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[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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