Ben Luján (D-NM)
Protecting Indian Water Rights Settlements Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
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
This bill, known as the "Protecting Indian Water Rights Settlements Act of 2026," seeks to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It proposes the creation of two specific subaccounts within the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund. The first subaccount focuses on operations, maintenance, repair, and ongoing obligations for specific water rights settlements. The second subaccount is intended for new and continuing settlements. These subaccounts would receive annual deposits from the Treasury through October 1, 2035.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +8
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill directly funds water rights settlements and infrastructure obligations for various Native American tribes.
- Scored +7
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The bill provides significant annual funding to fulfill long-standing water rights settlements for various Indian communities.
- Scored +6
Does this invest in rural communities?
The bill funds water delivery, operation, and maintenance essential for rural tribal water projects.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill commits the Treasury to annual deposits of $295,000,000 through 2035.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Funding for Water Infrastructure Maintenance: The establishment of the "Operations, Maintenance, Repair, and Ongoing Obligations Subaccount" provides $45,000,000 annually to satisfy obligations related to specific water rights settlements, such as the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the Animas-La Plata Project (Section 2(a)(2)(A) and (3)).
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Support for Tribal Water Rights Settlements: The "New and Continuing Settlements Subaccount" will receive $250,000,000 annually to satisfy obligations under any Indian water rights settlement approved and authorized by an Act of Congress (Section 2(f)(2)(A) and (3)).
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Expedited Settlement Completion: The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to determine the sequence and timing of transfers to substantially complete eligible Indian water rights settlements as expeditiously as practicable (Section 2(f)(3)(B)).
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Financial Availability Without Future Appropriations: Funds deposited in these subaccounts are available to the Secretary of the Interior without the need for further appropriation or fiscal year limitations (Section 2(a)(2)(B) and 2(f)(2)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated within the provided text.
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 directly funds water rights settlements and infrastructure obligations for various Native American tribes. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The funds support water delivery and maintenance projects in rural water rights areas. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Securing water infrastructure supports the basic resource needs of low-income tribal members.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill funds water delivery, operation, and maintenance essential for rural tribal water projects. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — Funding water rights settlements helps ensure reliable water infrastructure and management for tribal lands.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill provides significant annual funding to fulfill long-standing water rights settlements for various Indian communities. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Securing water rights can provide essential resource stability for tribal communities.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants the Secretary of the Interior discretion over the sequence and timing of fund transfers.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill commits the Treasury to annual deposits of $295,000,000 through 2035.
- 7/29/2026
- Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
- 6/24/2026
- 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.
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico