# 119-s-563: Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

119-s-563, Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-25).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-563
- As of: 2026-07-25
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-563
- Congress: 119
- Title: Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-02-13
- Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-25

## Summary

**Settles the Ohkay Owingeh's Rio Chama water rights and funds a trust for water infrastructure and restoration.** The bill would ratify a specific settlement agreement and set how Pueblo water rights are held, used, and protected. - Ohkay Owingeh members: The bill makes Pueblo Water Rights trust assets that cannot be lost through non-use and lets the Pueblo allocate, lease, and manage those rights on Pueblo land. Off-Pueblo leases need Secretary approval and are limited to 99 years. - Federal funding and Trust Fund: It creates the Ohkay Owingeh Water Rights Settlement Trust Fund and mandates a federal appropriation of $745.0 million indexed for construction cost changes. Up to $100.0 million would be available immediately for bosque restoration, acequia improvements, water planning, and infrastructure. - State and local impacts plus legal tradeoffs: The State must provide $98.5 million for signatory acequia improvements and $32.0 million for the City of Espanola. On the bill's enforceability date the Pueblo and the United States would execute waivers of prior Rio Chama claims while the Pueblo and the United States retain specified environmental and other reserved rights. *This bill would increase federal spending by a mandatory appropriation of $745.0 million, with up to $100.0 million available immediately on the bill's enforceability date.*

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-02-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Big funding for water settlement: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would create the Ohkay Owingeh Water Rights Settlement Trust Fund and direct a one-time $745 million transfer from the Treasury into it. The money would remain available until spent and the Trustee could invest the assets and keep earnings. Indexing would adjust the $745 millio…
- When settlement becomes enforceable: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would make most settlement benefits effective only after the Secretary publishes findings in the Federal Register that a set of milestones are met. Those milestones include amending and signing the Agreement, securing court approval and a Partial Final Judgment, depositing all…
- Environmental rules and project costs: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary and the Pueblo to follow the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and other federal environmental laws when carrying out projects. The Pueblo would prepare environmental documents and the Secretary would independently review and be responsible for them. Man…
- Pueblo water rights and leases: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would declare the Pueblo's Rio Chama water rights to be held in trust by the United States and protect those rights from loss by nonuse or forfeiture. The Pueblo would be able to allocate, distribute, and lease Pueblo water rights on Pueblo land and, with the Secretary's approv…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act

## Sources
- [119-s-563 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/563)

## Related
- [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-563 (as of 2026-07-25).