HR 4598119th CongressIn Committee

Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act

Introduced: Jul 22, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-New Mexico)

Environment & ClimateInfrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.R. 4598 is a technical corrections bill that primarily adds authorized “adjusted interest payments” to three tribal water funds established under prior laws, and makes cross-reference fixes in the underlying statutes. Specifically, it authorizes additional appropriations to deposit into: - the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund (amending the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009); - the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund (amending the Claims Resolution Act of 2010); and - the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund (amending the Claims Resolution Act of 2010). In addition to authorizing these adjusted-interest deposits, the bill includes specific cross-reference corrections, and a disclaimer section to confirm that these changes do not alter the previously satisfied conditions precedent or the validity of related secretarial findings. It also adds a waiver provision for pre-2017 interest earned on certain funds. Overall, the bill is a narrow financial housekeeping measure designed to ensure certain funds receive additional interest-related deposits related to long-running water settlement programs in Northwestern New Mexico.

Key Points

1Section 2 (Navajo Nation fund): Corrects cross-references in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 and adds a new subsection (g) authorizing an adjusted-interest payment of $6,357,674.46 to be deposited into the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund.
2Section 3 (Taos Pueblo fund): Adds a new Sec. 514 to the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 authorizing an adjusted-interest payment of $7,794,297.52 to be deposited into the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund.
3Section 4 (Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund): Adds a new Sec. 627 with (a) adjusted-interest payments of $4,314,709.18 for the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund to support costs of operating, maintaining, and replacing Pueblo Water Facilities and the Regional Water System; and (b) a waiver of pre-2017 interest payable to the United States.
4Section 5 (Disclaimer): Ensures the act does not retroactively affect satisfaction of conditions precedent or the validity of federal secretarial findings related to the underlying settlement acts.
5Overall purpose: Provide targeted corrections to ensure proper authorization and timing of additional interest deposits into the specified water funds, reinforcing the funding framework for Northwestern New Mexico water projects and settlement agreements.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Native American communities involved in water rights settlements in Northwestern New Mexico (Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos). The beneficiaries are the respective Water Development Funds and related water infrastructure.Secondary group/area affected: Federal budgeting and appropriations processes, specifically the Treasury and the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, as they administer deposits to the funds.Additional impacts: Clarifies statutory references to ensure correct deposits and acknowledges pre-existing conditions precedents and findings; it may modestly affect outlays by earmarking specific adjusted-interest amounts for these funds and providing a pre-2017 interest waiver. The measure is largely technical and does not appear to create new policy beyond ensuring correct funding flows for existing settlements.

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