{"format":1,"id":"117-s-3308","congress":117,"number":"S. 3308","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"A bill to authorize the Colorado River Indian Tribes to enter into lease or exchange agreements and storage agreements relating to water of the Colorado River allocated to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to authorize the Colorado River Indian Tribes to enter into lease or exchange agreements and storage agreements relating to water of the Colorado River allocated to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed House","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-343","introduced":"2021-12-02","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-12-21","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h538","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act","result":"Passed","yea":397,"nay":12,"present":0,"not_voting":21,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll538.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2022-12-19","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent."}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2023-01-05"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-343.","date":"2023-01-05"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-01-05","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022"},{"k":"p","t":"This act authorizes the Colorado River Indian tribes (CRIT) to enter into agreements for the transfer or storage of a portion of its water allocation to be used in other locations in Arizona. The CRIT include four Indian tribes—the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo. The reservation is located along the Colorado River in both Arizona and California."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 4) The CRIT is authorized to enter into an agreement to lease or exchange a portion of the CRIT's consumptive use of water for use off the reservation if the receiving facility is located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona. The term of a lease under this section must not exceed 100 years."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 5) The CRIT is authorized to enter into a storage agreement, including with the Arizona Water Banking Authority, for the storage of a portion of the consumptive use, or the water received under an exchange pursuant to an exchange agreement under this act, at one or more underground storage facilities or groundwater savings facilities off the reservation if the facility is located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 6) The CRIT is authorized to enter into an agreement for water conservation or other methods for voluntarily leaving a portion of the CRIT reduced consumptive use in Lake Mead, which is located in Arizona and Nevada. If the conserved water is delivered, the delivery must be located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona. The term of an agreement under this section must not exceed 100 years."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 7) This section grants authority to the Department of the Interior to approve or disapprove of an agreement under this act. Interior is also authorized to enter into agreements with CRIT under this act, provided Interior pays fair market value for the reduced consumptive use. Among other requirements, Interior must ensure that water agreements under this act do not permanently alienate any portion of the CRIT water allocation."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 8) Interior, when approving an agreement under this act, must ensure that such agreement complies with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and other federal environmental laws."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 9) The CRIT must enter into an agreement with the state of Arizona prior to entering into an agreement under this act. The agreement with Arizona must outline all notice, information sharing, and collaboration requirements."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 10) Interior must enter into an agreement with the state of Arizona and the CRIT describing the procedural, technical, and accounting methodologies for an agreement under this act."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 11) This section reserves the CRIT's allocated water rights, including by ensuring that no agreement reduces or limits the right of the CRIT to use the remaining portion of their allocation."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 12) This section prohibits an agreement under this act from interfering with an allottee's water rights."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 13) This section establishes that the CRIT is entitled to all consideration from an agreement under this act."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 14) The United States has limited liability against claims under this act, except for those relating to the above environmental requirements."}],"words":564},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Authorizes the Colorado River Indian Tribes to enter into lease, exchange, storage and conserved-water agreements for water of the Colorado River allocated to them, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id71aa7a3b5a5745fc808611c64ad9885d"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id9e020b7cdaba4df39585ca88655502a9:~:text=4.%20Lease%20or%20exchange%20agreements"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#idd9e1142b968c43afa51eea983a33e4a9:~:text=5.%20Storage%20agreements"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id4ac1dc3a643d48ce9cbd1794de9231fb:~:text=6.%20Agreements%20for%20creation%20of%20water%20for"},{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id3cba13e8449847b78a3a7e51e22cc88b:~:text=7.%20Secretarial%20approval"}]},"core_areas":["Colorado River Indian Tribes lease and exchange agreements for off-Reservation water use","Underground storage agreements for Colorado River water in Arizona","Conserved-water agreements for water left in Lake Mead","Secretary of the Interior approval and environmental compliance","Protection of the tribes' decreed allocation and allottee water rights"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Authorizes the CRIT to lease or exchange a portion of its consumptive use for use off the Reservation, if the use is in the Lower Basin in Arizona and not in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties, for a term not exceeding 100 years.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id9e020b7cdaba4df39585ca88655502a9:~:text=4.%20Lease%20or%20exchange%20agreements"}},{"text":"Authorizes the CRIT to enter into storage agreements, including with the Arizona Water Banking Authority, for storing a portion of its consumptive use at underground storage or groundwater savings facilities off the Reservation in the Lower Basin in Arizona.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#idd9e1142b968c43afa51eea983a33e4a9:~:text=5.%20Storage%20agreements"}},{"text":"Authorizes the CRIT to enter into agreements for conserved water, including leaving a portion of its reduced consumptive use in Lake Mead, for a term not exceeding 100 years.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id4ac1dc3a643d48ce9cbd1794de9231fb:~:text=6.%20Agreements%20for%20creation%20of%20water%20for"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of the Interior to approve or disapprove each agreement and modification, and bars approval of any that permanently alienates any portion of the CRIT decreed allocation.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id3cba13e8449847b78a3a7e51e22cc88b:~:text=7.%20Secretarial%20approval"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, when approving an agreement, to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 8","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id9d7bf6416eb742919bf0203aece00602:~:text=8.%20Responsibilities%20of%20the%20Secretary"}},{"text":"Provides that the agreements may not reduce or limit the CRIT's right to use the rest of its decreed allocation on the Reservation, and may not interfere with or diminish any allottee's entitlement to water.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 11","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#ideb04c51025c64c8685b74f5071e5c657:~:text=11.%20No%20effect%20on%20the%20CRIT%20decreed"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id9e020b7cdaba4df39585ca88655502a9:~:text=4.%20Lease%20or%20exchange%20agreements"},"heading":"Lease or exchange agreements","effect":"Authorizes the CRIT to lease or exchange a portion of its water for use off the Reservation, but only in the Arizona Lower Basin and not in the counties of Navajo, Apache, or Cochise.","amount":null,"quote":"is not located in the counties of Navajo, Apache, or Cochise in the State"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#idd9e1142b968c43afa51eea983a33e4a9:~:text=5.%20Storage%20agreements"},"heading":"Storage agreements","effect":"Authorizes CRIT storage agreements at underground storage or groundwater savings facilities off the Reservation, excluding facilities located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties.","amount":null,"quote":"is not located in the counties of Navajo, Apache, or Cochise in the State"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id4ac1dc3a643d48ce9cbd1794de9231fb:~:text=6.%20Agreements%20for%20creation%20of%20water%20for"},"heading":"Agreements for creation of water for the Colorado River system for storing water in Lake Mead","effect":"Authorizes CRIT conserved-water agreements, but any delivery of conserved water must be to the Arizona Lower Basin and not to a location in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties.","amount":null,"quote":"is not to a location in the counties of Navajo, Apache, or Cochise in the State"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 10","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id68bb3656b6e442919603ba4c41e04aaa:~:text=10.%20Agreement%20between%20the%20CRIT"},"heading":"Agreement between the CRIT, the State, and the Secretary","effect":"States that executing the agreement among the Secretary, the State, and the CRIT is not a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.","amount":null,"quote":"shall not constitute a major Federal action for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 15","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr#id76b2484a628246e59bf6471f20e763d8"},"heading":"Application","effect":"Limits the Act to the part of the decreed allocation available for use in the State and bars use of that water outside the Lower Basin in the State or in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties.","amount":null,"quote":"shall not be used, directly or indirectly outside the Lower Basin in the State or in the counties of Navajo, Apache, or Cochise in the State"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3308/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-s-3308.png","v":"9463097e85f8","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 3308, 117th Congress: Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022. House: 397 Yea, 12 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 5 Jan 2023."}}