[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 46 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 46
Concerning the establishment of a Joint Commission for the United
States-Mexico Border Region.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 1993
Mr. Richardson submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Energy and
Commerce, and Public Works and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Concerning the establishment of a Joint Commission for the United
States-Mexico Border Region.
Whereas the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will increase the flow
of commerce and trade between the United States and Mexico;
Whereas the lack of environmental facilities, enforcement, and economic growth
in the United States-Mexico border region has caused widespread public
health problems and environmental problems, including serious
degradation of air quality, quality and availability of transboundary
ground water and surface water supplies, and soil quality;
Whereas increased levels of commerce, trade, and economic development under
NAFTA will exacerbate the existing public health problems and
environmental problems in such border region;
Whereas, although economic growth under NAFTA will also create more resources to
protect the environment in such border region, such resources will not
make an immediate or significant reduction in the border region's public
health problems and environmental problems;
Whereas such health and environmental problems will necessitate expanding the
level of bilateral environmental cooperation between the United States
and Mexico;
Whereas one method of bilateral environmental cooperation would be to establish
a joint commission aimed at complimenting the activities of the
International Boundary and Water Commission, alleviating public health
problems and environmental problems in the United States-Mexico border
region, and expanding bilateral environmental cooperation on a
nationwide basis;
Whereas there has been great concern expressed both in the United States and in
Mexico that insufficient financial resources exist at the Federal levels
in both nations to deal with the public health problems and
environmental problems in such border region;
Whereas the best alternative to Federal funding for projects to alleviate public
health problems and environmental problems in such border region is to
establish access to the international capital markets for public and
private financial organizations with the power to incur and issue debt;
Whereas the establishment of access to the international capital markets for
public and private financial organizations would initially require a
form of credit enhancement for any debt instruments issued by such
organizations;
Whereas the debt instruments issued by such organizations would be used to fund
projects to create, replace, or improve the environmental infrastructure
facilities in the United States-Mexico border region;
Whereas the users of environmental infrastructure facilities in both the United
States and Mexico would be the revenue base for the repayment on such
instruments issued by such organizations;
Whereas currently no means of credit enhancement exist to guarantee the debt of
such organizations;
Whereas there is mutual agreement between the United States and Mexico to
increase technical assistance provided between the two nations relating
to environmental issues;
Whereas there is a need to promote greater public participation and public
disclosure relating to public health issues and environmental issues in
the United States-Mexico border region, including requiring businesses
located in the Mexican part of such border region to comply with
reporting requirements similar to the hazardous substances reporting
requirements under United States Federal law; and
Whereas there is a need to promote greater voluntary service and corporate
philanthropy in such border region: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This concurrent resolution may be cited as the ``Joint Commission
for the United States-Mexico Border Region Resolution''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BILATERAL COMMISSION.
(a) In General.--The Congress urges the President to reach an
agreement with Mexico on the establishment of a joint commission (in
this concurrent resolution referred to as the ``Commission'') between
the United States and Mexico to help alleviate public health problems
and environmental problems in the United States-Mexico border region
caused by the lack of environmental infrastructure capacity in such
border region, the growing shortages of ground and surface water
resources shared by both nations, and by the increased levels of
commerce, trade, and economic development under the North American Free
Trade Agreement (in this concurrent resolution referred to as
``NAFTA'').
(b) Time Limit.--The agreement described in subsection (a) should
be reached not later than the effective date of the legislation
implementing NAFTA.
SEC. 3. COMPOSITION.
The Commission should be composed of 12 members, 6 of whom should
represent the United States and 6 of whom should represent Mexico. Of
the 6 members representing the United States, the President should
appoint--
(1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency as the head of the United States delegation;
(2) the Commissioner of the United States section of the
International Boundary and Water Commission; and
(3) one representative from--
(A) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(B) the Department of the Interior;
(C) the Department of Housing and Urban
Development; and
(D) the Department of Agriculture.
SEC. 4. DUTIES.
(a) Border Environmental Guaranty Fund.--The Commission should
establish and oversee a Border Environmental Guaranty Fund (in this
concurrent resolution referred to as the ``Fund'') to provide financial
guarantees for the repayment of debt instruments issued by public and
private financial organizations, the proceeds of which are used to fund
projects to create, replace, or improve the environmental
infrastructure in the United States-Mexico border region. The Fund
should meet the following requirements:
(1) The United States and Mexico should each contribute not
less than $100,000,000 to the Fund.
(2) The obligations of the Fund should not have any
guaranty, express or implied, of the United States Government.
(3) The guaranty of the Fund should confer on underlying
debt instruments issued by public and private financial
organizations the lowest investment grade ratings from
independent and internationally recognized securities rating
organizations for the purpose of leveraging the Fund to the
maximum extent possible so that the greatest possible ratio
exists between the amount of debt guaranteed by the Fund and
the amount of capital in the Fund.
(4) The Fund should have a board of directors to provide
financial management of the Fund and management of projects
guaranteed by the Fund. The board should be composed of 10
members, 5 of whom should represent the United States and 5 of
whom should represent Mexico.
(5) Members of the board should be reimbursed for
reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their duties, and
such expenses should be paid for equally by both the United
States and Mexico.
(6) The board should be provided with an independent staff
in order to carry out its duties in a prudent and timely
manner.
(b) Technical Cooperation Program.--The Commission should establish
a program to provide for technical assistance and the exchange of
personnel for environmental coordination activities between the United
States and Mexico (including the provision of technical assistance to
Mexico from representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency and
other relevant Federal agencies), including training in activities such
as environmental impact assessment, the development of environmental
standards, enforcement of such standards, pollution prevention and
control, the control of the use of pesticides, waste management,
response to chemical emergencies, toxic emissions reporting, marine
pollution, conservation activities, and urban planning and
infrastructure development.
(c) Procedures to Promote Increased Public Participation and Public
Disclosure Relating to Public Health and Environmental Issues.--The
Commission should establish procedures to promote increased public
participation and public disclosure relating to public health issues
and environmental issues in the United States-Mexico border region. In
establishing such procedures, the Commission should meet the following
requirements:
(1) The Commission should establish no fewer than 2
regional border offices to foster community outreach, public
participation, and border volunteer initiatives in the United
States-Mexico border region.
(2) The Commission should be given the authority to require
businesses located in the Mexican part of the United States-
Mexico border region to comply with reporting requirements
similar to those described in the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11001 note).
(3) The Commission should consult with the Border
Environmental Public Advisory Committee of the Environmental
Protection Agency so that expertise from the private and public
sectors is readily available to the Commission in the areas of
public health, agriculture, housing and urban development,
conservation, and public voluntary service.
(d) United States-Mexico Border Region Volunteer Service.--The
Commission should, in conjunction with the Commission on National and
Community Service, establish a United States-Mexico Border Volunteer
Service, which--
(1) in cooperation with the Small Business Administration,
should work to expand the activities of the Senior Corps of
Retired Executives (SCORE) in the fields of public health,
civil engineering, environmental sciences, urban planning, and
architecture;
(2) should provide assistance and advice to border area
not-for-profit organizations on projects aimed at addressing
the array of environmental health, housing, and social service
needs of the United States-Mexico border region; and
(3) should promote initiatives aimed at increasing the
level of corporate philanthropy among businesses in the United
States-Mexico border region for the purpose of alleviating
public health problems and environmental problems in such
border region.
SEC. 5. POWERS.
(a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission should, for the purpose
of carrying out its duties under section 4, hold hearings, sit and act
at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the
Commission considers appropriate, including holding hearings on all
matters and issues under the jurisdiction of the International Boundary
and Water Commission. All such hearings should be open to the public.
(b) Appointment of Investigatory Boards.--The Commission should
appoint 1 or more boards composed of qualified individuals to conduct
on the behalf of the Commission investigations and studies which the
Commission determines necessary to provide oversight of the Fund
described in section 4(a) and the technical cooperation program
described in section 4(b).
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
The Commission should submit an annual report to both the United
States Government and the Government of Mexico regarding all activities
of the Commission during the current year.
SEC. 7. UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER REGION DEFINED.
For purposes of this concurrent resolution, the term ``United
States-Mexico border region'' means the area located in the United
States and Mexico within approximately 65 miles of the border between
the United States and Mexico.
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