Tribal Access to Clean Water Act of 2025
The Tribal Access to Clean Water Act of 2025 aims to ensure reliable, clean, and drinkable water on Tribal lands by expanding and coordinating federal funding and support across multiple agencies. The bill would broaden eligibility for USDA Rural Development water and wastewater loans and grants to include Native Hawaiian organizations and residents on Tribal lands, establish strong interagency collaboration, and bolster technical assistance so Tribes and Native Hawaiian communities can access, manage, and sustain water infrastructure funding. It also significantly boosts funding to the Indian Health Service (IHS) for sanitation facilities construction, operation, and maintenance, and adds dedicated funding for technical assistance and for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program. Overall, the bill foregrounds a “trust responsibility” framework and a whole-of-government approach to close long-standing gaps in water access on Tribal lands.
Key Points
- 1Expanded funding and eligibility under USDA Rural Development: The bill adds Native Hawaiian organizations and Tribal residents (on Tribal land) as eligible borrowers/recipients for water and wastewater loans and grants, with the option to fund projects that primarily serve residents on Tribal land. It also waives certain matching requirements and extends authority to provide technical assistance related to these funding programs.
- 2New and enhanced funding for IHS sanitation and water infrastructure: The bill authorizes substantial appropriations to the IHS for the sanitation facilities construction program (including non-traditional structures essential to tribal life), operations and maintenance, and related technical assistance. Specifically, it authorizes $500 million annually (2026–2030) for construction, $30 million annually for technical assistance, and $100 million annually for operation and maintenance, with a priority focus on the most in-need facilities and a sustained funding stream for completed projects.
- 3Technical assistance and capacity-building: The legislation creates and funds technical assistance to help Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations access new funding, develop managerial/financial/regulatory capacity, and engage external consultants as needed. It also supports ongoing technical assistance through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program.
- 4Interagency coordination and collaboration: The bill mandates consultation and collaboration among relevant federal agencies (including IHS and the Department of Agriculture) to prioritize projects, align funding, and maximize effective use of appropriations, reflecting a “whole of government” approach.
- 5Definitions and scope: The act defines key terms (e.g., Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian Community/Organization, Tribal land, and technical assistance) to ensure clarity about who is eligible and what constitutes the targeted infrastructure and services, including a broad interpretation of essential community facilities under IHS.