Sponsors (2)
Official title: Approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Yavapai-Apache Nation in the State of Arizona, to authorize construction of a water project relating to those water rights claims, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 13, 2026 by Mark Edward Kelly · Last progress January 13, 2026
The bill secures legally ratified water rights and substantial federal funding to deliver long‑term water supply, infrastructure, and legal certainty for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation, while imposing large federal costs, requiring tribes to waive broad claims, and creating conditionalities, transfer limits, and administrative constraints that may restrict future flexibility and affect non‑tribal users.
Yavapai‑Apache Nation (YAN) members gain final, ratified, trust‑held water rights and a comprehensive settlement that provides legal certainty about their water entitlements and resolves long‑running claims.
Large, dedicated federal funding and new project funds (including the Túńlįįníchoh Cragin‑Verde Pipeline appropriation and multiple trust / project accounts) enable construction and financing of major water and wastewater infrastructure for the Nation.
YAN will receive reliable delivered water (thousands of acre‑feet per year), a new treated drinking water system, storage capacity and initial federal construction/O&M support, improving drinking water quality, public health, and long‑term supply for tribal members and nearby communities.
Federal taxpayers face large new costs (hundreds of millions of dollars in transfers and project appropriations) to implement the settlement and build the projects.
The Nation and most of its members waive broad past, present, and future claims against the United States and other parties for specified waters, limiting future remedies, compensation, or expansion of claims.
The settlement and certain funding/contract provisions are contingent on multiple conditions and deadlines (including a June 30, 2035 enforceability deadline and other approvals); failure to meet them can void the Act, revert appropriations to the Treasury, and cancel promised projects.
Based on analysis of 32 sections of legislative text.
Ratifies a Yavapai‑Apache water settlement, transfers land to trust, funds and directs construction of the Túńlįįníchoh Project, and creates a multi‑account Trust Fund for implementation.
Authorizes and implements a comprehensive water rights settlement for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation in Arizona: it ratifies and funds the Yavapai‑Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Agreement, transfers specific parcels into federal trust for the Nation, creates and funds infrastructure projects (the Túńlįįníchoh Water Infrastructure Project including the Cragin‑Verde Pipeline and a Nation drinking water system), establishes a multi-account Trust Fund and Project Fund, defines delivery and use rules for Central Arizona Project (CAP) water to the Nation, and requires execution of waivers and releases of certain water claims in exchange for the settlement benefits. Many actions and appropriations are contingent on meeting enumerated conditions and a formal Enforceability Date; failure to meet conditions by a statutory deadline triggers repeal and reversion rules for appropriated funds.