Sponsors (2)
The bill delivers large, targeted federal investments and statutory certainty to secure water supply, infrastructure, and tribal control for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation—but does so by trading broad tribal waivers, shifted long‑term costs to local beneficiaries, deadlines and administrative discretion that could delay or limit benefits, and significant federal spending that affects taxpayers and other water users.
Yavapai‑Apache Nation residents and nearby rural communities receive major federal funding (hundreds of millions) to build the Cragin‑Verde pipeline, treated drinking water systems, wastewater projects, and related infrastructure, improving water access, quality, and reliability.
YAN members and the United States gain a statutorily authorized settlement that clarifies and finalizes tribal water rights and related claims, reducing future litigation and providing legal certainty over Verde and Colorado River entitlements.
The Nation obtains trust title to specified parcels, transfers of water rights into federal trust, and ownership of constructed water systems on completion—strengthening tribal self‑governance, jurisdiction, and control over water infrastructure.
YAN members broadly waive past, present, and many future water‑rights and injury claims as part of the settlement, which limits the Nation's and individual members' ability to seek future compensation or sue over diversions or harms after the Enforceability Date.
The federal government is committing large, specified appropriations and transfers (hundreds of millions), increasing federal outlays that could raise taxpayer burden or crowd out other priorities absent offsets.
Project funding and key benefits are conditional on complex preconditions, deadlines, and waivers (Enforceability Date, approvals, court judgments); failure to meet those conditions by set deadlines could delay or cancel projects and cause reversion of funds.
Based on analysis of 32 sections of legislative text.
Approves a Yavapai‑Apache Nation water settlement: confirms tribal water rights, places lands into trust, funds and directs construction of two water projects, and creates a multi‑subaccount trust for the Nation.
Introduced December 26, 2025 by Eli Crane · Last progress December 26, 2025
Authorizes and funds a comprehensive water-rights settlement and infrastructure program for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation (YAN). It directs transfers of large, specified sums into newly created project and trust accounts, places identified parcels into trust for the Nation, requires the Nation to waive certain past/present/future water-right claims, ratifies and confirms YAN water rights held in trust, and directs federal agencies to plan, design, and build the Túńlį́į́níchoh Water Infrastructure Project (Cragin‑Verde Pipeline and YAN Drinking Water System). The agreement becomes fully enforceable only after the Secretary of the Interior confirms many conditions in the Federal Register; failing to meet a hard date would repeal most of the Act and return funds to the Treasury. The Act sets rules for CAP water delivery, leasing, storage, and proceeds, limits certain federal statutes from applying to recipients, imposes a narrow waiver of tribal sovereign immunity for enforcement/interpretation of the settlement, requires federal environmental and compliance actions, creates a multi‑subaccount Trust Fund for long‑term YAN uses, and specifies operation, maintenance, and funding responsibilities for infrastructure once completed.