I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 967 
To authorize the construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System 
and study of the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System in 
the States of Montana and North Dakota, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 5, 2019 
Mr. GIANFORTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To authorize the construction of the Musselshell-Judith 
Rural Water System and study of the Dry-Redwater 
Regional Water Authority System in the States of Mon-
tana and North Dakota, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clean Water for Rural 
Communities Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to ensure a safe and ade-
quate municipal, rural, and industrial water supply for the 
citizens of— 
(1) Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Rich-
land, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Valley, Fer-
gus, Yellowstone, and Musselshell Counties in the 
State of Montana; and 
(2) McKenzie County, North Dakota. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
AUTHORITY.—The 
term 
‘‘Authority’’ 
means— 
(A) the Central Montana Regional Water 
Authority, a publicly owned nonprofit water au-
thority formed in accordance with Mont. Code 
Ann. § 75–6–302 (2007); and 
(B) any nonprofit successor entity to the 
Authority described in subparagraph (A). 
(2) MUSSELSHELL-JUDITH RURAL WATER SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘Musselshell-Judith Rural Water 
System’’ means the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water 
System authorized under section 4(a), with a project 
service area that includes— 
(A) Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Val-
ley, and Musselshell Counties in the State; 
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(B) the portion of Yellowstone County in 
the State within 2 miles of State Highway 3 
and within 4 miles of the county line between 
Golden Valley and Yellowstone Counties in the 
State, inclusive of the Town of Broadview, 
Montana; and 
(C) the portion of Fergus County in the 
State within 2 miles of U.S. Highway 87 and 
within 4 miles of the county line between Fer-
gus and Judith Basin Counties in the State, in-
clusive of the Town of Moore, Montana. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Montana. 
SEC. 4. MUSSELSHELL-JUDITH RURAL WATER SYSTEM. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary may carry out 
the planning, design, and construction of the Musselshell- 
Judith Rural Water System in a manner that is substan-
tially in accordance with the feasibility report entitled 
‘‘Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System Feasibility Re-
port’’ (including any and all revisions of the report). 
(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—The Secretary shall 
enter into a cooperative agreement with the Authority to 
provide Federal assistance for the planning, design, and 
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construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water Sys-
tem. 
(c) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of 
the costs relating to the planning, design, and 
construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural 
Water System shall not exceed 65 percent of 
the total cost of the Musselshell-Judith Rural 
Water System. 
(B) LIMITATION.—Amounts made avail-
able under subparagraph (A) shall not be re-
turnable or reimbursable under the reclamation 
laws. 
(2) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
(A) GENERAL USES.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water 
System may use Federal funds made available 
to carry out this section for— 
(i) facilities relating to— 
(I) water pumping; 
(II) water treatment; 
(III) water storage; 
(IV) water supply wells; 
(V) distribution pipelines; and 
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(VI) control systems; 
(ii) transmission pipelines; 
(iii) pumping stations; 
(iv) appurtenant buildings, mainte-
nance equipment, and access roads; 
(v) any interconnection facility that 
connects a pipeline of the Musselshell-Ju-
dith Rural Water System to a pipeline of 
a public water system; 
(vi) electrical power transmission and 
distribution facilities required for the oper-
ation and maintenance of the Musselshell- 
Judith Rural Water System; 
(vii) any other facility or service re-
quired for the development of a rural water 
distribution system, as determined by the 
Secretary; and 
(viii) any property or property right 
required for the construction or operation 
of a facility described in this subsection. 
(B) LIMITATION.—Federal funds made 
available to carry out this section shall not be 
used for the operation, maintenance, or replace-
ment of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water 
System. 
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(C) TITLE.—Title to the Musselshell-Ju-
dith Rural Water System shall be held by the 
Authority. 
SEC. 5. DRY-REDWATER FEASIBILITY STUDY. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DRY-REDWATER
REGIONAL
WATER
AU-
THORITY.—The 
term 
‘‘Dry-Redwater 
Regional 
Water Authority’’ means— 
(A) the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Au-
thority, a publicly owned nonprofit water au-
thority formed in accordance with Mont. Code 
Ann. § 75–6–302 (2007); and 
(B) any nonprofit successor entity to the 
Authority described in subparagraph (A). 
(2) DRY-REDWATER
REGIONAL
WATER
AU-
THORITY
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Dry-Redwater Re-
gional Water Authority System’’ means the project 
entitled the ‘‘Dry-Redwater Regional Water Author-
ity System’’, with a project service area that in-
cludes— 
(A) Garfield and McCone Counties in the 
State; 
(B) the area west of the Yellowstone River 
in Dawson and Richland Counties in the State; 
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