WATER for Farmers Act
Sponsored By: Representative De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]
Introduced
Summary
The WATER for Farmers Act would create a treaty-backed system to ensure reliable Rio Grande deliveries from Mexico and to compensate South Texas agricultural producers when deliveries fall short. It links minimum annual deliveries to trade penalties and a dedicated compensation fund to make farmers whole for verified losses.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Payments for Rio Grande farmers
If enacted, the Secretary of Agriculture would calculate payments for Rio Grande Valley producers within 90 days of a treaty shortfall. Payments would equal the shortfall in acre-feet times a dollar value per acre-foot times an impact multiplier. The bill would create a South Texas Agricultural Compensation Trust Fund in Treasury. Treasury would transfer into the fund amounts equal to duties collected under the law. Money in the fund would be available without further appropriation and could earn interest.
Tariffs tied to treaty shortfalls
If enacted, the bill would set a minimum delivery of 350,000 acre-feet each year in a five-year cycle and require the Secretary of State to check deliveries within 30 days after each year. If the Secretary of State declares a year a shortfall, the U.S. Trade Representative would impose duties on imports from Mexico starting 90 days after that declaration. Duties would end 30 days after the Secretary certifies Mexico has remedied past shortfalls. For consecutive shortfall years, USTR would increase duties by raising rates or widening covered categories, and would prioritize agricultural and Rio Grande-area goods.
Treaty consistency and legal rights
If enacted, the bill would require that it be applied in a way consistent with the 1944 Water Treaty. It would also say that nothing in the bill would be read to reduce any right or remedy under federal or state law or other international agreements, except as the bill itself requires.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]
TX • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/29/2026
Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/29/2026
Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/29/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov