Sponsors (2)
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Steve Daines · Last progress January 24, 2025
The bill secures substantial tribal land, confirmed water rights, large water‑infrastructure funding, and long‑term O&M mechanisms that improve tribal self‑determination and public health, but it relies on major federal spending, contingent approvals and appropriations, and contains implementation, oversight, and control limitations that create uncertainty and costs for taxpayers and some local stakeholders.
Members of the Fort Belknap Indian Community gain title and trust status to thousands of acres (including ~3,519 acres and Dodson lands), expanding tribal land base and on‑reservation governance control.
Tribal and allottee water rights are confirmed and held in trust, and the Tribe is authorized to manage, allocate, distribute, and lease water (with approvals), strengthening tribal water sovereignty and future revenue/management options.
The bill secures a long‑term water supply (including 20,000 acre‑feet/year of Lake Elwell storage) and funds major irrigation, Milk River mitigation, and delivery projects—providing substantial infrastructure for tribal agriculture, domestic water, and storage needs.
The bill authorizes very large federal spending (hundreds of millions across Milk River mitigation, irrigation programs, and a $250M Blackfeet appropriation), increasing potential taxpayer liability and federal budget pressure.
Many benefits depend on future congressional appropriations, cooperative agreements, state actions, court approvals, and tribal votes—creating significant uncertainty and the risk that promised projects may be delayed or never completed.
Restrictions and reservations (easements, cooperative‑agreement terms, mining/lease exclusions, nonreimbursability) limit tribal control or certain land uses on transferred or affected parcels and may restrict local industry opportunities.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Ratifies and implements a negotiated water-rights compact between the Fort Belknap Indian Community and the State of Montana, confirms tribal water rights held in trust, directs land transfers into trust for the Tribe, allocates a specified volume of reservoir water, and funds major irrigation rehabilitation projects. It also establishes two settlement funds with rules for use and reporting, requires environmental compliance, and conditions many actions on implementation steps and appropriations. Separately, it authorizes $250 million for planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of community water distribution and wastewater treatment systems for the Blackfeet Tribe.