Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
This bill amends the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to restructure accounts and programmatic authorities for Crow water projects. It repeals the prior MR&I System provision, creates two specified accounts (MR&I Projects Account and Crow CIP Implementation Account), clarifies permitted uses of funds, affirms tribal title and operational control of constructed infrastructure, removes any federal obligation to pay operation and maintenance, and adds indexing and technical conforming changes.
Progressives emphasize tribal sovereignty and environmental compliance benefits
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive statutory amendment that clearly specifies many legal changes (account creation, repeal, permitted uses, and redesignations) and integrates well with the existing statutory framework, but it provides only minimal problem framing, limited fiscal detail, and limited accountability provisions.
This bill amends the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to restructure accounts and programmatic authorities for Crow water projects.
It repeals the prior MR&I System provision, creates two specified accounts (MR&I Projects Account and Crow CIP Implementation Account), clarifies permitted uses of funds, affirms tribal title and operational control of constructed infrastructure, removes any federal obligation to pay operation and maintenance, and adds indexing and technical conforming changes.
Narrow, technical amendments to a specific tribal settlement typically clear Congress if funding implications are modest and stakeholders support them; appropriations and procedural timing are key caveats.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive statutory amendment that clearly specifies many legal changes (account creation, repeal, permitted uses, and redesignations) and integrates well with the existing statutory framework, but it provides only minimal problem framing, limited fiscal detail, and limited accountability provisions.
Progressives emphasize tribal sovereignty and environmental compliance benefits
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize tribal sovereignty and environmental compliance benefits
Likely broadly supportive because the bill strengthens tribal control, funds water and wastewater infrastructure, and requires environmental compliance.
However, advocates would be concerned that the federal government explicitly disclaims O&M obligations and that actual funding depends on future appropriations.
Generally favorable as a technical, implementation-focused fix to an existing settlement, clarifying account structure and eligible uses.
They will want clearer fiscal transparency, timelines, and assurances that indexing and account transfers do not create open-ended federal liabilities.
Likely cautiously supportive because the bill affirms tribal ownership, limits ongoing federal obligations, and is primarily technical.
Some conservatives will still scrutinize continued appropriations, indexing that can increase costs, and any perceived expansion of federal-directed funding.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Narrow, technical amendments to a specific tribal settlement typically clear Congress if funding implications are modest and stakeholders support them; appropriations and procedural timing are key caveats.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize tribal sovereignty and environmental compliance benefits
Narrow, technical amendments to a specific tribal settlement typically clear Congress if funding implications are modest and stakeholders s…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive statutory amendment that clearly specifies many legal changes (account creation, repeal, permitted uses, and redesignations) and integrates well with…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.