JAC15655 S.L.C.
114
TH
CONGRESS 1
ST
S
ESSION
S.
ll
To authorize and implement the water rights compact among the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, the State of Montana, and the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
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Mr. T
ESTER
(for himself and Mr. D
AINES
) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
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A BILL
To authorize and implement the water rights compact among the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, the State of Montana, and the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blackfeet Water
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Rights Settlement Act of 2015’’.
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SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
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The purposes of this Act are—
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JAC15655 S.L.C.
(1) to achieve a fair, equitable, and final settle-
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ment of claims to water rights in the State of Mon-
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tana for—
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(A) the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet
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Indian Reservation; and
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(B) the United States, for the benefit of
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the Tribe and allottees;
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(2) to authorize, ratify, and confirm the water
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rights compact entered into by the Tribe and the
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State, to the extent that the Compact is consistent
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with this Act;
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(3) to authorize and direct the Secretary of the
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Interior—
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(A) to execute the Compact; and
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(B) to take any other action necessary to
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carry out the Compact in accordance with this
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Act; and
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(4) to authorize funds necessary for the imple-
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mentation of the Compact and this Act.
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
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In this Act:
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(1) A
LLOTTEE
.—The term ‘‘allottee’’ means
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any individual who holds a beneficial real property
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interest in an allotment of Indian land that is—
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(A) located within the Reservation; and
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JAC15655 S.L.C.
(B) held in trust by the United States.
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(2) B
IRCH CREEK AGREEMENT
.—The term
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‘‘Birch Creek Agreement’’ means—
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(A) the agreement between the Tribe and
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the State regarding Birch Creek water use
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dated January 31, 2008, as amended on Feb-
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ruary 13, 2009; and
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(B) any amendment or exhibit (including
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exhibit amendments) to that agreement that is
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executed in accordance with this Act.
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(3) B
IRCH CREEK MITIGATION PROJECT
.—The
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term ‘‘Birch Creek Mitigation Project’’ means the
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project to provide water from Four Horns Reservoir
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to State water users on Birch Creek in fulfillment
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of the obligations of the Tribe under the Birch
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Creek Agreement.
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(4) B
LACKFEET IRRIGATION PROJECT
.—The
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term ‘‘Blackfeet Irrigation Project’’ means the irri-
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gation project authorized by the matter under the
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heading ‘‘Montana’’ of title II of the Act of March
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1, 1907 (34 Stat. 1035, chapter 2285) and adminis-
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tered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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(5) C
OMPACT
.—The term ‘‘Compact’’ means—
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(A) the Blackfeet-Montana water rights
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compact dated April 15, 2009, as contained in
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