Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Settlement Act
PL 110-297 (H.R.4841), enacted 07/31/2008

122 STAT. 2975 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
Public Law 110–297 
110th Congress 
An Act 
To approve, ratify, and confirm the settlement agreement entered into to resolve 
claims by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians relating to alleged interferences 
with the water resources of the Tribe, to authorize and direct the Secretary 
of the Interior to execute and perform the Settlement Agreement and related 
waivers, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians 
Settlement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians is a federally 
recognized Indian tribe whose Reservation of approximately 
6,000 acres, extending east and north from the banks of the 
San Jacinto River in Riverside County, California, was created 
by an Executive Order dated June 19, 1883, and enlarged 
and modified by subsequent Executive Orders, purchases, and 
an Act of Congress. 
(2) The Tribe’s water rights have not been quantified, and 
the Tribe has asserted claims for interferences with the water 
resources of its Reservation, which the Tribe maintains have 
rendered much of the Tribe’s Reservation useless for habitation, 
livestock, or Agriculture. On April 20, 2000, the Tribe filed 
a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Water District of Southern 
California for interference with the Tribe’s water resources 
and 
damages 
to 
its 
Reservation 
allegedly 
caused 
by 
Metropolitan’s construction and operation of the San Jacinto 
Tunnel, which is part of the Colorado River Aqueduct. The 
lawsuit, styled Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians v. Metropolitan 
Water District of Southern California, No. 00–04208 GAF 
(MANx), is pending in the United States District Court for 
the Central District of California. 
(3) The Tribe also has made claims against Eastern Munic-
ipal Water District and Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, 
located adjacent to the Reservation, seeking to secure its water 
rights and damages arising from alleged past interference with 
the Tribe’s water resources. 
(4) After negotiations, which included participation by rep-
resentatives of the Tribe, the United States on behalf of the 
Tribe, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 
Eastern Municipal Water District, and Lake Hemet Municipal 
Soboba Band of 
Luisen
˜o Indians 
Settlement Act. 
California. 
July 31, 2008 
[H.R. 4841] 
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122 STAT. 2976 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
Water District, a Settlement Agreement has been developed 
to determine the Tribe’s water rights, resolve all of its claims 
for interference with the water resources of, and damages to, 
its Reservation, provide for the construction of water projects 
to facilitate the exercise of the Tribe’s rights, and resolve the 
lawsuit referenced in paragraph (2) of this section. 
(5) The Settlement Agreement provides that— 
(A) Eastern Municipal Water District and Lake Hemet 
Municipal Water District acknowledge and assure the 
Tribe’s prior and paramount right, superior to all others, 
to pump 9,000 acre-feet of water annually from the San 
Jacinto River basin in accordance with the limitations and 
other conditions set forth in the Settlement Agreement; 
(B) Eastern Municipal Water District and The Metro-
politan Water District of Southern California will contract 
to supply water to Eastern Municipal Water District and 
Eastern Municipal Water District will use this water to 
recharge water supplies into the basin; and 
(C) the three water districts will make substantial 
additional contributions to the settlement, including the 
conveyance of certain replacement lands and economic 
development funds to the Tribe, to carry out the Settlement 
Agreement’s provisions. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to approve, ratify, and confirm the Settlement Agree-
ment entered into by the Tribe and non-Indians entities; 
(2) to achieve a fair, equitable, and final settlement of 
all claims of the Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians, its members, 
and the United States on behalf of the Tribe and its members, 
to the water of the San Jacinto River basin; 
(3) to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior 
to execute and perform all obligations of the Secretary under 
the Settlement Agreement; and 
(4) to authorize the actions and appropriations necessary 
to meet obligations of the United States under the Settlement 
Agreement and this Act. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) RESTORATION
FUND.—The term ‘‘Restoration Fund’’ 
means the San Jacinto Basin Restoration Fund established 
by section 6. 
(2) DEVELOPMENT FUND.—The term ‘‘Development Fund’’ 
means the Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians Water Development 
Fund established by section 7. 
(3) RESERVATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Reservation’’ means the 
Soboba Indian Reservation created by Executive Order 
dated June 19, 1883, and enlarged and modified as of 
the date of enactment of this Act by Executive Orders 
and an Act of Congress. 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—For the purposes of this Act, the 
term ‘‘Reservation’’ does not include— 
(i) the 950 acres northwest of and contiguous to 
the Reservation known as the ‘‘Jones Ranch’’, pur-
chased by the Soboba Tribe in fee on July 21, 2001, 
and placed into trust on January 13, 2003; 
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122 STAT. 2977 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
(ii) the 535 acres southeast of and contiguous to 
the Reservation known as the ‘‘Horseshoe Grande’’, 
purchased by the Soboba Tribe in fee in seven separate 
transactions in June and December 2001, December 
2004, June 2006, and January 2007; and 
(iii) the 478 acres north of and contiguous to the 
Reservation known as ‘‘The Oaks’’, purchased by the 
Soboba Tribe in fee on April 4, 2004. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of the Interior or a designee of the Secretary. 
(5) SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Settlement Agree-
ment’’ means that agreement dated June 7, 2006, as amended 
to be consistent with this Act, together with all exhibits thereto. 
The parties to the Settlement Agreement are the Soboba Band 
of Luisen
˜o Indians and its members, the United States on 
behalf of the Tribe and its members, The Metropolitan Water 
District of Southern California, Eastern Municipal Water Dis-
trict, and Lake Hemet Municipal Water District. 
(6) TRIBE, SOBOBA
TRIBE, OR
SOBOBA
BAND
OF
LUISEN
˜ O 
INDIANS.—The terms ‘‘Tribe’’, ‘‘Soboba Tribe’’, or ‘‘Soboba Band 
of Luisen
˜o Indians’’ means the body politic and federally recog-
nized Indian tribe, and its members. 
(7) WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘Water Manage-
ment Plan’’ means the plan, approved by the Soboba Tribe 
and the Secretary, developed pursuant to section 4.8, paragraph 
A of the Settlement Agreement to resolve the overdraft of 
the San Jacinto basin. 
SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT; AUTHORIZA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The United States hereby approves, ratifies, 
and confirms the Settlement Agreement, except to the extent it 
conflicts with the provisions of this Act. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary is authorized and directed 
to execute, and take such other actions as are necessary to imple-
ment, the Settlement Agreement and any amendments approved 
by the parties necessary to make the Settlement Agreement con-
sistent with this Act. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) RESTORATION FUND.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
to the San Jacinto Basin Restoration Fund established in section 
6 of this Act the amount of $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2010 and 2011 to pay or reimburse the costs associated with con-
structing, operating, and maintaining the portion of the basin 
recharge project that the United States is responsible for under 
the Settlement Agreement. These costs are described in section 
4.5 of the Settlement Agreement and are necessary to accommodate 
deliveries of the supplemental imported water under section 4.4 
of the Settlement Agreement. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT FUND.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Soboba Band of Luisen
˜o Indians Water Development 
Fund established in section 7 of this Act the amount of $5,500,000 
for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011 to pay or reimburse costs 
associated with constructing, operating, and maintaining water and 
sewage infrastructure, and other water-related development 
projects. 
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122 STAT. 2978 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
(c) LIMITATION.—No funding of any construction, operation, 
maintenance, or replacement other than those funds authorized 
under subsections (a) and (b) shall be the responsibility of the 
Federal Government under the Settlement Agreement or this Act. 
SEC. 6. RESTORATION FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be established within the 
Treasury of the United States a non-interest bearing account to 
be known as the ‘‘San Jacinto Basin Restoration Fund’’, consisting 
of the amounts authorized to be appropriated in section 5(a) of 
this Act. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Restoration Fund shall be adminis-
tered by the Secretary for the purposes set forth in subsection 
(d) of this section. 
(c) AVAILABILITY.—The funds authorized to be appropriated 
pursuant to section 5(a) of this Act shall be available for expenditure 
or withdrawal only after the effective date set forth in section 
10(a). 
(d) EXPENDITURES AND WITHDRAWALS.— 
(1) EXPENDITURE PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Eastern Municipal Water District, 
on behalf of the Water Management Plan, shall submit 
to the Secretary for approval an expenditure plan for use 
of the Restoration Fund. 
(B) 
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
expenditure 
plan 
shall 
require that any funds be expended or reimbursed in 
accordance with the purposes described in section 5(a) of 
this Act. 
(2) WITHDRAWALS.—On approval by the Secretary of the 
expenditure plan described in this section, Eastern Municipal 
Water District, on behalf of the Water Management Plan, may 
expend or be reimbursed monies from the Restoration Fund 
as provided in the plan. 
(3) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary may take judicial or 
administrative action to enforce the provisions of any expendi-
ture plan to ensure that monies expended or reimbursed from 
the Restoration Fund under the plan are used in accordance 
with this Act. 
(4) LIABILITY.—If Eastern Municipal Water District, on 
behalf of the Water Management Plan, exercises the right 
to expend or be reimbursed monies from the Restoration Fund, 
neither the Secretary nor the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
have any liability for the expenditure or reimbursement. 
(5) ANNUAL
REPORT.—Eastern Municipal Water District 
shall submit to the Tribe and the Secretary an annual report 
that describes all expenditures or reimbursements from the 
Restoration Fund during the year covered by the report. 
SEC. 7. DEVELOPMENT FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be established within the 
Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the ‘‘Soboba 
Band of Luisen
˜o Indians Water Development Fund’’, to be managed 
and invested by the Secretary consisting of the amounts authorized 
to be appropriated in section 5(b). 
(b) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall manage the Develop-
ment Fund, make investments, and make monies available for 
distribution consistent with the American Indian Trust Fund 
Management Reform Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) (referred 
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122 STAT. 2979 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
to in this section as the ‘‘Trust Fund Reform Act’’), this Act, and 
the Settlement Agreement. 
(c) INVESTMENT.—The Secretary shall invest amounts in the 
Development Fund in accordance with— 
(1) the Act of April 1, 1880 (21 Stat. 70, ch. 41, 25 U.S.C. 
161); 
(2) the first section of the Act of June 24, 1938 (52 Stat. 
1037, ch. 648, 25 U.S.C. 162a); and 
(3) subsection (b) of this section. 
(d) AVAILABILITY.—The funds authorized to be appropriated 
pursuant to section 5(b) of this Act shall be available for expenditure 
or withdrawal only after the effective date set forth in section 
10(a). 
(e) EXPENDITURES AND WITHDRAWALS.— 
(1) TRIBAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe may withdraw all or part 
of the Development Fund on approval by the Secretary 
of a tribal management plan as described in the Trust 
Fund Reform Act. 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to the requirements 
under the Trust Fund Reform Act, the tribal management 
plan shall require that any funds be expended or 
reimbursed in accordance with the purposes described in 
section 5(b) of this Act. 
(C) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary may take judicial 
or administrative action to enforce the provisions of any 
tribal management plan to ensure that monies withdrawn 
from the Development Fund under the plan are used in 
accordance with this Act. 
(D) LIABILITY.—If the Tribe exercises the right to with-
draw monies from the Development Fund, neither the Sec-
retary nor the Secretary of the Treasury shall retain any 
liability for the expenditure or investment. 
(2) EXPENDITURE PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe shall submit to the Sec-
retary for approval an expenditure plan for any portion 
of the amounts made available under section 5(b) that 
the Tribe does not withdraw under this subsection. 
(B) DESCRIPTION.—The expenditure plan shall describe 
the manner in which, and the purposes for which, amounts 
of the Tribe remaining in the Funds will be used. 
(C) APPROVAL.—On receipt of an expenditure plan 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall approve the 
plan if the Secretary determines that the plan is reasonable 
and consistent with this Act and the Agreement. 
(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Tribe shall submit to the Sec-
retary an annual report that describes all expenditures from 
the Development Fund during the year covered by the report. 
(4) NO PER CAPITA DISTRIBUTIONS.—No part of the Develop-
ment Fund shall be distributed on a per capita basis to mem-
bers of the Tribe. 
SEC. 8. WAIVERS AND RELEASES. 
(a) TRIBE AND UNITED STATES AUTHORIZATION.—The Tribe, on 
behalf of itself and its members, and the Secretary, on behalf 
of the United States in its capacity as trustee for the Tribe and 
its members, are authorized, as part of the performance of their 
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122 STAT. 2980 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
obligations under the Settlement Agreement, to execute a waiver 
and release for claims under Federal, State, or other law against 
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Eastern 
Municipal Water District, and Lake Hemet Municipal Water Dis-
trict, for any and all— 
(1) past, present, and future claims to surface water and 
groundwater rights for the Reservation arising from time 
immemorial through the effective date described in section 
10 of this Act and anytime thereafter, except claims to enforce 
the Settlement Agreement or claims based on water rights 
acquired after the effective date described in section 10 of 
this Act; 
(2) past, present, and future claims for injury of any kind 
arising from interference with surface water and groundwater 
resources and water rights of the Reservation, including, but 
not limited to, all claims for injury to the Tribe’s use and 
enjoyment of the Reservation, economic development, religion, 
language, social structure and culture, and injury to the natural 
resources of the Reservation, from time immemorial through 
the effective date described in section 10 of this Act; 
(3) past, present, and future claims for injury of any kind 
arising from, or in any way related to, continuing interference 
with surface water and groundwater resources and water rights 
of the Reservation, including the full scope of claims defined 
in section 5.1, paragraph A(2) of the Settlement Agreement, 
to the extent that such continuing interference began prior 
to the effective date described in section 10 of this Act, from 
time immemorial through the effective date described in section 
10 of this Act and anytime thereafter; 
(4) past, present, and future claims for injury of any kind 
arising from, or in any way related to, seepage of water into 
the San Jacinto Tunnel, including the full scope of claims 
defined in section 5.1, paragraph A(2) of the Settlement Agree-
ment, from time immemorial through the effective date 
described in section 10 of this Act and anytime thereafter; 
and 
(5) past, present, and future claims for injury of any kind 
arising from, or in any way related to, the Water Management 
Plan as approved in accordance with the Settlement Agreement, 
from time immemorial through the effective date described 
in section 10 of this Act and anytime thereafter. 
(b) TRIBAL WAIVERS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe is authorized, as part of the 
performance of its obligations under the Settlement Agreement, 
to execute a waiver and release for claims against the United 
States (acting in its capacity as trustee for the Tribe or its 
members, or otherwise acting on behalf of the Tribe or its 
members), including any agencies, officials, or employees 
thereof, for any and all— 
(A) claims described in subsection (a) of this section; 
(B) past, present, and future claims for failure to 
acquire or develop water rights and water resources of 
the Reservation arising from time immemorial through 
the effective date described in section 10 of this Act and 
anytime thereafter; 
(C) past, present, and future claims for failure to pro-
tect water rights and water resources of the Reservation 
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122 STAT. 2981 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
arising from time immemorial through the effective date 
described in section 10 of this Act, and any past, present, 
and future claims for any continuing failure to protect 
water rights and water resources of the Reservation, arising 
from time immemorial through the effective date described 
in section 10 of this Act and, to the extent that such 
continuing failure to protect began before the effective date 
described in section 10 of this Act, anytime thereafter; 
(D) past, present, and future claims arising from the 
failure of any non-Federal Party to fulfill the terms of 
the Settlement Agreement at anytime; and 
(E) past, present, and future claims arising out of 
the negotiation of the Settlement Agreement or the negotia-
tion and enactment of this Act, or any specific terms of 
provisions thereof, including, but not limited to, the Tribe’s 
consent to limit the number of participant parties to the 
Settlement Agreement. 
(2) EFFECTIVENESS
OF
WAIVERS
AGAINST
THE
UNITED 
STATES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The waiver and release contained 
in this subsection shall take effect on the date on which 
all of the amounts authorized under sections 5(a) and 5(b) 
are appropriated. 
(B) PERIODS OF LIMITATION; EQUITABLE CLAIMS.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—All periods of limitation and time- 
based equitable defenses applicable to the claims set 
forth in paragraph (1) are tolled for the period between 
the date of enactment of this Act until the date on 
which the amounts authorized under sections 5(a) and 
5(b) are appropriated. 
(ii) EFFECT
OF
SUBPARAGRAPH.—This subpara-
graph neither revives any claim nor tolls any period 
of limitation or time-based equitable defense that may 
have expired before the date of enactment of this Act. 
(C) DEFENSE.—The making of the amounts of appro-
priations authorized under sections 5(a) and 5(b) shall con-
stitute a complete defense to any claim which involves 
the claims set forth in paragraph (b)(1) pending in any 
court of the United States on the date on which the appro-
priations are made. 
SEC. 9. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 
(a) JURISDICTION.— 
(1) NO EFFECT ON SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION.—Nothing 
in the Agreement or this Act restricts, enlarges, or otherwise 
determines the subject matter jurisdiction of any Federal, State, 
or Tribal court. 
(2) JUDGMENT AND DECREE.—The United States consents 
to jurisdiction in the United States District Court for the Cen-
tral District of California case known as Soboba Band of 
Luisen
˜o Indians v. Metropolitan Water District of Southern 
California, No. 00–04208 for the purpose of obtaining approval 
for a judgment and decree substantially the same as the judg-
ment and decree attached to the Settlement Agreement as 
exhibit H. 
(3) EFFECT
OF
SUBSECTION.—Nothing in this subsection 
confers jurisdiction on any State court to— 
Effective date. 
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122 STAT. 2982 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
(A) enforce Federal environmental laws regarding the 
duties of the United States; or 
(B) conduct judicial review of Federal agency action. 
(b) USE OF WATER.— 
(1) TRIBAL USE.—With respect to water rights made avail-
able under the Settlement Agreement— 
(A) the Tribe may use water made available to it 
under the Settlement Agreement for any use it deems 
advisable on the Reservation and on any other lands it 
owns or may acquire, in fee or in trust, contiguous to 
the Reservation or within the area of the groundwater 
basin described in section 2.4 of the Settlement Agreement; 
(B) such water rights shall be held in trust by the 
United States in perpetuity, and shall not be subject to 
forfeiture or abandonment; and 
(C) State law shall not apply to the Tribe’s use of 
water made available to it under the Settlement Agree-
ment. 
(2) NON-TRIBAL USE.— 
(A) CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS.—Subject to the limita-
tions in subparagraph (B), the Tribe may enter into con-
tracts and options to lease or contracts and options to 
exchange water made available to it under the Settlement 
Agreement, or enter into contracts and options to postpone 
existing water uses or postpone undertaking new or 
expanded water uses. 
(B) LIMITATIONS ON NON-TRIBAL USE.— 
(i) 
CONSISTENCY
WITH
WATER
MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.—Any water made available under subparagraph 
(A) shall only be used by participants in, or other 
users within the area of, the Water Management Plan 
described in section 2.32 of the Settlement Agreement. 
(ii) PROHIBITION ON PERMANENT ALIENATION.—No 
contract under subparagraph (A) shall be for a term 
exceeding one hundred years, nor shall any contract 
under subparagraph (A) provide for permanent alien-
ation of any portion of the water rights made available 
under the Settlement Agreement. 
(C) LIABILITY.—The Secretary shall not be liable to 
any party, including the Tribe, for any term of, or any 
loss or other detriment resulting from, a lease or contract 
entered into pursuant to this subparagraph. 
(c) RETENTION OF RIGHTS.— 
(1) In the event the waivers and releases set out in section 
8 of this Act do not become effective pursuant to section 10(a) 
of this Act, the Soboba Tribe and the United States shall 
retain the right to assert all rights and claims enumerated 
in section 8, and any claims or defenses of the parties to 
the Settlement Agreement shall also be retained. 
(2) The parties expressly reserve all rights not specifically 
granted, recognized, waived, or released by the Settlement 
Agreement or this Act. 
(3) Notwithstanding the waivers and releases set forth 
in section 8(a), the United States retains all claims relating 
to violations of the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water 
Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensa-
tion, and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery 
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122 STAT. 2983 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
Act, and the regulations implementing these Acts, including, 
but not limited to claims related to water quality. 
(d) PRECEDENT.—Nothing in this Act establishes any standard 
for the quantification or litigation of Federal reserved water rights 
or any other Indian water claims of any other Indian tribes in 
any other judicial or administrative proceeding. 
(e) OTHER INDIAN TRIBES.—Nothing in the Settlement Agree-
ment or this Act shall be construed in any way to quantify or 
otherwise adversely affect the water rights, claims, or entitlements 
to water of any Indian tribe, band, or community, other than 
the Soboba Tribe. 
(f) ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) Signing by the Secretary of the Settlement Agreement 
does not constitute major Federal action under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
(2) The Secretary is directed to carry out all environmental 
compliance required by Federal law in implementing the Agree-
ment. 
SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The waivers and releases authorized in sub-
section (a) of section 8 of this Act shall become effective as of 
the date the Secretary causes to be published in the Federal Reg-
ister a statement of findings that— 
(1) this Act has been enacted; 
(2) to the extent that the Settlement Agreement conflicts 
with this Act, the Settlement Agreement has been revised 
to conform with the Act; 
(3) the Settlement Agreement, revised as necessary, and 
the waivers and releases described in article 5 of the Settlement 
Agreement and section 8(a) of this Act have been executed 
by the parties and the Secretary; 
(4) warranty deeds for the property to be conveyed to 
the Tribe described in section 4.6 of the Settlement Agreement 
have been placed in escrow; 
(5) the Tribe and the Secretary have approved the Water 
Management Plan; and 
(6) the judgment and decree attached to the Settlement 
Agreement as exhibit H or a judgment and decree substantially 
the same as exhibit H has been approved by the United States 
District Court, Eastern Division of the Central District of Cali-
fornia, and that judgment and decree has become final and 
nonappealable. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR EFFECTIVE DATE.—If the conditions precedent 
required under subsection (a) of this section have not been fulfilled 
by March 1, 2012, the Settlement Agreement and this Act shall 
not thereafter be effective and shall be null and void, and any 
funds and the interest accrued thereon appropriated pursuant to 
Federal Register, 
publication. 
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122 STAT. 2984 
PUBLIC LAW 110–297—JULY 31, 2008 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4841: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–649 (Comm. on Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 
May 19, 21, considered and passed House. 
July 23, considered and passed Senate. 
section 5 shall revert to the general fund of the United States 
Treasury. 
Approved July 31, 2008. 
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