This bill, titled the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, aims to amend the existing Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to facilitate the implementation of the underlying Settlement Agreement. It introduces new definitions, including the "Mitigation Well System" for offsetting surface water depletion and clarifies the scope of "Pueblo Trust Funds" to include newly established accounts. A significant provision is the establishment of two new trust funds: the Taos Pueblo Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund and the Taos Pueblo Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund . These funds are designated to support the Pueblo in developing groundwater infrastructure and facilitating surface water sharing infrastructure and gages, respectively, consistent with the Settlement Agreement. The bill outlines how these funds will be managed, invested, and used by the Pueblo. The legislation also provides substantial supplemental funding for Mutual-Benefit Projects , authorizing the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to provide financial assistance to Eligible Non-Pueblo Entities. These projects, which may include water treatment and the Mitigation Well System, are subject to strict deadlines for expenditure and construction. Failure to meet these deadlines can result in termination of funding and the requirement to return unexpended amounts. Crucially, the bill allows for the funding of alternative or interim offset infrastructure if primary projects, particularly those related to the Mitigation Well System, face delays or non-compliance. This ensures that surface water depletion effects can still be offset, either through projects off-Pueblo lands by other entities or on-Pueblo lands by the Pueblo itself, with no non-Federal cost share required for Pueblo-led projects. This flexibility is vital for maintaining the integrity of the settlement's environmental objectives. To support these initiatives, the bill mandates significant appropriations from the Treasury. It allocates $161,000,000 for supplemental Mutual-Benefit Projects, $190,000,000 for the Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund, and $16,000,000 for the Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund. These amounts are subject to adjustment based on construction cost indices to account for inflation and market volatility. Finally, the Act clarifies that its provisions do not affect previously satisfied conditions precedent of the original settlement or require amendments to the Settlement Agreement or Partial Final Decree for its implementation.
Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
USA119th CongressHR-6205| House
| Updated: 11/20/2025
This bill, titled the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, aims to amend the existing Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to facilitate the implementation of the underlying Settlement Agreement. It introduces new definitions, including the "Mitigation Well System" for offsetting surface water depletion and clarifies the scope of "Pueblo Trust Funds" to include newly established accounts. A significant provision is the establishment of two new trust funds: the Taos Pueblo Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund and the Taos Pueblo Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund . These funds are designated to support the Pueblo in developing groundwater infrastructure and facilitating surface water sharing infrastructure and gages, respectively, consistent with the Settlement Agreement. The bill outlines how these funds will be managed, invested, and used by the Pueblo. The legislation also provides substantial supplemental funding for Mutual-Benefit Projects , authorizing the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to provide financial assistance to Eligible Non-Pueblo Entities. These projects, which may include water treatment and the Mitigation Well System, are subject to strict deadlines for expenditure and construction. Failure to meet these deadlines can result in termination of funding and the requirement to return unexpended amounts. Crucially, the bill allows for the funding of alternative or interim offset infrastructure if primary projects, particularly those related to the Mitigation Well System, face delays or non-compliance. This ensures that surface water depletion effects can still be offset, either through projects off-Pueblo lands by other entities or on-Pueblo lands by the Pueblo itself, with no non-Federal cost share required for Pueblo-led projects. This flexibility is vital for maintaining the integrity of the settlement's environmental objectives. To support these initiatives, the bill mandates significant appropriations from the Treasury. It allocates $161,000,000 for supplemental Mutual-Benefit Projects, $190,000,000 for the Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund, and $16,000,000 for the Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund. These amounts are subject to adjustment based on construction cost indices to account for inflation and market volatility. Finally, the Act clarifies that its provisions do not affect previously satisfied conditions precedent of the original settlement or require amendments to the Settlement Agreement or Partial Final Decree for its implementation.