Legislation6 days ago
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To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to operate one-stop reentry centers.
HR8548Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] (D-CA)
introduced
HR6931119th CongressWALLET
Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Crane
Introduced
Summary
Resolves the Yavapai-Apache Nation's water rights and funds major water infrastructure to protect Verde River flows. The bill ratifies a negotiated settlement, creates a Tuñlnihcoh Water Infrastructure Project, and sets up long-term trust funding and delivery rules.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 5 mixed.
Big federal funding for water projects
If enacted, the bill would require the Treasury to transfer large one-time amounts into named project and trust accounts. It would send about $731 million to a Cragin-Verde Pipeline account and about $152 million to a YAN Drinking Water account. The bill would create a Tuñlñnichoh Water Infrastructure Project Fund and let the Secretary use these accounts for design, construction, environmental compliance, and reimbursements. The bill would also allow a $13 million early release for environmental work and set rules for reallocating savings and depositing leftover project funds into the Trust Fund.
Pipeline, drinking plant, and CAP rules
If enacted, the bill would require the Cragin-Verde Pipeline to deliver at least 6,836.92 acre-feet per year to the Yavapai-Apache Nation and up to 1,912.18 AFY to Yavapai County users. The YAN drinking water plant must treat up to 2,250,000 gallons per day (3,000,000 gpd peak) and could be expanded by up to 2,500,000 gpd if the Nation and county users agree and pay their shares. Title and long-term operation responsibility shift on the Date of Substantial Completion: the United States pays OM&R until that date, and the Nation and other beneficiaries pay pro rata afterward. The bill makes many CAP construction costs nonreimbursable to others, has the Secretary pay CAP fixed OM&R while a special fund has money (otherwise the Nation pays), requires lessees to prepay CAP charges, and says the Nation pays any CAP pumping energy charge when the CAP System is used.
Trust fund rules and spending limits
If enacted, the bill would create a Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Settlement Trust Fund managed by the Secretary. The Nation could withdraw money only with a Secretary-approved expenditure plan and the Secretary could enforce approved plans. The Trust Fund would hold deposited settlement amounts and earnings and many account uses are limited to listed project, water, wastewater, OM&R, and watershed purposes. The bill would also bar using Trust Fund money for per-capita cash payments to Nation members.
When the deal becomes enforceable
If enacted, the Agreement and many project actions would only become enforceable when the Secretary publishes findings in the Federal Register confirming required waivers, deposits, state and court approvals, and a final project decision. The bill sets a hard deadline: if the Secretary does not publish those findings by June 30, 2035, the Act would be repealed and most appropriated amounts would revert to the Treasury, except for limited expenditures. The bill also makes federal performance subject to explicit congressional appropriations.
Water rights, limits, and protections
If enacted, the bill would have the United States hold specified water rights in trust for the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The bill would say those rights cannot be lost by non-use, forfeiture, or abandonment. It would bar selling or using certain trust water off the reservation, with limited exceptions for effluent, YAN CAP Water, and lawful exchanges. The USGS gaging station on the Verde River would be kept operating to monitor instream flow rights, and the bill allows limited legal actions that join the Nation or U.S. trustee in disputes but mostly forbids money damages.
Forest land set aside and town transfer
If enacted, the bill would withdraw designated National Forest land needed for the Cragin-Verde Pipeline and reserve it for Bureau of Reclamation use, closing it to public entry, mining claims, and certain leases. The Secretary must file and make a boundary map available. The bill would also direct the Forest Service to transfer up to 40 acres to the Town of Camp Verde for public safety and municipal uses.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Crane
AZ • R
Cosponsors
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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