Sponsors (2)
The bill directs dedicated federal MR&I funds to improve the Crow Tribe's water infrastructure and preserves Tribal ownership, while altering account management and explicitly leaving long-term operation and maintenance costs, timing control, and some administrative burdens to the Tribe and the Secretary.
The Crow Tribe and nearby rural communities gain access to MR&I Projects Account funds to plan, design, construct, operate, and repair water production, treatment, and delivery systems, improving local water infrastructure and services.
The Crow Tribe retains title, control, and operational authority over projects funded under the bill, preserving Tribal ownership and self-determination for water systems.
The Crow Tribe can use funds to ensure MR&I activities comply with environmental laws, helping projects meet regulatory standards and protect community health and local ecosystems.
The federal government explicitly disclaims obligation to pay for operation, maintenance, or replacement of MR&I Projects, leaving the Crow Tribe responsible for longer-term O&M costs and potential financial burdens.
Depositing previously joint-account funds into Secretary-managed accounts and related changes may reduce the Tribe's direct control over the timing of distributions and make some funding decisions subject to Secretary actions.
Shifting funds into new accounts and implementing indexing adjustments could delay access to funds while administrative transfers and indexing computations occur, slowing project starts or cashflow for the Tribe.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Recasts MR&I from a single System into discrete Projects, creates an MR&I Projects Account, and clarifies fund management, permissible uses, and title/operations for water infrastructure.
Official title: Amend the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to make improvements to that Act, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Steve Daines · Last progress December 15, 2025
Revises the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act to replace a single MR&I “System” concept with discrete MR&I “Projects,” creates a dedicated MR&I Projects Account inside the Crow Settlement Fund, and clarifies how the Fund is managed, invested, and distributed by the Secretary. The change lets the Tribe use MR&I Projects Account money for planning, permitting, designing, constructing, reconstructing, replacing, rehabilitating, operating, repairing, and complying with environmental laws for water production, treatment, and delivery infrastructure. The amendments rename and update definitions and cross-references, repeal the prior MR&I System provision, reorganize account structure and permissible uses, and add provisions clarifying ownership/title and long-term operation responsibilities for projects funded from the new account.