US Congress House Bill 5673 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: Introduced on January 24 2020 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2020-01-27 - Referred to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States.
Pending: House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Modifies and ratifies a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by the United States, Montana, and the Fort Belknap Indian Community (i.e., the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana). The bill requires the community's water rights to be held in trust for the benefit of the community and its allottees. The community must enact a tribal water code to regulate its water rights. Among other things, the Department of the Interior must negotiate with Montana for the transfer of specified parcels of state land located on and off the reservation, hold transferred land in trust for the benefit of the community, allocate 20,000 acre-feet per year of stored water from Lake Elwell, establish a settlement trust fund, and request Montana to pay a specified amount to contribute to the design and construction of the Peoples Creek Dam and Reservoir to support mitigation activities. The bill requires the Bureau of Reclamation to modify the operating procedures of the Milk River Project to ensure that the Fresno Reservoir is operated in accordance with the agreement. The bill also outlines certain waivers, releases, and retention of claims under the settlement agreement.

Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2020

Rep. Ruben Gallego [D-AZ]

Date	Chamber	Action
2020-01-27	House	Referred to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States.
2020-01-27	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
2020-01-24	House	Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
2020-01-24	House	Introduced in House

SB3113 (Related) 2019-12-19 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5673/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr5673/BILLS-116hr5673ih.pdf