Indian Water Rights Legislation

House Natural Resources Committee
   Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

23/07/2024 at 10:15AM

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on Indian water rights legislation proposing settlements totalling over $12 billion.

Hearing memo

Legislation:

  • 1304 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2023”;
  • 3977 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act of 2023”;
  • 6599 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act”;
  • 7240 (Rep. Rosendale), “Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8685 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8791 (Rep. Zinke), “Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8920 (Rep. Fong), “Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8940 (Rep. Ciscomani), “Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8945 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8949 (Rep. Schweikert), “Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024”;
  • 8951 (Rep. Vasquez), “Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024” and
  • 8953 (Rep. Zinke), “Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2024”.

Witnesses:

Panel I

  • Members of Congress TBD

Panel II – (H.R. 7240, H.R. 8685, H.R. 8791, H.R. 8920, H.R. 8951, and H.R. 8953)

  • Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC (all bills)
  • Jeffery Stiffram, President, Fort Belknap Indian Community, Harlem, MT (H.R. 8791)
  • Frank White Clay, Chairman, Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT (H.R. 8953)
  • Lester Shine Nieto, Vice Chairman, Tule River Indian Tribe of California, Porterville, CA (H.R. 8920)
  • Larry Phillips, Jr., Governor, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh, NM (H.R. 8685) [Minority Witness]
  • Arden Kucate, Governor, Pueblo of Zuni, Zuni, NM (H.R. 8951) [Minority Witness]
  • Marko Manoukian, Co-Chair, St. Mary Rehabilitation Working Group, Malta, MT (H.R. 7240)

Panel III – (H.R. 1304, H.R. 3977, H.R. 6599, H.R. 8940, H.R. 8945, and H.R. 8949)

  • David Palumbo, Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC (all bills)
  • Craig Andrews, Vice Chairman, Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi, AZ (H.R. 8940)
  • Tanya Lewis, Chairwoman, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Upper Verde Valley, AZ (H.R. 8949)
  • Buu Nygren, President, Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ (H.R. 3977, H.R. 6599, H.R. 8940, and H.R. 8945) [Minority Witness]
  • Fred Romero, Governor, Pueblo of Taos, Taos, NM (H.R. 6599) [Minority Witness]
  • Randall Vicente, Governor, Pueblo of Acoma, Acoma, NM (H.R. 1304) [Minority Witness]