[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 254 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 254
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
January 8, 2003
Mr. Bereuter (for himself, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr.
Ose, Mr. Royce, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Grijalva, and Mr. Ortiz)
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.
(a) In General.--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; 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.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--Section 1(b) of such public law is amended
in the table of contents by inserting after the item relating to
section 544 the following:
``Sec. 545. Authority to agree to certain amendments to the Border
Environment Cooperation Agreement.''.
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 Investment 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 the North American
Development Bank agreed to the creation in the Bank of a Water
Conservation Investment 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 Investment 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 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.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS RELATING TO UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR
NADBANK PROJECTS WHICH FINANCE WATER CONSERVATION IN THE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA.
It is the sense of the Congress that the Board of the North
American Development Bank should support--
(1) the development of qualified water conservation
projects in southern California and other eligible areas in the
4 United States border States, including the conjunctive use
and storage of surface and ground water, delivery system
conservation, the re-regulation of reservoirs, improved
irrigation practices, wastewater reclamation, regional water
management modeling, operational and optimization studies to
improve water conservation, and cross-border water exchanges
consistent with treaties; and
(2) new water supply research and projects along the Mexico
border in southern California and other eligible areas in the 4
United States border States to desalinate ocean seawater and
brackish surface and groundwater, and dispose of or manage the
brines resulting from desalination.
SEC. 5. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS RELATING TO UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR
NADBANK PROJECTS FOR WHICH FINANCE WATER CONSERVATION FOR
IRRIGATORS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN THE SOUTHWEST
UNITED STATES.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Irrigators and agricultural producers are suffering
enormous hardships in the southwest United States. The border
States of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas are
suffering from one of the worst droughts in history. In
Arizona, this is the second driest period in recorded history
and the worst since 1904.
(2) In spite of decades of water conservation in the
southwest United States, irrigated agriculture uses more than
60 percent of surface and ground water.
(3) The most inadequate water supplies in the United States
are in the Southwest, including the lower Colorado River basin
and the Great Plains River basins south of the Platte River. In
these areas, 70 percent of the water taken from the stream is
not returned.
(4) The amount of water being pumped out of groundwater
sources in many areas is greater than the amount being
replenished, thus depleting the groundwater supply.
(5) On August 20, 2002, the Board of the North American
Development Bank agreed to the creation in the bank of a Water
Conservation Investment Fund.
(6) The Water Conservation Investment 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;
(2) the Board of the North American Development Bank should
support qualified water conservation projects that can assist
irrigators and agricultural producers; and
(3) the Board of the North American Development Bank should
take into consideration the needs of all of the border states
before approving funding for water projects, and strive to fund
water conservation projects in each of the border states.
SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL SENSES OF THE CONGRESS.
(a) It is the sense of the Congress that the Board of the North
American Development Bank should support the financing of projects, on
both sides of the international boundary between the United States and
Mexico, which address coastal issues and the problem of pollution in
both countries having an environmental impact along the Pacific Ocean
and Gulf of Mexico shores of the United States and Mexico.
(b) It is the sense of the Congress that the Board of the North
American Development Bank should support the financing of projects, on
both sides of the international boundary between the United States and
Mexico, which address air pollution.
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