S 458 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Southwest Regional Border Authority Act

Introduced Feb 26, 2003 Originated Senate Sponsor Jeff Bingaman D-NM

Latest action · Feb 26, 2003 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2850-2855)

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

IntroducedFeb 26, 2003
Passed SenateNot reached
Passed HouseNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Southwest Regional Border Authority Act - Establishes the Southwest Regional Border Authority to: (1) develop plans and programs for the economic development of the Southwest border region (specified counties in California, New Mexico, and Texas); (2) conduct and sponsor investigations, research, and studies of the resources of the region; (3) sponsor up to ten authorized demonstration projects; (4) enhance the capacity of and support for local development districts or, if there is no such district for a portion of the region, foster the creation of one; (5) review, study, and recommend appropriate modifications to Federal, State, and local development programs for the region; (6) formulate and recommend interstate compacts and other forms of interstate and international cooperation; (7) encourage private investment in the region; (8) provide a forum for the consideration of problems of the region; (9) establish and use citizens, special advisory counsels, and public conferences; and (10) provide for the avoidance of duplication of efforts among the border programs of Federal agencies and the programs established under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Authorizes the Authority to approve grants for regional infrastructure development and improvement, technology development and deployment, community development and entrepreneurship, and education and workforce development. Provides funding. Requires the Authority to allocate at least 60 percent of the amounts authorized under this Act for programs and projects to serve the needs of distressed counties and isolated areas of distress within counties along the international border between the United States and Mexico. Authorizes the Authority to increase the Federal share to up to 90 percent of a project's total cost (to aid communities that could not otherwise meet matching funds requirements). Requires the Authority to make grants to local development districts for administrative expenses.

Directs the Authority, for purposes of grant assistance, to designate within the region distressed counties, economically strong counties, attainment counties, competitive counties, and isolated areas of distress.

Requires each affected State to submit to the Authority an annual development plan for the appropriate State area within the region.

Cosponsors 3

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 26, 2003 to May 21, 2003; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
D-CA	Barbara Boxer	Original	Feb 26, 2003
R-TX	Kay Bailey Hutchison	Original	Feb 26, 2003
D-CA	Dianne Feinstein		May 21, 2003

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
Senate	Environment and Public Works Committee	Referred Feb 26, 2003

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

Feb 26, 2003Introduced in Senate
Feb 26, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2849-2850)
Feb 26, 2003Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2850-2855)

In the Congressional Record 2

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

Where	In the Record	Members	Date
Senate	Debate and remarks S2884	Jeff Bingaman D-NM	Feb 27, 2003
Senate	Debate and remarks S2849Text printed S2850–S2855	Jeff Bingaman D-NM (text)	Feb 26, 2003

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

CRS reports 1

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 1

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Product	Title	Kind	Published
R45997	Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Structural Features and Function	Report	Sep 17, 2026

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
HR 1071	Southwest Regional Border Authority Act	Related bill	Jun 18, 2003

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: A bill to establish the Southwest Regional Border Authority.
Short Titles as Introduced: Southwest Regional Border Authority Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Economics and Public Finance.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Feb 26, 2003Introduced in Senate

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.