Sponsors (2)
Introduced January 13, 2026 by Mark Edward Kelly · Last progress January 13, 2026
The bill trades substantial federal funding, clarified administration, and durable water and infrastructure benefits for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation (and nearby communities) against significant taxpayer cost, limits on future tribal claims and transfer flexibility, administrative complexity, and conditions that could delay or constrain some benefits.
Yavapai‑Apache Nation members and reservation communities get federally funded, legally ratified water rights plus major water and wastewater construction money (treatment plant, Cragin‑Verde pipeline, YAN Drinking Water System, OM&R and trust accounts), substantially improving long‑term water supply and infrastructure for the Nation and nearby rural communities.
YAN members and Arizona water users gain a final, enforceable settlement that resolves many tribal water claims and reduces future litigation and title uncertainty.
Tribal economic capacity is strengthened: the Nation can lease/exchange CAP water, receive exempted CAP service treatment, retain earnings in a Trust Fund, and use investment earnings—creating durable revenue and financing options for tribal water projects.
Federal taxpayers face large upfront and ongoing costs—hundreds of millions in immediate appropriations plus additional construction, OM&R, and administrative expenses—exposing the Treasury to substantial new outlays.
YAN members give up broad past, present, and future water and related claims in exchange for settlement benefits, limiting the Nation’s and some members’ ability to pursue larger or different remedies later.
The Act restricts transferability and off‑reservation uses of certain tribal water (and caps some transfer options), which reduces market flexibility for the Nation and may limit regional water sharing or sales.
Based on analysis of 32 sections of legislative text.
Provides federal funding and direction to build the Túńlįįníchoh water projects, takes land into trust, ratifies a Yavapai‑Apache Nation water settlement, and creates a Trust Fund to implement it.
Directs large, specific federal payments and creates two new project accounts and a tribal trust fund to build and operate the Túńlįįníchoh Water Infrastructure Project (a Cragin‑Verde pipeline plus a Yavapai‑Apache Nation drinking water system). It takes specified parcels into trust for the Yavapai‑Apache Nation, ratifies and implements a negotiated water‑rights settlement, requires the Interior Department to design and construct the facilities, and sets terms for delivery, storage, leasing, and operation of Central Arizona Project (CAP) water for the Nation and some local users. Makes the settlement and construction contingent on a set of conditions (an Enforceability Date) that include deposits of the prescribed funds, state and court approvals of water rights changes, local agreements, and tribal waivers/releases; if those conditions are not met by specified deadlines the Act largely repeals. The Act also creates governance rules for the trust fund, limits and preserves certain tribal and allottee claims, assigns O&M responsibilities after project completion, and requires continued stream gaging to monitor instream flow rights.