Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025”.
Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
A BILL
To amend the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to make improvements to that Act, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Crow Tribe water rights settlement
Definitions— Section 403 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3097) is amended—
by striking paragraph (11) and inserting the following:
“(11) MR&I Project—The term MR&I Project means an activity described in clauses (i) through (iii) of section 411(e)(3)(F).”
in paragraph (12)—
in the paragraph heading, by striking “system” and inserting “projects”; and
in subparagraphs (A) through (C), by striking “System” each place it appears and inserting “Projects”.
Repeal of MR&I System—
In general— Section 406 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3102) is repealed.
Clerical amendment— The table of contents for the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3064) is amended by striking the item relating to section 406.
Crow Settlement Fund— Section 411 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3113) is amended—
in subsection (a), by striking “to be administered by the Secretary” and inserting “to be managed, invested, and distributed by the Secretary and to remain available until expended, withdrawn, or reverted to the general fund of the Treasury, consisting of amounts deposited in the Fund under subsection (b), together with any investment earnings, including interest, earned on those amounts,”;
in subsection (c)—
in paragraph (3), by striking “System” and inserting “Projects”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(5)
“(A) The MR&I Projects Account, to be established as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, consisting of—
“(i) amounts made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 414(b) that are appropriated after the date of enactment of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025; and
“(ii) amounts to be deposited pursuant to section 414(h)(2).
“(B) Amounts deposited into the MR&I Projects Account shall be further deposited into the special joint signature account named “MR&I Account” established pursuant to the agreement with the Tribe dated September 13, 2012, prior to any investment earnings accruing or becoming available.”
in subsection (e)—
in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
“(C) the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.).”
in paragraph (3)—
in subparagraph (A), by striking “through (E)” and inserting “through (F)”;
in subparagraph (E)—
in the subparagraph heading, by striking “system” and inserting “projects”; and
by striking “System” each place it appears and inserting “Projects”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(F) MR&I Projects Account—Funds from the MR&I Projects Account shall be used for expenditures by the Tribe in accordance with the following:
“(i) Priority use of funds—The Tribe shall use funds from the MR&I Projects Account—
“(I) to plan, permit, design, engineer, construct, reconstruct, replace, rehabilitate, operate, or repair water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure, including for domestic and municipal use or wastewater infrastructure; and
“(II) to comply with applicable environmental laws for the activities described in subclause (I).
“(ii) Other use of funds—After providing written notice to the Secretary that on-Reservation MR&I projects described in clause (i) are complete, the Tribe may use funds remaining in the MR&I Projects Account to purchase on-Reservation land with water rights.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(i) Title to infrastructure—Title to, control over, and operation of any project constructed using funds from the MR&I Projects Account shall remain in the Tribe.
“(j) Operation, maintenance, and replacement—The Federal Government shall have no obligation to pay for the operation, maintenance, or replacement of any MR&I Project.”
Yellowtail Dam, Montana— Subsection (b)(1) of section 412 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3116) is amended by striking “15 years” and inserting “20 years”.
Funding— Section 414 of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3120) is amended in subsection (e)—
in the subsection heading, by striking “System” and inserting “Projects”; and
by striking “System” and inserting “Projects”.
Technical and conforming amendments—
Section 403(9) of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3098) is amended by striking “(25 U.S.C. 450b)” and inserting “(25 U.S.C. 5304)”.
Section 410(e)(1) of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291; 124 Stat. 3112) is amended in subparagraph (C), by striking “agreements with the Tribe required by sections 405(a) and 406(a)” and inserting “agreement with the Tribe required by section 405(a)”.