Transboundary flow pollution: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Plain English Breakdown

Canada's role in this agreement is unclear since it doesn't border these rivers.

Clean Water in Border Rivers

This resolution asks the United States to work with Mexico at a meeting in 2026 to stop sewage and pollution from entering rivers near the U.S. border, and it suggests that if this doesn't happen, the agreement between these countries might not be renewed.

What This Bill Does

• Requests the United States to secure measurable commitments from Mexico to eliminate chronic transboundary sewage discharges into the Tijuana River watershed and the New River.
• Wants the U.S. to agree on clear goals with Mexico for cleaning up these rivers by setting limits on how much pollution can be released.
• Suggests that if Mexico does not meet these goals, the agreement between the United States and Mexico might end automatically.

Who It Names or Affects

• People living near the Tijuana River and New River in California
• The governments of the United States and Mexico

Terms To Know

Transboundary flow pollution

Pollution that moves across borders from one country to another.

USMCA

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a deal between the three countries about trade and other issues.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if Mexico meets the goals.
• It is unclear how Canada fits into this agreement since it doesn't border these rivers.
• This resolution only asks for action; it cannot enforce changes on its own.

Official Summary Text

SJR 13, as introduced, Padilla.
Transboundary flow pollution: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
This measure would request the United States, at the 2026 joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), to secure and publicly adopt measurable and sustained commitments from the parties to eliminate chronic transboundary sewage discharges into the Tijuana River watershed and the flow of untreated sewage, industrial effluent, and toxic pollutants through the New River from Mexicali into the County of Imperial. The measure would further request that the United States commit to automatic nonrenewal of the USMCA should there be a failure of establishing commitments, benchmarks, and timelines relating to specific numeric discharge-reduction benchmarks for both the Tijuana River watershed and the New River, investment into and enforceable timelines for completion of wastewater infrastructure projects, and annual public reporting on compliance.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF