S. 4104 · 117th Congress

Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022

Introduced on Apr 28, 2022 by Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ). One cosponsor. Became Public Law 117-349.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 117-349
Introduced
Apr 28, 2022
Cosponsors
1
0 from the other party
Policy area
Native Americans
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

A bill to approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Hualapai Tribe and certain allottees in the State of Arizona, to authorize construction of a water project relating to those water rights claims, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Arizona
  • Federal-Indian relations
  • Government trust funds
  • Indian claims
  • Indian lands and resources rights
  • Infrastructure development
  • Lakes and rivers
  • Land transfers
  • Water use and supply

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Jan 5, 2023). Public domain.

Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022

This act authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Hualapai Tribe water rights settlement agreement negotiated between the tribe, the United States, Arizona, and others, thus satisfying the tribe's claims for groundwater and surface water rights to water in Arizona, including the Verde River, the Bill Williams River, and the Colorado River.

The act outlines the tribe's water rights, including the right to divert, use, and store 4,000 acre-feet of agricultural priority water of the Central Arizona Project that was previously allocated to nontribal agricultural entities, but retained by the Department of the Interior for reallocation to tribes in Arizona pursuant to the Central Arizona Project Settlement Act of 2004. Interior must reallocate this priority water to the tribe, firm through 2107 a specified amount of the water, and enter into a water delivery contract with the tribe.

The act directs Interior to establish the Hualapai Water Trust Fund Account. Amounts deposited in the trust fund account shall be made available to the tribe for specified purposes, including to construct the Hualapai Water Project. The project must be designed to divert, treat, and convey up to 3,414 acre-feet of water per year from the Colorado River for municipal, commercial, and industrial uses on the Hualapai Reservation.

Additionally, the act establishes in the Treasury the Hualapai Water Settlement Implementation Fund Account. Amounts in this account must be used to carry out groundwater monitoring and an estimate for groundwater withdrawals in the Truxton Basin outside the boundaries of the tribe's reservation.

The act adds certain land in Arizona to the tribe's reservation and also authorizes Interior to take specified land into trust for the benefit of the tribe. In the future, land located outside the reservation may only be taken into trust through an act of Congress.

The act outlines (1) waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the tribe and the United States under the settlement agreement; and (2) a limited waiver of sovereign immunity by the United States and the tribe with respect to certain claims.

The act repeals the settlement agreement (except for provisions related to land added to the reservation and land taken into trust) if Interior does not publish by April 15, 2029, a statement of findings that specified conditions have been fulfilled (including that Interior has executed the required water delivery contract).

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Kyrsten SinemaI-AZSponsor

Democrats · 1

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
    Dec 22, 2022· House· Passage· Passed 360–55

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Apr 28, 2022Introduced in Senate
  2. Apr 28, 2022 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
  3. Jul 20, 2022 · SenateCommittee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-530.
  4. Nov 16, 2022 · SenateCommittee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  5. Dec 19, 2022Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Schatz with amendments. Without written report.
  6. Dec 19, 2022 · SenateCommittee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Schatz with amendments. Without written report.
  7. Dec 19, 2022 · SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 684.
  8. Dec 19, 2022 · SenateMeasure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S7292-7302)
  9. Dec 19, 2022 · SenateThe committee amendments withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (CR S7302)
  10. Dec 19, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S7315-7325)
  11. Dec 19, 2022 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S7315-7325)
  12. Dec 20, 2022 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseReceived in the House.
  14. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  15. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseMrs. Peltola moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  16. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H9942-9952)
  17. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 4104.
  18. Dec 21, 2022 · HouseAt the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  19. Dec 22, 2022 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H10033-10034)
  20. Dec 22, 2022Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 360 - 55 (Roll no. 542).(text: 12/21/2022 CR H9942-9952)House · Roll call 542
  21. Dec 22, 2022 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 360 - 55 (Roll no. 542). (text: 12/21/2022 CR H9942-9952)House · Roll call 542
  22. Dec 22, 2022 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  23. Dec 22, 2022By Senator Schatz from Committee on Indian Affairs filed written report. Report No. 117-287.
  24. Dec 22, 2022 · SenateBy Senator Schatz from Committee on Indian Affairs filed written report. Report No. 117-287.
  25. Dec 28, 2022Presented to President.
  26. Dec 28, 2022 · HousePresented to President.
  27. Jan 5, 2023Signed by President.
  28. Jan 5, 2023Signed by President.
  29. Jan 5, 2023Became Public Law No: 117-349.
  30. Jan 5, 2023Became Public Law No: 117-349.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 5, 2026 · loaded Oct 5, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.