Southwest Border Regional Commission Explained

Southwest Border Regional Commission
Formed:	2008
Jurisdiction:	Federal government of the United States
Chief1 Name:	Juan Sanchez
Chief1 Position:	Federal Co-Chair

The Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) is one of seven federal regional commissions and authorities authorized by the United States Congress to address instances of major economic distress in certain defined socioeconomic regions.

History

The SBRC was created by the 2008 U.S. Farm Bill, which also created the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC). All three commissions share common authorizing language modeled after the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).^[1]

On December 6, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed Juan Sanchez, then-Director of Economic Development and Special Initiatives for Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), to serve as the first Federal Co-chairman for the SBRC.^{[1] [2]}

Service area

• Arizona: Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties.
• California: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties
• New Mexico: Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra, and Socorro counties
• Texas: Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Coke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Gillespie, Glasscock, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Shleicher, Sutton, Starr, Sterling, Terrell, Tom Green, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Winkler, Zapata, and Zavala counties

See also

• Appalachian Regional Commission
• Delta Regional Authority
• Denali Commission
• Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lawhorn. Julie M.. April 7, 2023. Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Structural Features and Function. 2022-01-11. Congressional Research Service.
2. News: Mack. Jason. Laredo native Juan Sanchez named Federal Co-Chairman of the SBRC. December 9, 2022. Laredo Morning Times. June 20, 2023. live. December 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221210213008/https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/Laredo-native-Juan-Sanchez-named-Federal-17643470.php.