IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 320 
Recognizing the critical importance of access to reliable, clean drinking water 
for Native Americans and Alaska Natives and confirming the responsi-
bility of the Federal Government to ensure such water access. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 15, 2021 
Mr. NEGUSE (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. HUFFMAN, and Mrs. NAPOLI-
TANO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the critical importance of access to reliable, 
clean drinking water for Native Americans and Alaska 
Natives and confirming the responsibility of the Federal 
Government to ensure such water access. 
Whereas access to reliable, clean drinking water is an essen-
tial human need that is critical to the public health, well- 
being, educational attainment, and economic development 
of all communities in the United States; 
Whereas many countries, along with the United Nations, 
have recognized the urgency of water access by passing 
laws or resolutions regarding the human right to water, 
including recognition of these needs among indigenous 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:52 Apr 16, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR320.IH
HR320
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 320 IH 
peoples and establishing aggressive targets for achieving 
universal access to this basic service; 
Whereas access to reliable, clean drinking water has long 
been a significant problem in many Tribal communities 
and in many Alaska Native Villages, such that nearly 
half of all Native American households still do not have 
access to reliable water sources, clean drinking water, 
and are significantly more likely than White households 
to lack indoor plumbing; 
Whereas reliable, clean drinking water may be unavailable to 
these households for a number of reasons, including be-
cause— 
(1) there is no piped water system connecting to the 
house; 
(2) the water available to the household does not 
meet minimum protective standards; 
(3) the water infrastructure is deteriorating or insuf-
ficient; or 
(4) Indian Tribes face challenges in supporting the 
operation and maintenance needs of existing water infra-
structure; 
Whereas Federal programs administered through the Indian 
Health Service of the Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the De-
partment of Agriculture, and other Federal and State 
agencies have been unsuccessful in developing the infra-
structure necessary to provide reliable, clean drinking 
water for some Tribal communities; 
Whereas many Indian Tribes have significant unresolved 
claims for federally reserved water rights, many of which 
have been unresolved for decades and which may not be 
resolved for many years to come, due in part to the com-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:52 Apr 16, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR320.IH
HR320
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 320 IH 
plex and significant issues typically involved in water 
rights adjudication and settlements; 
Whereas the development of water infrastructure in Tribal 
communities has frequently been conditioned on the set-
tlement of such Tribal reserved water rights, and has 
been prevented or delayed by continuing uncertainty over 
the status of Tribal water rights, by the years-long proc-
ess of Tribal water rights settlements, or by continued 
conflict over the quantification of Tribal reserved water 
rights in State water rights adjudications; 
Whereas the quantity of water that would be required to sup-
ply reliable, clean drinking water to provide for the basic 
needs of the residents of Tribal communities and in Alas-
ka Native Villages are typically only a small fraction of 
the total quantity of Tribal reserved water rights; 
Whereas the Federal trust responsibility of the United States 
Government to Tribal nations requires the Federal Gov-
ernment to ensure the survival and welfare of Indian 
Tribes and people, and the failure to provide basic water 
service cannot be reconciled with this Federal trust re-
sponsibility; 
Whereas the Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) affirmed the trust 
responsibility of the Federal Government to support Trib-
al self-governance and self-determination, and these goals 
cannot be fully realized without addressing inequities 
such as ensuring access to reliable, clean drinking water 
for every Tribal community; 
Whereas the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic has had a dis-
proportionate impact on Native Americans due to factors 
including persistent economic disadvantages in Tribal 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:52 Apr 16, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR320.IH
HR320
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 320 IH 
(C) the provision of reliable, clean drinking 
water to support the domestic requirements of 
Tribal members and Tribal communities is an 
essential component of the Federal trust re-
sponsibility to Indian Tribes; and 
(2) the House of Representatives— 
(A) calls upon the Federal Executive 
Branch to work in collaboration with Tribal 
governments and with any relevant State and 
local jurisdictions to expedite the planning, de-
sign, development, and operation of the infra-
structure necessary to provide reliable, clean 
drinking water in Tribal communities and in 
Alaska Native Villages, and to inform Congress 
of further authorizations and expenditures that 
may be necessary to meet this objective; 
(B) calls upon the Federal Executive 
Branch to employ a ‘‘whole of government’’ ap-
proach to ensure the provision of reliable, clean 
drinking water to households in Tribal commu-
nities and in Alaska Native Villages and to cre-
ate an interagency task force consisting of high- 
level representatives from departments and 
agencies with authority to provide water infra-
structure that will work to remove barriers, op-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:52 Apr 16, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR320.IH
HR320
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 320 IH 
timize funding, and make immediate and tan-
gible progress on meeting this objective and re-
port annually to Congress on such progress; 
and 
(C) calls upon the Federal Executive 
Branch, State governments, and affected water 
agencies to affirmatively support de-coupling 
the planning, design, development, and oper-
ation of such infrastructure from the settlement 
or adjudication of Tribal reserved water rights, 
and to support the development of that infra-
structure necessary to provide reliable, clean 
drinking water in Tribal communities inde-
pendent of such settlements or adjudications. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:52 Apr 16, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR320.IH
HR320
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS