A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025 seeks to establish a final settlement for the water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. This legislation ratifies a water rights compact with the State of Montana and provides for land exchanges to benefit the Reservation. It includes provisions for the restoration of the St. Mary Canal and the rehabilitation of the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project. Additionally, the bill manages water storage allocations from Lake Elwell for the community. The Act also authorizes $250,000,000 for the Secretary of the Interior to address water and wastewater facilities for the Blackfeet Tribe.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +8
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill provides massive investments in water rights, irrigation, and domestic water systems specifically for the Fort Belknap and Blackfeet Indian Communities.
- Scored +7
Does this invest in rural communities?
The bill provides significant funding for water resources, irrigation, and wastewater facilities in rural tribal lands.
- Scored +5
Would farmers be better off under this?
Funding for the Southern Tributary and Peoples Creek irrigation projects directly supports agricultural water infrastructure.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Water Rights Security: The bill ratifies and confirms the water rights of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, ensuring they are held in trust and are not subject to loss through non-use, forfeiture, or abandonment (Section 105(a) and 105(c)).
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Irrigation and Infrastructure Improvements: The Act authorizes the rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project to improve water delivery (Section 109(a)).
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Land Acquisition: The bill provides for the exchange of certain Federal and State lands to be taken into trust for the benefit of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Section 106(a)(5)).
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Water Storage Access: The community is allocated 20,000 acre-feet per year of water stored in Lake Elwell for beneficial purposes (Section 107(a)).
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Debt Relief: The Secretary is directed to cancel and eliminate all debts or liens against the allotments of land held by the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Section 115(c)).
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Resource Restoration: The bill directs activities to restore the St. Mary Canal and associated facilities (Section 108(a)).
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Water Infrastructure Development: The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to use up to $250,000,000 to plan, design, construct, operate, maintain, and replace community water distribution and wastewater treatment facilities for the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana (Section 201).
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Funding Flexibility: The Fort Belknap Indian Community is permitted to seek additional funds for Tribal programs or purposes, or seek funding from the United States or the State based on their status as an Indian Tribe (Section (f)).
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Water Rights and Acquisition: The Fort Belknap Indian Community, its members, or allottees can acquire or exercise water rights under State law outside the Reservation through purchases or State law applications (Section (g)).
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Water Storage Opportunities: The community is not prevented from participating in projects to import water or add storage in the Milk River Basin (Section (h)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Waiver of Claims: The Fort Belknap Indian Community and the United States must execute a waiver and release of various water rights claims within the State of Montana as part of the settlement (Section 111(a)).
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Land Use Restrictions: Certain land transferred to the community, specifically the Dodson Land, will be subject to a perpetual easement for the use of the Bureau of Reclamation (Section 106(d)(2)).
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Gaming Limitations: Land held in trust for the Fort Belknap Indian Community under this act cannot be used for class II or class III gaming (Section 106(f)).
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Water Usage Limitations: The water allocation from Lake Elwell is subject to specific agreements and cannot be increased by any year-to-year carryover storage (Section 107(c) and 107(f)).
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Financial and Obligation Risks: The United States is not held liable for failing to carry out obligations or activities authorized by this title if Congress does not provide adequate appropriations or if the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund does not have enough funds (Section 116).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides massive investments in water rights, irrigation, and domestic water systems specifically for the Fort Belknap and Blackfeet Indian Communities. Would farmers be better off under this? — Funding for the Southern Tributary and Peoples Creek irrigation projects directly supports agricultural water infrastructure. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill invests in crucial water and irrigation infrastructure within the rural Fort Belknap area. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill funds water and wastewater facilities which are essential for community health and stability.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The funding for large-scale irrigation and water infrastructure projects is likely to stimulate local construction and maintenance jobs. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Developing water resources and infrastructure supports agricultural stability and community development for the Fort Belknap and Blackfeet Tribes. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill provides specific funding allocations for water infrastructure and tribal projects through a settlement fund.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill provides significant funding for water resources, irrigation, and wastewater facilities in rural tribal lands.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Establishing reliable water and sewer systems and improving irrigation provides essential stability for tribal communities.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill funds a Tribal wellness center for a work force health and well-being project.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill establishes specific trust funds and formalizes a water rights compact between the tribe and the state.
- 3/5/2025
- Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- 1/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana