Sponsors (2)
The bill provides large, indexed federal funding and formal recognition and protection of Zuni water rights and culturally important lands—securing infrastructure, environment, and tribal stewardship—while imposing long‑term operational costs on the Tribe, restricting certain land/economic uses and recreation, requiring claim waivers, and increasing near‑term federal spending and administrative responsibilities.
Zuni Tribe and tribal residents receive roughly $685 million (plus an immediate $50 million) for water development, repairs, planning, and long‑term operations, enabling construction and upgrades of tribal water infrastructure.
Zuni tribal water rights are expressly recognized, confirmed, and held in federal trust and protected from forfeiture, reducing legal uncertainty and securing long‑term water access for the Tribe.
About 92,364 acres are placed into trust and withdrawn from development, protecting cultural sites, conserving watershed and lake water quality (Zuni Salt Lake), and supporting long‑term tribal stewardship.
Federal taxpayers and the federal budget face near‑term outlays of roughly $685 million (plus related costs), increasing federal spending and subject to appropriation and fiscal constraints.
The Tribe must waive pre‑Enforceability Date claims within the Zuni River System, surrendering certain litigation remedies and future claims in exchange for the settlement funds and recognition.
If key conditions are not met by July 1, 2030, the title and many settlement benefits (federal funds, water rights recognitions, waivers, contracts) can expire or be voided, creating significant uncertainty for projects and parties.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Martin Heinrich · Last progress February 13, 2025
Implements a negotiated settlement recognizing and confirming the Zuni Tribe’s water rights in the Zuni River Stream System, creates a Trust Fund with roughly $685 million for water projects and operations, and withdraws and places certain federal lands into trust and protection for the Tribe. It conditions federal implementation on court approval, deposits of funds, state actions, and environmental review, and limits some existing uses on withdrawn lands while preserving Tribal water rights held in trust.