# 119-s-689: Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 119-s-689, Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-689 - As of: 2025-12-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-689 - Congress: 119 - Title: Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Sponsor: Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA) - Cosponsors: 1 - Policy area: Native Americans - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2025-12-21 ## Summary **This bill would settle and fund the Tule River Tribe's water rights** by ratifying a long-standing agreement, creating a tribal trust fund for water projects, and transferring specified federal and tribal lands into trust to implement the settlement. - Tribal households and the Tribe: Confirms a tribal right to divert and use up to 5,828 acre-feet per year from the South Fork Tule River and creates the Tule River Tribe Settlement Trust Fund with $518 million for water development and $50 million for operation, maintenance, and replacement. Per-capita cash distributions are prohibited and infrastructure paid for with trust funds vests in the Tribe. - Downstream water users and local irrigators: Requires Operation Rules for the Phase I Reservoir or any substitute site and a structured dispute-resolution path; rules include minimum flow protections tied to low-flow bands starting at 1 cubic-foot-per-second to reduce harm to domestic and stock uses. - Federal landholders and the Tribe's reservation: Moves thousands of acres, including about 9,037 acres of national forest headwaters, into trust for the Tribe, conditions transfers on clearing liens and hazards, and preserves environmental review responsibilities. *This bill would authorize $568 million in Treasury transfers to a tribal trust fund, increasing federal outlays.* ## Cosponsors (1) - Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Tribal water right confirmed and protected: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would confirm a Tribal Water Right held in federal trust to divert up to 5,828 acre-feet per year from the South Fork Tule River. If enacted, the bill would set the Tribe's priority date no later than January 9, 1873, protect the right from loss by non-use, and bar permanent sa… - Big federal fund for tribal water projects: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a Tule River settlement trust fund and require one-time Treasury transfers of $518 million for water projects and $50 million for operation, maintenance, and replacement. If enacted, the Secretary would manage and invest the funds and investment earnings could be u… - Tribe keeps project ownership and control: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would keep title and control of any project built with Trust Fund money with the Tule River Tribe. The Tribe would own and run those projects after they are finished. - Settlement waivers, tolling, and court limits: mixed, high. If enacted, the Tribe and trustee would sign broad waivers of many pre-Enforceability Date California water claims in exchange for settlement benefits, while certain environmental and post-Enforceability claims are preserved. If enacted, limitation periods for covered claims would be tolled from en… - Rules for reservoir site and river flows: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Secretary could not finalize the Agreement until Parties agree on priority-date amendments and Phase I Reservoir siting or substitute-site Operation Rules. If enacted and Parties cannot agree, the Court would mediate, hold hearings, and pick Operation Rules. If enacted, the Court co… - Federal land transfers into tribal trust: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would take listed BLM, Forest Service, and tribal fee parcels into trust for the Tule River Tribe on the Enforceability Date, including about 9,037 acres in the South Fork Tule River headwaters. If enacted, transferred lands stay subject to valid existing rights and BIA would a… - Environmental review and who pays: mixed, low. If enacted, the Secretary must follow NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and other laws when implementing the Agreement. If enacted, the Tribe would prepare environmental documents but the Secretary must independently review them and remain responsible for their accuracy. If enacted, some compliance… ## Related bills - 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act - 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act - 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act - 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026 - 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act ## Sources - [119-s-689 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/689) ## Related - [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066) - [119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1462) - [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838) - [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819) - [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949) - [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-689 (as of 2025-12-21).