of the North American Development Bank, and 
        the uses of such amounts.
            (5) A description of any efforts and discussions between 
        the United States and Mexican governments to expand the type of 
        projects which the North American Development Bank finances 
        beyond environmental projects.
            (6) A description of any efforts and discussions between 
        the United States and Mexican governments to improve the 
        effectiveness of the North American Development Bank.
            (7) The number and description of projects authorized under 
        the Water Conservation Fund of the North American Development 
        Bank.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS RELATING TO UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR 
              NADBANK PROJECTS WHICH FINANCE WATER CONSERVATION FOR 
              TEXAS IRRIGATORS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN THE LOWER 
              RIO GRANDE RIVER VALLEY.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) Texas irrigators and agricultural producers are 
        suffering enormous hardships in the lower Rio Grande River 
        valley because of Mexico's failure to abide by the 1944 Water 
        Treaty entered into by the United States and Mexico;
            (2) over the last 10 years, Mexico has accumulated a 
        1,500,000-acre fee water debt to the United States which has 
        resulted in a very minimal and inadequate irrigation water 
        supply in Texas;
            (3) recent studies by Texas A&M University show that water 
        savings of 30 percent or more can be achieved by improvements 
        in irrigation system infrastructure such as canal lining and 
        metering;
            (4) on August 20, 2002, the board of directors of the North 
        American Development Bank agreed to the creation in the Bank of 
        a Water Conservation Fund, as required by Minute 308 to the 
        1944 Water Treaty, which was an agreement signed by the United 
        States and Mexico on June 28, 2002; and
            (5) the Water Conservation Fund of the North American 
        Development Bank stated that up to $80,000,000 would be 
        available for grant financing of water conservation projects, 
        which grant funds would be divided equally between the United 
        States and Mexico.
    (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) water conservation projects are eligible for funding 
        from the North American Development Bank under the Agreement 
        Between the Government of the United States of America and the 
        Government of the United Mexican States Concerning the 
        Establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation Commission 
        and a North American Development Bank; and
            (2) the Board of Directors of the North American 
        Development Bank should support qualified water conservation 
        projects which can assist Texas irrigators and agricultural 
        producers in the lower Rio Grande River Valley.
                                 <all>