# 119-hr-6205: Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

119-hr-6205, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-NM); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6205
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-6205
- Congress: 119
- Title: Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-11-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates and funds new Taos Pueblo water trust funds and a $161.0 million mutual-benefit projects pot to support groundwater, surface-water sharing, and mitigation infrastructure.** The bill would reorganize trust governance, require indexed mandatory appropriations, and set deadlines and enforcement rules for project funding. - Taos Pueblo: Establishes the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund plus a Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund and a Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund. Those supplemental funds receive mandatory appropriations of $190.0 million and $16.0 million, respectively, indexed for cost changes. - Eligible non-Pueblo entities: Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to award grants or nonreimbursable agreements from a $161.0 million Taos Settlement Mutual-Benefit Projects Supplemental Fund for planning, design, and construction. Applicants must meet application windows tied to enactment timing. - Project delivery and enforcement: Imposes spending and completion milestones (for example, at least 10% spent in 3 years and full completion in 8 years for most projects, and faster deadlines and 15% initial spend for projects tied to the Mitigation Well System). The Commissioner may extend deadlines for good cause, terminate awards for missed milestones, reallocate returned funds, or fund alternative offset infrastructure. - Authority and property: Clarifies investment and management rules under trust fund law and specifies the Commissioner will not hold title to property built or acquired with the specified federal funds. *This bill would increase mandatory federal spending by at least $367.0 million (the sum of $161.0 million, $190.0 million, and $16.0 million), indexed for cost changes, thereby increasing federal outlays and adding to the deficit.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- New Taos water trust funds: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would create three Taos Pueblo trust funds in the Treasury: a Mutual-Benefit Projects fund, a Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust, and a Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust. It would require mandatory transfers of $161 million, $190 million, and $16 million respect…
- Rules, deadlines, and project help: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would let the Commissioner of Reclamation give grants, nonreimbursable assistance, or contracts for Mutual-Benefit Projects and approved offset infrastructure. Eligible Non-Pueblo Entities must have applied under existing rules within 90 days of enactment and must apply for the…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
- 119-hr-5356: National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-6205 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6205)

## Related
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [119-hr-5356: National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5356)
- [119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3069)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6205 (as of 2026-04-21).