H.R. 10113House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

South Texas Agriculture Emergency Assistance Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 7:52 PM UTC

The South Texas Agriculture Emergency Assistance Act provides federal financial help to Texas farmers with land along the Rio Grande who lost crops in 2023‑2024 because Mexico did not deliver water as required by the 1944 water treaty. The USDA will give a grant to the Texas Department of Agriculture to distribute the aid, targeting producers who can document actual losses. The program is funded with $280 million from Treasury funds.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Agriculture must grant funds to Texas, administered through the Texas Department of Agriculture, for producers along the Rio Grande affected by water shortages.
Assistance amounts are proportional to each producer’s documented loss for the 2023‑2024 crop years.
The grant is to be administered using the same process as the grant under Public Law 107‑206, section 102.
An appropriation of $280 million is set aside for this program.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H6806)

December 11, 2024

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

November 12, 2024

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

November 12, 2024

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.

General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee

November 22, 2024

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H6806)

December 11, 2024

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 10113 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Monica De La CruzR-TX-15 · Dec 11, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a truly remarkable woman from Alamo, Texas, Clemencia Esteviz, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday on November 22. From her early days at working in the…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a truly remarkable woman from Alamo, Texas, Clemencia Esteviz, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday on November 22.

From her early days at working in the fields to her dedicated service to the Diocese of Brownsville, Clemencia has lived a life filled with resilience, hard work, and unwavering devotion to her family and to others.

Her family treasures the warmth that she brings to every Christmas gathering, where her tamale-making traditions have created many cherished memories for generations. She has extended her nurturing spirit beyond her immediate family, raising her niece's child as her own.

I wish Clemencia a happy birthday and congratulate her on this incredible milestone.

Emergency Aid

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm for our farmers in south Texas and American food security. South Texas farmers are facing a crisis due to the Mexican Government's failure to honor its water obligations under the 1944 water treaty. This neglect has left over 960,000 acre-feet of water undelivered, devastating our agricultural sector.

The Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, after 50 years, has shut down, taking 500 American jobs with it. Our citrus and our vegetable farmers have seen millions in losses, and row crop yields are down 40 percent. Without immediate action, more livelihoods will be destroyed.

Keep in mind, Mr. Speaker, food security is national security. That is why I have introduced H.R. 10113, the South Texas Agriculture Emergency Assistance Act. This bill provides $280 million in emergency aid to our farmers.

Earlier in 2024, water was selling for around $300 per acre-foot. At that amount, the value of the water deficit is about $280 million, the amount we are requesting in emergency aid. This does not come close to equaling the losses to producers, but it is a starting point for funds needed to aid the region.

Mr. Speaker, I urge leadership to include this legislation in any emergency aid bill that comes to the floor.

Let's stand with our farmers and ensure that they have the resources to recover and thrive, which ultimately means American farmers feed American citizens and that we do not depend on foreign actors for our food.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued November 12, 2024

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10113

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 12, 2024

Ms. De La Cruz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To financially assist certain agricultural producers in the State of Texas with farming operations along the Rio Grande.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the South Texas Agriculture Emergency Assistance Act.

Financial assistance to certain agricultural producers along the Rio Grande

(a)

In General

The Secretary of Agriculture shall make a grant to the State of Texas, acting through the Texas Department of Agriculture, to provide assistance to agricultural producers in the State of Texas with farming operations along the Rio Grande who have suffered economic losses during crop years 2023 through 2024 due to the failure of Mexico to deliver water annually to the United States in accordance with the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, and Supplementary Protocol signed November 14, 1944, signed at Washington on February 3, 1944 (59 Stat. 1219; TS 944).

(b)

Amount of Assistance

The amount of assistance provided to individual agricultural producers under this section shall be proportional to the amount of actual losses described in subsection (a) that were incurred by the producers.

(c)

Procedure

The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out the grant required under subsection (a) in the same manner as the grant required under section 102 of Public Law 107–206.

(d)

Appropriation

There is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $280,000,000 to the Department of Agriculture for purposes of carrying out the grant required under subsection (a).