Bill > HR5935

This bill establishes a comprehensive water rights settlement for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in California, addressing multiple complex legal and water management issues. The bill authorizes a settlement that confirms the tribe's water rights in the Indio Subbasin, quantifying their groundwater rights at 20,000 acre-feet per year with a priority date dating back to 1876-1877. It creates an Agua Caliente Settlement Trust Fund with $500 million distributed across four accounts to support water development projects, groundwater augmentation, water management, and infrastructure maintenance. The bill also transfers approximately 2,742 acres of federal land into trust for the tribe, allows the Coachella Valley Water District to purchase specific facility lands, and establishes a framework for the tribe to impose a possessory interest tax in lieu of county property taxes. Importantly, the legislation includes comprehensive waivers of water-related claims against the United States, water districts, and other entities, while preserving certain environmental and cultural resource protections. The bill aims to provide a fair, equitable, and final resolution to long-standing water rights disputes, offering benefits to the tribe, its members, and local water agencies while establishing clear guidelines for future water use and management.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5935/all-info