CROW TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2025

On 2026-09-14, Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) delivered a floor speech titled "CROW TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2025" in the House.

CROW TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5570-H5571] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CROW TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2025 Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 240) to amend the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to make improvements to that Act, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 240 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. CROW TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT. (a) Definitions.--Section 403 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3097) is amended-- (1) by striking paragraph (11) and inserting the following: ``(11) MR&I project.--The term `MR&I Project' means an activity described in clauses (i) through (iii) of section 411(e)(3)(F).''; and (2) in paragraph (12)-- (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``System'' and inserting ``Projects''; and (B) in subparagraphs (A) through (C), by striking ``System'' each place it appears and inserting ``Projects''. (b) Repeal of MR&I System.-- (1) In general.--Section 406 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3102) is repealed. (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3064) is amended by striking the item relating to section 406. (c) Crow Settlement Fund.--Section 411 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3113) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``to be administered by the Secretary'' and inserting ``to be managed, invested, and distributed by the Secretary and to remain available until expended, withdrawn, or reverted to the general fund of the Treasury, consisting of amounts deposited in the Fund under subsection (b), together with any investment earnings, including interest, earned on those amounts,''; (2) in subsection (c)-- (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``System'' and inserting ``Projects''; and (B) by adding at the end the following: ``(5)(A) The MR&I Projects Account, to be established as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, consisting of-- ``(i) amounts made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 414(b) that are appropriated after the date of enactment of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025; and ``(ii) amounts to be deposited pursuant to section 414(h)(2). ``(B) Amounts deposited into the MR&I Projects Account shall be further deposited into the special joint signature account named `MR&I Account' established pursuant to the agreement with the Tribe dated September 13, 2012, prior to any investment earnings accruing or becoming available.'' ''; (3) in subsection (e)-- (A) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: ``(C) the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.).''; and (B) in paragraph (3)-- (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``through (E)'' and inserting ``through (F)''; (ii) in subparagraph (E)-- (I) in the subparagraph heading, by striking ``System'' and inserting ``Projects''; and (II) by striking ``System'' each place it appears and inserting ``Projects''; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``(F) MR&I projects account.--Funds from the MR&I Projects Account shall be used for expenditures by the Tribe in accordance with the following: ``(i) Priority use of funds.--The Tribe shall use funds from the MR&I Projects Account-- ``(I) to plan, permit, design, engineer, construct, reconstruct, replace, rehabilitate, operate, or repair water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure, including for domestic and municipal use or wastewater infrastructure; and ``(II) to comply with applicable environmental laws for the activities described in subclause (I). ``(ii) Other use of funds.--After providing written notice to the Secretary that on-Reservation MR&I projects described in clause (i) are complete, the Tribe may use funds remaining in the MR&I Projects Account to purchase on-Reservation land with water rights.''; and (4) by adding at the end the following: ``(i) Title to Infrastructure.--Title to, control over, and operation of any project constructed using funds from the MR&I Projects Account shall remain in the Tribe. ``(j) Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement.--The Federal Government shall have no obligation to pay for the operation, maintenance, or replacement of any MR&I Project.''. (d) Yellowtail Dam, Montana.--Subsection (b)(1) of section 412 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3116) is amended by striking ``15 years'' and inserting ``20 years''. (e) Funding.--Section 414 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3120) is amended in subsection (e)-- (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``System'' and inserting ``Projects''; and (2) by striking ``System'' and inserting ``Projects''. (f) Technical and Conforming Amendments.-- (1) Section 403(9) of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3098) is amended by striking ``(25 U.S.C. 450b)'' and inserting ``(25 U.S.C. 5304)''. (2) Section 410(e)(1) of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3112) is amended in subparagraph (C), by striking ``agreements with the Tribe required by sections 405(a) and 406(a)'' and inserting ``agreement with the Tribe required by section 405(a)''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. General Leave Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on S. 240, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas? There was no objection. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, sponsored by Senator Daines from Montana and championed in the House by Representative Downing of Montana. This bill ensures the Crow Tribe has the tools and flexibility it needs to implement its longstanding water rights settlement. The underlying 2010 settlement ratified the water rights compact between the Crow Tribe and the State of Montana and authorized major investments in water infrastructure on the Crow Reservation. This legislation does not change funding levels or the existing water rights settlement. Instead, it updates the settlement to better reflect the Tribe's needs today. The original settlement required the Bureau of Reclamation to build a Federal water project to serve the Crow Reservation. This bill converts this project-based settlement to a fund-based settlement, authorizing the Crow Tribe to manage project construction within existing Federal funding levels. The bill ensures there is no ongoing Federal operation and maintenance requirement upon completion. The bill also extends the Tribe's exclusive right to develop hydropower at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam through 2030. Taken together, these provisions give the Crow Tribe greater flexibility to invest in water infrastructure, improve irrigation, and pursue economic development opportunities, while maintaining the commitments made in the original settlement. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. [[Page H5571]] Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025. S. 240 would amend the Crow Tribe's existing settlement to support successful settlement implementation and extend the Tribe's authority to market hydropower to the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana. The Tribe has devoted significant time and effort to achieving and implementing this settlement, and I thank the sponsor of the bill for dedicating that time, as well. This legislation would provide additional support to ensure it is successfully carried out. This body has a responsibility to uphold our Federal trust and treaty obligations to Tribal nations, and that responsibility is especially critical when it comes to access to clean and reliable water. Every person deserves access to safe water. Yet, Tribal nations, which often hold some of the most senior water rights, have far too often been unable to access or develop their own water resources due to Federal actions and policies, leaving those water rights largely underdeveloped and unprotected. Tribal leaders have spent decades working to resolve these issues and negotiate settlements to ensure their communities have cleaner, reliable water. Negotiated settlements provide certainty for Tribes, States, the Federal Government, and other water users. They provide Tribal nations with the resources needed to deliver clean water to their communities while reducing legal, financial, and water supply uncertainty to all parties to a settlement. Mr. Speaker, while I am grateful to see this bill move forward today, I urge our Republican leadership to take action on the numerous other pending Indian water rights settlement bills, many of which have already passed the Senate by unanimou

Referenced legislation: S240, S240