In committee
WATER for Farmers Act
This bill enforces annual water deliveries from Mexico under the 1944 Rio Grande treaty by placing U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico fails to send at least 350,000 acre-feet of water in any given year. The resulting tariff revenue would be deposited into a dedicated trust fund to pay direct financial compensation to South Texas farmers and agricultural businesses hurt by water shortages. Import duties would target Mexican agricultural products and escalate for consecutive years of missed deliveries until all water deficits are fully resolved.
People affected—not determinable from the text provided; impacts agricultural producers in South Texas / the Rio Grande Valley as well as importers and consumers of targeted Mexican goods, but no population figures are stated
Fiscal magnitude—no CBO estimate published
Reach54provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Farm policy & subsidies+45Trade & tariffs−45
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Agricultural producers in the Rio Grande ValleyEligible to receive direct financial compensation from the newly created South Texas Agricultural Compensation Trust Fund for economic losses caused by water delivery shortfalls from Mexico.
Who it burdens
- Importers of Mexican goodsSubject to new or increased import duties on goods imported from Mexico—prioritizing agricultural products and goods produced in the Rio Grande basin—if Mexico fails to meet annual water delivery requirements.
- Department of StateRequired to determine annual water shortfall status within 30 days of the end of each treaty year and take actions to formalize a 350,000 acre-foot annual delivery requirement under the 1944 Water Treaty.
- Office of the United States Trade RepresentativeRequired to select and impose duties on Mexican imports within 90 days of a water shortfall determination, prioritize certain goods, and escalate duty rates or categories for consecutive shortfall years.
- Department of AgricultureRequired within 90 days of a shortfall to calculate regional agricultural economic losses using a statutory formula and distribute direct compensation payments to affected farmers from the Trust Fund.
- U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water CommissionRequired to collect, monitor, and publish monthly public reports detailing water delivery levels, shortfall calculations, and compensation payment statuses.
Who backs it
- Importers of Mexican goodsTariff duties paid on imports of Mexican goods directly finance the South Texas Agricultural Compensation Trust Fund to pay compensation to affected farmers.