S 563
Advanced toward a vote
Settles Ohkay Owingeh's water rights claims in New Mexico's Rio Chama Stream System, directs $745 million into a trust fund for water and bosque restoration projects, and waives the Pueblo's related claims against the United States.
Official title: Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions
Senate
Introduced
13-FEB-2025
Referred
13-FEB-2025
Approved by committee
05-MAR-2025
Reported
04-JUN-2026
On the calendar
04-JUN-2026
- Ratifies the water rights settlement agreement among Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, and other parties, and directs the Interior Secretary to sign it.
- Holds the Pueblo's water rights in trust for it through the United States and bars their loss through non-use or forfeiture.
- Transfers $745 million from the Treasury to a Settlement Trust Fund, adjusted for construction cost indexes, while New Mexico contributes $131 million in cost share.
- Waives the Pueblo's water-related claims against the United States once the Interior Secretary publishes findings that the settlement is complete, and the Act expires if that happens by July 1, 2038.
Covers an older version. The newest CRS summary describes the bill as of "Introduced in Senate" (13-FEB-2025); the text has changed since (Reported to Senate, 04-JUN-2026).
CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov- Indian Affairs Committee (Senate)
Native Americans
■ 1 D
1 Democrat