Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Senate Bill

S. 240

119th Congress

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 260.

Introduced:Jan 24, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Christopher Murphy

Senator

Democratic

CT

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Native Americans

Summary

This bill amends the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement to improve implementation of water infrastructure projects on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It creates new accounts for the Crow Irrigation Project rehabilitation and municipal water infrastructure, extends the tribe exclusive hydropower development rights at Yellowtail Afterbay Dam by five years to 2030, and updates terminology and funding mechanisms.

Latest Action

Held at the desk.

SponsorChristopher Murphy (D-CT)

Introduced1/24/2025

StatusPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 260.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

This bill amends the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement to improve implementation of water infrastructure projects on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It creates new accounts for the Crow Irrigation Project rehabilitation and municipal water infrastructur

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

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0 predictions

This bill amends the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement to improve implementation of water infrastructure projects on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It creates new accounts for the Crow Irrigation Project rehabilitation and municipal water infrastructure, extends the tribe exclusive hydropower development rights at Yellowtail Afterbay Dam by five years to 2030, and updates terminology and funding mechanisms.

Bill Number: 240
Sponsor: Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Introduced: 1/24/2025
Status: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 260.
Policy Area: Native Americans

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025
Bill Number: 240
Sponsor: Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Status: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 260.
Introduced: 1/24/2025
Summary: This bill amends the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement to improve implementation of water infrastructure projects on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It creates new accounts for the Crow Irrigation Project rehabilitation and municipal water infrastructure, extends the tribe exclusive hydropowe

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill amends the 2010 Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement to improve implementation of water infrastructure projects on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It creates new accounts for the Crow Irrigation Project rehabilitation and municipal water infrastructure, extends the tribe exclusive hydropower development rights at Yellowtail Afterbay Dam by five years to 2030, and updates terminology and funding mechanisms.

Last updated: 1/4/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025This bill revises the water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Crow Tribe of Montana and Montana.The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 ratified, authorized, and confirmed the water rights compact between the tribe and Montana. Among other provisions, this settlement act authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design and construct the following two major projects on the Crow Reservation: (1) the rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project (CIP); and (2) the planning, design, and construction of the MR&I System (the municipal, rural, and industrial water system of the Crow Reservation).Among other provisions, the bill revises the settlement act to<ul><li>replace references to the MR&I System with MR&I Projects; </li><li>establish a nontrust, interest-bearing account (to be known as the Crow CIP Implementation Account) to allow Reclamation to continue to work on the rehabilitation of the CIP; </li><li>create a new MR&I Projects Account, through which the tribe must use funds for activities related to water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure; and</li><li>extend by five years (to 2030) the period during which the tribe has the exclusive right to construct hydropower facilities on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana.</li></ul>

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Establishes Crow CIP Implementation Account for irrigation rehabilitation
Creates MR&I Projects Account for municipal water infrastructure
Extends Yellowtail Afterbay Dam hydropower rights to 2030
Updates terminology from MR&I System to MR&I Projects
Allows Bureau of Reclamation to continue CIP rehabilitation work

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

These amendments strengthen the federal commitment to Crow Tribe water rights and infrastructure development. For the tribe, improved irrigation and municipal water systems are essential for economic development and quality of life. The hydropower extension provides additional time to develop renewable energy resources. The bill represents continued implementation of federal trust responsibilities to tribal nations.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Native Americans

Related Subjects

Dams and canals

Government trust funds

Indian lands and resources rights

Montana

Water use and supply

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

240, 119th Congress (2025). "Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-240