119th (2025–2027)
S. 3242
S. 3242 amends the 2010 Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to streamline implementation of water rights for the Taos Pueblo tribe in New Mexico. The bill authorizes $367 million in federal funding distributed across three new trust funds: $161 million for mutual-benefit water infrastructure projects benefiting both the Pueblo and other entities, $190 million for the Pueblo's groundwater development, and $16 million for surface water sharing, with funding amounts adjusted for inflation through 2035. The legislation establishes clearer rules and timelines for project implementation, including a 180-day application deadline for non-Pueblo entities seeking grants and project completion timeframes of 4-8 years depending on project type. It also creates a "Mitigation Well System" to offset surface water depletion and allows the Taos Pueblo and other entities to build alternative water infrastructure on or off Pueblo lands without requiring additional cost-sharing agreements or amendments to the original settlement.