United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act
Public Law 109-448 · S. 214 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 22, 2006 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Pete Domenici, Sen. Jon Kyl
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act - (Sec. 3) Defines specified terms.
(Sec. 4) Establishes a United States-Mexico transboundary aquifer assessment program to characterize, map, and model groundwater resources along the border. Describes as the program's objectives to: (1) develop an integrated approach to assess priority transboundary aquifers, including creating or enhancing a geographic information system database for each priority aquifer; (2) consider expanding existing agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey, the participating states (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), the water resources research institutes, and appropriate U.S. and Mexican authorities to conduct joint scientific investigations and archive and share relevant data; and (3) produce scientific products for each priority aquifer to provide water managers and natural resource agencies with necessary information.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate as priority transboundary aquifers the: (1) Hueco Bolson and Mesilla aquifers; (2) Santa Cruz River Valley aquifers; and (3) San Pedro aquifers.
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) designate additional aquifers which underlie Texas or New Mexico; and (2) provide grants or enter into agreements with water resources research institutes and participating state entities to carry out the program.
Directs the Secretary to develop partnerships with relevant organizations in Mexico to carry out the program.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to: (1) coordinate activities with water resource agencies in the participating states, affected Indian tribes, and other entities conducting monitoring and metering activities, including the International Boundary and Water Commission; and (2) work with participating state water resource agencies, water resources research institutes, and other relevant entities to develop a study plan, timeline, and cost estimate for each priority transboundary aquifer to be studied under the program.
Prohibits the Secretary from initiating any field studies before consulting and coordinating with the participating state water resource agency with jurisdiction over the aquifer.
(Sec. 6) Prohibits anything in this Act from affecting: (1) the jurisdiction or responsibility of a participating state with respect to managing its surface or groundwater resources; (2) the water rights of any person or entity using water from a transboundary aquifer; or (3) state water law, or an interstate compact or international treaty governing water.
Prohibits anything in this Act from delaying or altering the implementation or operation of any works constructed, modified, acquired, or used within the territorial limits of the United States relating to the waters governed by the Treaty Between the United States and Mexico Regarding Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, Treaty Series 994.
(Sec. 7) Sets forth program reporting requirements.
(Sec. 8) Authorizes FY2006-FY2016 appropriations. Obligates 50% of such funds for entities in the participating states (including Sandia National Laboratories, state agencies, universities, the Tri-Regional Planning Group, and other relevant organizations) and Mexico to conduct program activities, including the binational collection and exchange of scientific data.
(Sec. 9) Terminates the Secretary's authority under this Act 10 years after its enactment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 469Identical billText similarities
United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 25 actions.
- Dec 22, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-448.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 20, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 9, 2006Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 214.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Drake moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- May 10, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 1, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
- Jul 27, 2005FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
- Jul 26, 2005FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 7, 2005CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 28.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 109-17.
- Feb 9, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 31, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3280)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1585SenateSen. Jeff BingamanD-NM· offered Jul 26, 2005Agreed to
To designate the San Pedro aquifers as priority transboundary aquifers.
Jul 26, 2005: Amendment SA 1585 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.