This bill creates two major restoration programs focused on cleaning up two heavily polluted border rivers: the Tijuana River and the New River. Both rivers flow from Mexico into Southern California and have become severely contaminated with sewage, stormwater runoff, trash, and industrial waste, creating serious public health and environmental problems.

The Tijuana River situation is particularly dire. Pollution flowing from Tijuana, Mexico into the United States has caused over 1,000 consecutive days of beach closures in Imperial Beach, California, and threatens the health of Border Patrol agents working in affected areas. The bill documents that during 2024 alone, over 36 billion gallons of contaminated water crossed the border, with transboundary flows occurring on average 317 days per year. The New River, which flows from Mexicali through California's Imperial Valley into the Salton Sea, faces similar contamination challenges.

To address these crises, the bill establishes federal restoration programs that will coordinate efforts between U.S. and Mexican governments, state and local agencies, and tribal nations. The programs will develop water quality action plans, provide grants for cleanup and infrastructure projects, and require annual budget planning and progress reports. The bill also creates a border water infrastructure improvement program and emphasizes the role of the International Boundary and Water Commission in working with Mexico on solutions. Essentially, this legislation commits federal resources and coordination to tackle decades-old transboundary water pollution problems that have made beaches unsafe and threatened drinking water and ecosystems on both sides of the border.