Leger Fernández Tribal Water Settlement Bill Passes House Natural Resources Committee

WATCH HEARING COMMENTS BY REP. LEGER FERNÁNDEZ WASHINGTON — Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources unanimously advanced Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández’s (NM-03) H.R. 4598 , Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act . The amended legislation would authorize additional funding to help the Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and the Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque develop, operate, and maintain water infrastructure. The funding covers interest the Tribes’ water settlement funds should have earned when the settlements first became law. “Agua es vida and water is key to Tribal sovereignty,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández . “These Tribal nations agreed to settle their senior water rights, and the federal government has a responsibility to keep its word. Today’s bipartisan committee action moves us closer to helping them recover the interest their settlement funds should have earned and use it to build the water infrastructure their communities need. I am grateful to the Tribal leaders and communities who partnered with us on this legislation. The Senate has already acted. Now, let’s pass this bill through the House and send it to the President’s desk.” Indian water rights settlements commonly allow the Secretary of the Interior to invest trust funds after the funds are appropriated. This provides Tribes with additional resources to support their water infrastructure. However, some Indian water rights settlements enacted in 2009 and 2010 prohibited the Secretary from investing the trust funds prior to the respective settlement’s enforcement date. That included the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act (Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project/Navajo Nation Water Rights), the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act. As a result, the affected Tribes lost out on interest that was or could have been earned from investing the trust funds between the date they were appropriated and the settlement enforcement date. This legislation provides a technical fix so that the affected Tribes can receive that interest. The House Natural Resources Committee considered H.R. 4598 during its September 15 markup . The Senate passed the companion legislation, S. 640, by unanimous consent on December 11, 2025. H.R. 4598 now awaits consideration by the full House. ###