Sponsors (2)
The bill directs dedicated federal funding and preserves Tribal ownership to upgrade Crow water infrastructure and meet environmental standards, but shifts account management to the Secretary and leaves tribes responsible for long‑term O&M, creating potential delays and financial burdens for Tribal communities.
Crow Tribe and other local tribal and rural communities gain federal MR&I funds they can use to plan, design, construct, operate, and repair water production, treatment, and delivery systems, improving local water infrastructure and access.
Crow Tribe retains title, control, and operation of projects funded under the program, preserving Tribal ownership and self-determination over their water systems.
Projects funded may use appropriations to meet environmental and public health laws and standards, helping Crow water systems comply with regulations and protect community health and the environment.
Crow Tribe (and other local beneficiaries) remain responsible for operation, maintenance, and replacement costs after construction, meaning tribes must fund long‑term O&M and capital renewal without federal obligation to pay those ongoing expenses.
Moving previously joint-account funds into Secretary-managed, indexed accounts and creating new account structures shifts administrative control to the Secretary, which may reduce Tribal control over timing of distributions and cause delays while transfers, indexing computations, and Secretary actions take place.
Extending certain statutory timeframes (e.g., from 15 to 20 years) can postpone deadlines or obligations tied to funding schedules, potentially delaying project milestones or accountability timelines for tribes and the Department.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Replaces an MR&I "System" with MR&I "Projects," creates a dedicated MR&I Projects Account in the Crow Settlement Fund, and clarifies permissible uses, management, and long-term operations for project funds.
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Steve Daines · Last progress December 15, 2025
Amends the Crow Tribe water settlement law to replace a single MR&I “System” approach with discrete MR&I “Projects,” create a dedicated MR&I Projects Account inside the Crow Settlement Fund, and clarify how those funds are managed, invested, and used. The Secretary of the Interior is given explicit authority to manage, invest, and distribute the Crow Settlement Fund and to make amounts in the new MR&I Projects Account available for planning, design, construction, operation, and compliance activities for water production, treatment, and delivery infrastructure. The changes update definitions, repeal the prior MR&I System provision, relocate funding authorities into the new account, and add provisions clarifying title and long-term operations for projects paid from the account. The bill mainly reorganizes program structure and funding flows to enable Tribally controlled expenditures on water infrastructure and related environmental compliance, while leaving appropriation triggers and certain funding sources in existing funding provisions.