A bill to authorize the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works, and for other purposes.
The bill would authorize the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept funds from both Federal and non-Federal sources to study, design, construct, operate, or maintain wastewater treatment facilities, water conservation projects, and flood control works, along with related structures. Funds accepted would be deposited into the IBWC’s U.S./Mexico account in the Treasury and would remain available until expended. The measure also places limits and safeguards: it caps the amount of credit or reimbursement to non-Federal entities for funds accepted at $5 million per fiscal year, prohibits accepting funds from non-Federal entities tied to “foreign countries of concern,” and requires annual reporting to Congress about the funds and projects supported. The bill defines key terms such as “Commission” and “foreign country of concern.” Introduced by Senator Padilla in the Senate (June 11, 2025) and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, the bill aims to broaden funding options for binational water and flood-control infrastructure while preserving oversight and security.
Key Points
- 1Authorization to accept funds: The IBWC is authorized to accept funds from Federal or non-Federal sources, including through grants or funding agreements, to study, design, construct, operate, or maintain wastewater treatment works, water conservation projects, or flood control works and related structures.
- 2Fund deposit and availability: Funds accepted under this authority would be deposited into the Treasury account titled “International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico” and would remain available until expended to carry out the described activities.
- 3Credit/reimbursement limitations: The Commission may not provide credit toward the non-Federal share of project costs, nor reimburse non-Federal entities for funds accepted under this section, in an amount that exceeds $5,000,000 in any fiscal year.
- 4Source restrictions: The Commission may not accept funds from non-Federal entities that are domiciled in, headquartered in, organized under the laws of, or primarily located in a foreign country of concern, or from entities that have any agreement with a foreign country of concern.
- 5Reporting: The Commission must annually report to specified Senate and House committees on the funds accepted, activities funded, and associated costs.
- 6Definitions: Defines “Commission” as the United States Section of the IBWC (U.S. and Mexico) and defines “foreign country of concern” per another statute (as referenced in the bill).