Protecting Indian Water Rights Settlements Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Introduced
Summary
Creates dedicated, multi-year funding streams for Indian water rights settlements. The bill would add two subaccounts to the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund to direct predictable deposits and allow multi-year transfers to finish specified tribal settlements. It would also extend certain Customs user fees to September 30, 2035.
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- Tribal communities: The bill would establish an Operations, Maintenance, Repair, and Ongoing Obligations subaccount and a New and Continuing Settlements subaccount to support specific settlements named in federal law. It would require deposits of $45.0 million and $250.0 million respectively on the later of October 1, 2026 (or enactment) and each October 1 through October 1, 2035.
- Interior Department and settlements: The Secretary of the Interior would be able to transfer funds from these subaccounts without further appropriation or fiscal year limits and choose the timing and sequence of transfers to complete eligible settlements.
- Federal funding window: By extending certain Customs user fee sunsets from December 31, 2031 to September 30, 2035, the bill lengthens the period during which fee revenue can support federal capacity to fund and finalize Indian water rights settlements.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
More funding to finish tribal water settlements
This bill would create two new subaccounts inside the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund. It would require the Treasury to deposit $250 million each October 1 from the later of October 1, 2026 or enactment through October 1, 2035 into a New and Continuing Settlements Subaccount. It would also require $45 million on the same schedule into an Operations, Maintenance, Repair, and Ongoing Obligations Subaccount for named settlements (Ak-Chin, Animas‑La Plata, Northwestern New Mexico section 10603(g), Snake River including the Snake River Flow Component, and the Hualapai settlement). Amounts would be available to the Secretary of the Interior without further appropriation and could be transferred to Tribal trust funds and other authorized accounts to satisfy settlement obligations.
Customs user fees extend to 2035
This bill would extend the statutory sunset dates for certain Customs user fee authorities from December 31, 2031 to September 30, 2035. If enacted, importers, customs brokers, carriers, and businesses that pay those fees would continue to pay them through September 30, 2035. The bill does not change the fee amounts.
Limits on one settlement funding source
This bill would amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act to prohibit using the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund for amounts made available under paragraph (2)(B). If enacted, agencies could not draw those specific payments from that Reclamation fund. The restriction would take effect on enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov