# 119-s-241: Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025

119-s-241, Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-20).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-241
- As of: 2026-04-20
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-241
- Congress: 119
- Title: Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-24
- Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-20

## Summary

**Would ratify and implement the Fort Belknap–Montana water rights compact** to secure Tribal water rights, create settlement and implementation funds, and authorize land transfers and water infrastructure. It would also authorize planning and funding for Blackfeet Tribe wastewater facilities.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-01-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Blackfeet water and wastewater funding: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would authorize $250 million, subject to appropriation, to plan and build water distribution and wastewater treatment for the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana. If Congress provides the money, the tribe could use it for design, construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of…
- Irrigation projects and water rights: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would give the Fort Belknap Indian Community 20,000 acre-feet per year from Lake Elwell for any beneficial use. The bill would fund rehabilitation and expansion of the Fort Belknap Irrigation Project with a cost cap and require formation of a project management committee. It wo…
- New Tribal Trust Fund Rules: mixed, high. If enacted, this bill would create the Aaniiih Nakoda Settlement Trust Fund for the Fort Belknap Indian Community. The bill would set up three restricted accounts inside the Trust for irrigation, water administration, and clean water systems. The tribe could withdraw money only after the Interior S…
- Settlement funding and timing rules: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would create an Implementation Fund in the Treasury and two named accounts to pay for irrigation system work and Milk River mitigation. It would authorize large discretionary sums and direct Treasury deposits into the accounts, some of which would be available without further a…
- Settlement waivers, liens, and rights: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would make the benefits in the title the full replacement for many Fort Belknap water claims, and require execution of waivers that take effect on the enforceability date. The Community and the United States would keep several important retained claims, like water-rights enforc…
- Land swaps and trust transfers: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would let Interior (and Agriculture for forest land) negotiate and prioritize exchanges of listed federal land for specified State parcels for five years. Certain named federal parcels would be taken into trust for the Fort Belknap Community on the enforceability date. The Secr…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-241 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/241)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3492)
- [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-241 (as of 2026-04-20).