Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The WATER for Farmers Act addresses water delivery disputes under the 1944 treaty between the United States and Mexico governing the Rio Grande River. The bill requires Mexico to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States, and establishes a mechanism to determine when Mexico falls short of this obligation. When delivery shortfalls are identified, the U.S. Trade Representative can impose tariffs on Mexican imports, with increased tariffs for consecutive years of non-compliance. Revenue from these tariffs funds a South Texas Agricultural Compensation Trust Fund, which provides direct payments to farmers and agricultural producers in the Rio Grande Valley who suffer economic losses from water delivery shortfalls. The Secretary of Agriculture must calculate compensation within 90 days of a shortfall determination based on the volume of missing water, the economic value per acre-foot, and an impact multiplier that accounts for indirect economic effects like job losses and business closures. The bill also requires monthly public reporting of water delivery data and shortfall calculations by the International Boundary and Water Commission.
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