Bill > S565

This bill establishes a comprehensive water rights settlement for the Navajo Nation in the Rio San José Stream System in New Mexico, addressing long-standing water rights claims and providing significant financial and infrastructural support. The bill creates a $200,271,000 Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement Account and a $23,000,000 Operations and Maintenance Account to be managed by the Secretary of the Interior, with funds to be used for water infrastructure development, environmental planning, well installation, and other water-related projects. The settlement includes detailed provisions for water rights usage, including allowing the Navajo Nation to allocate, distribute, and lease water rights on and off their lands, with certain restrictions. The bill also provides extensive waivers and releases of water-related claims against the United States, while retaining important environmental and future water rights protections. Notably, the settlement includes provisions protecting individual allottees' water rights and allows for potential expansion of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The bill requires the Navajo Nation to submit annual expenditure reports, prohibits per capita distributions, and sets an expiration date of July 1, 2030, if certain conditions are not met. The settlement aims to provide a comprehensive and final resolution to water rights disputes in the region, offering the Navajo Nation significant resources for water infrastructure and management.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/565/all-info