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S 562 Cleared committee

Approves water rights settlements for four New Mexico Pueblos (Acoma, Laguna, Jemez, and Zia) and directs the Interior Department to hold those rights in trust and fund settlement trust accounts with about $1.4 billion in federal money.

Official title: Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2025

Next stop Senate floor: awaiting a vote
Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions
Senate
Introduced 13-FEB-2025
Referred 13-FEB-2025
Approved by committee 05-MAR-2025
Key points
  • Ratifies the 2022 Rio San Jose settlement agreement for the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna and the 2022 Jemez and Zia agreement, and directs the Interior Secretary to sign them
  • Appropriates about $296 million and $464 million for the Acoma and Laguna water rights accounts, $45 million for the Acomita Reservoir Works fund, and $290 million and $200 million for the Jemez and Zia trust funds, all subject to inflation adjustment
  • Holds the Pueblo water rights in trust by the United States, bars their loss through non-use or forfeiture, and bars permanent sale, while letting the Pueblos lease water
  • Requires the Interior Secretary to publish a finding by July 1, 2030 that the settlement conditions are met, or the title expires and the waivers and funding are reversed
  • Consents to limited judicial review in New Mexico state court of certain Pueblo water permit decisions
AI-generated from the Introduced in Senate text of 13-FEB-2025 · verify · report an error
Official CRS summary

Current. The Congressional Research Service's summary covers the bill's latest wording (Introduced in Senate, 13-FEB-2025).

CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov
Committee referrals (1) Policy area

Native Americans

Sponsor Martin Heinrich (D-NM) Cosponsors · 1
■ 1 D
1 Democrat