Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
The House debated and moved to pass S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, which updates the tribe’s 2010 water rights settlement. The bill replaces a single large water system plan with smaller water projects, sets up accounts for irrigation rehabilitation and water infrastructure, and extends the tribe’s exclusive window to build hydropower facilities at Yellowtail Afterbay Dam to 2030. Supporters, including Republicans Westerman and Downing and Democrat Elfreth, said the changes let the tribe manage its own projects using money already set aside and address unsafe drinking water on the reservation, with no new federal spending. Elfreth also asked that other pending tribal water settlements be brought up for a vote.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .
“I want the House to pass this bill to update the water rights agreement for the Crow Tribe.”
“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:”
Official Congressional Record
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:
“I support this bill. It lets the Crow Tribe manage its own water projects using money already set aside. It also gives the tribe more time to build water power at a local dam, without costing extra federal money.”
“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.”
Official Congressional Record
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.
“I want the House to pass this bill. The Crow Tribe needs clean drinking water. More than half of the homes on their reservation have dirty water, which is causing higher cancer rates. An older plan for one big water pipeline is too expensive and slow. This bill lets the tribe build smaller, faster water projects instead, without spending any new federal money.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, as this legislation will make crucial adjustments to the Crow Tribe of Montana’s water settlement, ensuring the Tribe can provide clean drinking water for its members for generations to come. In Montana, water rights and infrastructure are the lifeblood of our Tribal communities. Indian water rights settlements protect those rights by codifying them in Federal law and providing resources to promote water infrastructure development. For the Crow Tribe in my home district, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 was a significant milestone. It settled the Tribe’s water rights and authorized $460 million to design and construct a centralized municipal, rural, and industrial, or MR&I, water system for its reservation. However, due to the project’s complexity, rising costs, and extended estimated construction timelines, the initial MR&I pipeline system authorized by the settlement has proven unfeasible. Without the ability to use settlement funds for water infrastructure, the Crow Reservation continues to face a clean water crisis. According to one BIA-funded water study, over 50 percent of Crow Reservation households have contaminated water. That is 50 percent. Moreover, multiple further studies have linked the Tribe’s higher cancer rates with this lack of clean water access. Senator Daines and I introduced the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act to directly address these challenges. The bill expands the scope of authorized water projects under the Crow Tribe’s water settlement beyond the initial single mandated pipeline project to include a flexible array of smaller-scale regional water projects. In doing so, this legislation will dramatically reduce the timeline for delivering clean water to the reservation’s communities. S. 240 is a straightforward solution that does not alter any existing water rights and appropriates no new Federal spending. It simply provides necessary flexibility for the Tribe to meet the needs of its citizens. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Daines for leading this effort with me. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation for the Crow Tribe.”
Official Congressional Record
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, as this legislation will make crucial adjustments to the Crow Tribe of Montana’s water settlement, ensuring the Tribe can provide clean drinking water for its members for generations to come. In Montana, water rights and infrastructure are the lifeblood of our Tribal communities. Indian water rights settlements protect those rights by codifying them in Federal law and providing resources to promote water infrastructure development. For the Crow Tribe in my home district, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 was a significant milestone. It settled the Tribe’s water rights and authorized $460 million to design and construct a centralized municipal, rural, and industrial, or MR&I, water system for its reservation. However, due to the project’s complexity, rising costs, and extended estimated construction timelines, the initial MR&I pipeline system authorized by the settlement has proven unfeasible. Without the ability to use settlement funds for water infrastructure, the Crow Reservation continues to face a clean water crisis. According to one BIA-funded water study, over 50 percent of Crow Reservation households have contaminated water. That is 50 percent. Moreover, multiple further studies have linked the Tribe’s higher cancer rates with this lack of clean water access. Senator Daines and I introduced the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act to directly address these challenges. The bill expands the scope of authorized water projects under the Crow Tribe’s water settlement beyond the initial single mandated pipeline project to include a flexible array of smaller-scale regional water projects. In doing so, this legislation will dramatically reduce the timeline for delivering clean water to the reservation’s communities. S. 240 is a straightforward solution that does not alter any existing water rights and appropriates no new Federal spending. It simply provides necessary flexibility for the Tribe to meet the needs of its citizens. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Daines for leading this effort with me. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation for the Crow Tribe.
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Daines and Representative Downing for their leadership on this important issue, and I thank the minority for working with us on it. I urge the passage of S. 240, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Daines and Representative Downing for their leadership on this important issue, and I thank the minority for working with us on it. I urge the passage of S. 240, and I yield back the balance of my time.
