Bill > S637

This bill amends the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act to make several key improvements to the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The bill increases the total project authorization from $870 million to $2.175 billion for fiscal years 2009-2029, and extends various deadlines for project completion. It establishes three new trust funds: a Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, a Navajo Nation Operations, Maintenance, and Replacement Trust Fund, and a Jicarilla Apache Nation Operations, Maintenance, and Replacement Trust Fund. The bill allows for deferred construction of project facilities, creates a mechanism for the Navajo Nation to save on construction and maintenance costs, and expands the project's service area to include additional communities in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. It also provides for the transfer of certain land parcels into trust for the Navajo Nation, clarifies taxation rules for project facilities, and allows for the potential development of renewable energy and hydroelectric power within the project. Additionally, the bill provides a framework for the Navajo Nation to provide non-Project water to communities in Utah, subject to specific conditions and limitations, and extends the deadlines for certain water rights settlement provisions.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/637/all-info