Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60
§390uu Waiver of Sovereign Immunity
Title 43 › Chapter 12— RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter I–A— RECLAMATION REFORM › § 390uu
Summary
The United States must be added as a needed defendant in lawsuits that decide contract rights made under Federal reclamation law. If the U.S. is part of the case, it gives up the right to say it cannot be sued because it is the government, and courts can enter judgments or orders against it. These suits can be filed in any U.S. district court in the state where the land is located.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §390uu
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Consent is given to join the United States as a necessary party defendant in any suit to adjudicate, confirm, validate, or decree the contractual rights of a contracting entity and the United States regarding any contract executed pursuant to Federal reclamation law. The United States, when a party to any suit, shall be deemed to have waived any right to plead that it is not amenable thereto by reason of its sovereignty, and shall be subject to judgments, orders, and decrees of the court having jurisdiction, and may obtain review thereof, in the same manner and to the same extent as a private individual under like circumstances. Any suit pursuant to this section may be brought in any United States district court in the State in which the land involved is situated.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Federal reclamation law, referred to in text, is defined in section 390aa of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 390uu
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60