H.R. 726
Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
Sponsor: Troy Downing · 1 cosponsor
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Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
This bill revises the water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Crow Tribe of Montana and Montana.
The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 ratified, authorized, and confirmed the water rights compact between the tribe and Montana. Among other provisions, this settlement act authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design and construct the following two major projects on the Crow Reservation: (1) the rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project (CIP); and (2) the planning, design, and construction of the MR&I System (the municipal, rural, and industrial water system of the Crow Reservation).
Among other provisions, the bill revises the settlement act to
- replace references to the MR&I System with MR&I Projects;
- establish a nontrust, interest-bearing account (to be known as the Crow CIP Implementation Account) to allow Reclamation to continue to work on the rehabilitation of the CIP;
- create a new MR&I Projects Account, through which the tribe must use funds for activities related to water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure; and
- extend by five years (to 2030) the period during which the tribe has the exclusive right to construct hydropower facilities on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana.
Text of the bill
This Act may be cited as the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025.
(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 Section 406 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3102) is repealed.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).