Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2025

Last progress February 13, 2025 (1 year ago)

Introduced on February 13, 2025 by Martin Heinrich

Creates federally backed water-rights settlements for four New Mexico Pueblos by establishing trust funds, authorizing and requiring federal (and some state) payments into those funds, and setting rules for how the Pueblos can use, withdraw, and report on those monies. The bill also defines how the Pueblos may manage, lease, and protect their settled water rights, and requires mutual waivers of certain past water-rights claims once settlement enforceability conditions are met, while preserving other claims (for example, water quality).