Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024
A BILL
To approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Zuni Indian Tribe in the Zuni River Stream System in the State of New Mexico, to protect the Zuni Salt Lake, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Definitions
In this Act:
Enforceability date— The term Enforceability Date means the date described in section 109.
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
State— The term State means the State of New Mexico.
Tribal water rights—
In general— The term Tribal Water Rights means the water rights of the Tribe in the Zuni River Stream System (as defined in section 102)—
as identified in the Agreement and section 104; and
as confirmed in the Partial Final Judgment and Decree (as defined in section 102).
Exclusions— The term Tribal Water Rights does not include—
any interest that the Tribe may have in an Allotment (as defined in section 102) that is determined by the Secretary to be patented pursuant to section 1 of the Act of February 8, 1887 (commonly known as the “Indian General Allotment Act”) (24 Stat. 388, chapter 119; 25 U.S.C. 331) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Indian Land Consolidation Act Amendments of 2000 (Public Law 106–462; 114 Stat. 1991)); or
any undivided interest that the Tribe may have in an Allotment (as so defined) that is determined by the Secretary to be patented pursuant to an authority other than section 1 of the Act of February 8, 1887 (commonly known as the “Indian General Allotment Act”) (24 Stat. 388, chapter 119; 25 U.S.C. 331) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Indian Land Consolidation Act Amendments of 2000 (Public Law 106–462; 114 Stat. 1991)).
Tribe— The term Tribe means the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, a federally recognized Indian Tribe.