Sponsors
The bill gives tribal, state, and local partners flexibility to extend settlement project deadlines to avoid missed deadlines and lower the risk of rushed, low-quality work, at the cost of longer timelines, delayed fiscal resolution for taxpayers, and potentially prolonged local disruptions.
Tribal governments (the Pueblos) together with state and local partners can mutually agree to extend project completion deadlines, reducing the risk that statutory deadlines are missed and avoiding legal or administrative penalties for delayed settlement implementation.
Affected communities (especially the Pueblos and nearby localities) and project teams can avoid rushed work because extensions allow more time for thorough, higher-quality implementation of settlement obligations.
Taxpayers and federal budget overseers may face longer timelines and delayed resolution of project costs when deadlines are extended, which can defer fiscal closure and complicate budgeting oversight.
Residents and businesses near the projects (including renters) may experience prolonged disruption and reduced schedule certainty if completion dates are pushed back by agreement.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Allows the parties to the Aamodt settlement (the Pueblos, the U.S. via the Secretary, the State, City, and County) to jointly extend substantial-completion deadlines when reasonably necessary.
Adds a rule to the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act letting the parties jointly extend certain completion deadlines. Specifically, the Pueblos, the United States (acting through the Secretary), the State, the City, and the County can agree to extend the dates tied to substantial completion when they deem an extension reasonably necessary.
Introduced December 18, 2025 by Teresa Leger Fernandez · Last progress December 18, 2025