Sponsors (2)
Establishes two subaccounts and requires annual Treasury deposits ($45M and $250M) through 2035 to fund Indian water settlement obligations without further appropriation.
Official title: Amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to establish subaccounts in the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 24, 2026 by Ben Ray Luján · Last progress June 24, 2026
The bill secures predictable, faster federal funding to fulfill tribal water settlements and enable future agreements, at the cost of significant new federal spending and giving the Interior Secretary discretion that may reduce transparency and reallocate certain settlement funds.
Tribal nations (indigenous-tribal-communities and tribal-lands-residents) receive predictable, dedicated federal funding — $45M/year for operations plus $250M/year for settlements through 2035 — ensuring resources to satisfy negotiated water-settlement obligations.
Tribal beneficiaries and settlement administrators will get payments faster because the amounts become available without further appropriation, reducing delays in meeting settlement obligations.
Tribal nations and state stakeholders gain a new Reclamation Fund subaccount that can be used for future congressionally approved water settlements, supporting completion of negotiated agreements.
Taxpayers face substantially higher federal outlays — about $295M per year through 2035 — increasing the federal spending burden.
The Secretary of the Interior is given broad discretion over timing, indexing, and sequencing of transfers, which could reduce transparency and predictability for state, local, and tribal stakeholders.
A change clarifying or shifting the funding source for a White Mountain Apache provision may restrict use of the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund for that purpose, potentially limiting flexibility for that tribal beneficiary.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds two permanent subaccounts to the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund and requires annual Treasury deposits to support existing and future Indian water rights settlements. The bill directs $45 million per year to an Operations, Maintenance, Repair, and Ongoing Obligations Subaccount and $250 million per year to a New and Continuing Settlements Subaccount for deposits on each October 1 from 2026 through 2035 (or beginning on enactment if later). Funds are available to the Interior Secretary without further appropriation for transfers to satisfy U.S. obligations under specified tribal water settlements or any Congress-approved settlement. Also clarifies that certain amounts referenced in the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act may not be drawn from the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. The Secretary has discretionary authority over timing, indexing, sequencing, and amounts of transfers from the new subaccounts to meet settlement obligations.