Bill > HR5709

This bill amends the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act to expand and extend the transboundary aquifer assessment program. Specifically, the bill modifies the geographic scope of priority aquifers by adding Arizona to the list of states eligible for assessment, with a specific exclusion for the Yuma groundwater basin. The legislation also updates the funding authorization, replacing the previous appropriation of $50 million for fiscal years 2007-2016 with a new authorization of $1,500,000 annually for fiscal years 2026-2033. Additionally, the bill updates the sunset provision by referencing the new "Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program Act" (TAAP Act) as the point of reference for when the authority expires. A transboundary aquifer is an underground water source that crosses the border between two countries, and this bill aims to continue scientific assessment and understanding of these critical water resources shared between the United States and Mexico, with a focus on states in the southwestern United States.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5709/all-info