To provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Jon Tester
D-MT | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateMr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill settles long-standing water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes) in Montana. It ratifies a water compact between the tribe and the State of Montana, allocates 20,000 acre-feet of water annually from Lake Elwell, and authorizes over $900 million for water infrastructure improvements including irrigation systems, canals, and domestic water/sewer systems.
Who Benefits and How
The Fort Belknap Indian Community receives legally recognized water rights, 20,000 acre-feet annual water allocation from Lake Elwell, and substantial federal funding for water infrastructure. Tribal allottees (individual landholders) are protected with benefits equivalent to or exceeding their current rights. The Blackfeet Tribe benefits from St. Mary Canal restoration. Montana and federal agencies avoid costly water rights litigation.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers fund over $900 million in appropriations for trust funds and infrastructure. The Fort Belknap Indian Community must waive and release all other water rights claims within Montana as consideration for the settlement. State of Montana must participate in land exchanges and coordinate with federal agencies.
Key Provisions
- Ratifies Fort Belknap-Montana water rights compact and validates tribal water rights
- Allocates 20,000 acre-feet/year from Lake Elwell to tribe
- Authorizes $300 million for Milk River Project mitigation (St. Mary Canal restoration, Dodson South Canal enlargement)
- Establishes Aaniiih Nakoda Settlement Trust Fund with ~$420 million for irrigation and water development
- Cancels all existing debts/liens against tribal allotments for irrigation assessments
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Settles the water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes) in Montana by ratifying a water rights compact, authorizing infrastructure improvements, and establishing trust funds totaling over $900 million.
Policy Domains
Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act
Likely Beneficiaries
- Fort Belknap Indian Community
- Tribal allottees
- Blackfeet Tribe
- State of Montana
- Bureau of Reclamation
Inferred from context, no direct clause evidence
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal taxpayers
- Fort Belknap Indian Community (claim waivers)
Inferred from context, no direct clause evidence
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_commissioner"
- → Commissioner of Reclamation
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Water rights of the Fort Belknap Indian Community described in the Compact, held in trust by the United States
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology