Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act

Bill: 119-s-640
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Introduced: 2025-02-19
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Government trust funds

Indian lands and resources rights

New Mexico
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-05
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act</strong></p><p>This bill authorizes deposits representing unpaid interest into the&nbsp;Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund, and the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund. These funds were established in 2009 and 2010 under certain water rights settlement agreements that did not allow accrual of interest.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 640 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 19, 2025 Mr. Luján (for himself and Mr. Heinrich ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs A BILL To amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to make a technical correction to the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, to amend the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 to make technical corrections to the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act . 2. Authorization of payment of adjusted interest on the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 ( Public Law 111–11 ) is amended— (1) in section 10701(e)(1)(A)(vii), by striking 10702. and inserting 10702, except for deposits made pursuant to section 10702(g). ; and (2) in section 10702— (A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking subsection (f) and inserting subsections (f) and (g) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (g) Adjusted interest payments In addition to amounts made available under subsection (f), there is authorized to be appropriated for deposit in the Trust Fund $6,357,674.46. . 3. Authorization of payment of adjusted interest on the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) is amended by adding after section 513 the following: 514. Adjusted interest payments In addition to the amounts made available under section 509(c), there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for deposit into the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund established by section 505(a) $7,794,297.52. . 4. Authorization of payment of adjusted interest on the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ fund The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) is amended by adding after section 626 the following: 627. Interest payments (a) Adjusted interest payments In addition to amounts made available under section 617, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for deposit into the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund established by section 615(a) $4,314,709.18 for the Pueblos’ share of the costs of operating, maintaining, and replacing the Pueblo Water Facilities and the Regional Water System, as set forth in section 617(c)(1)(B). (b) Waiver of payment To the extent monies are due or payable to the United States attributable to interest earned on amounts made available under section 617(c)(1)(A) prior to September 15, 2017, the Secretary of the Treasury shall waive payment of such monies. . 5. Disclaimer (a) Section 509 of Claims Resolution Act of 2010 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the previous satisfaction of the conditions precedent in section 509(f)(2) of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) or to affect the validity of the Secretarial finding published in the Federal Register on October 7, 2016, pursuant to section 509(f)(1) of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) that such conditions precedent were fully satisfied. (b) Section 623 of Claims Resolution Act of 2010 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the previous satisfaction of the conditions precedent in section 623(a)(2) of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) or to affect the validity of the Secretarial finding published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2017, pursuant to section 623(a)(1) of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–291 ) that such conditions precedent were fully satisfied.