H.R. 6205: Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Introduced Nov 20, 20250 cosponsors

Sponsor

Teresa Leger Fernandez

Democrat · NM-3

Bill Progress

IntroducedNov 20

Committee

Pass House

Pass Senate

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Nov 20, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Taos gets $367M to finally build its water settlement

5 min readLast updated June 23, 2026

Why it matters

$367 million in new federal money would finally fund the construction promised in the Taos Pueblo water settlement — $190 million for groundwater, $161 million for shared projects, and $16 million for surface water. The money comes with a catch: build on schedule, or hand back whatever you don't spend.

The Taos Pueblo water settlement became law back in 2010, but settling a water fight on paper and actually building wells, pipelines, and treatment plants are two very different things. H.R. 6205 supplies the construction money.

It splits $367 million three ways: $161 million for mutual-benefit projects shared between the Pueblo and its non-Pueblo neighbors, $190 million for a new groundwater development fund, and $16 million for a new surface water sharing fund. All three amounts can rise if construction costs climb after July 2025, so the real total could land higher than $367 million.

The money comes tied to a schedule. Most projects have to spend at least 10% of their award within 3 years, be substantially built within 6, and finished within 8. Mitigation well projects — the wells, pipelines, and treatment systems that offset what the settlement takes out of local streams — run on a tighter clock: 15% spent in 3 years, substantially done in 4, finished in 5. Miss the deadlines and the Bureau of Reclamation can cancel the agreement and demand the unspent money back.

There's also a front-end filing window. To reach the shared-project money, a non-Pueblo entity has to have already applied for the original settlement funding within 90 days of the bill becoming law, then apply for the supplemental funding within 180 days.

The rest of the bill clears legal underbrush. It says the settlement and its court decree don't need to be reopened for any of this to happen, keeps in place the government's October 2016 finding that the settlement's conditions were met, and waives the usual local cost-share when the Pueblo builds its own backup water infrastructure.

H.R. 6205 Bill Summary

What H.R. 6205 actually does.

$367 million to finally build the settlement

The bill provides $161,000,000 for mutual-benefit projects, $190,000,000 for groundwater development, and $16,000,000 for surface water sharing. Each amount can be adjusted upward for construction-cost changes after July 2025 using the Bureau of Reclamation's construction cost index, so the final federal cost could exceed $367 million.

Two new water funds for the Pueblo

H.R. 6205 creates a Taos Pueblo Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund and a Taos Pueblo Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund in the U.S. Treasury, managed and invested by the Secretary of the Interior. The groundwater fund covers production, treatment, and delivery infrastructure; the surface water fund covers sharing infrastructure and stream gages.

Spend it on time or give it back

Most funded projects must spend at least 10% of their award within 3 years, reach substantial completion within 6 years, and finish within 8 years. If a recipient misses a deadline, the Bureau of Reclamation can terminate the agreement and require the return of unexpended funds.

Mitigation wells run on a 5-year clock

Mitigation well projects face a tighter schedule: 15% of funding spent within 3 years, substantial completion within 4 years, and full completion within 5. These are the wells, pipelines, and treatment systems that offset surface water the settlement draws down from local stream segments.

A 90- and 180-day door to the shared money

To reach the mutual-benefit funding, a non-Pueblo entity must have applied for the original settlement funding within 90 days of enactment and then apply for the supplemental funding within 180 days. Miss either window and the entity is shut out of the supplemental aid.

No reopening the settlement or its court decree

The bill states that neither the Settlement Agreement nor the Partial Final Decree has to be amended for the Interior Department to carry out the new funding, and it leaves intact the government's October 7, 2016 finding that the settlement's conditions precedent were satisfied. It also waives any non-Federal cost share for backup offset infrastructure the Pueblo builds itself.

Who benefits from H.R. 6205?

Taos Pueblo

The Pueblo gains two new federal trust funds worth $206 million — $190 million for groundwater development and $16 million for surface water sharing and gages — plus a rule that waives the usual local cost-share when the Pueblo builds its own alternative or interim offset infrastructure.

Taos-area non-Pueblo water users

The $161 million mutual-benefit fund pays for projects shared between the Pueblo and surrounding communities. New groundwater wells, treatment and delivery systems, surface water sharing infrastructure, and stream gages are meant to make water supply in the valley more reliable for everyone tied to the settlement.

Local builders and contractors

Hundreds of millions in mandatory construction money flows to whoever plans, designs, and builds the wells, pipelines, and treatment plants. The deadline structure also frees up funding to reassign to another builder if the first one falls behind.

Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation

The agencies get clearer marching orders: the bill says no amendment to the settlement or its court decree is needed, and confirms the 2016 conditions-precedent finding still stands, removing legal uncertainty that could have stalled the work.

Who is affected by H.R. 6205?

Bureau of Reclamation

Reclamation administers the grants, contracts, and assistance agreements on a nonreimbursable basis, tracks whether recipients hit the 10% or 15% three-year spending marks, and decides whether to terminate agreements and reclaim unspent money. It is also barred from holding title to property built with certain settlement funds.

Eligible non-Pueblo entities

These applicants face hard schedule pressure. To stay eligible they must file within the 90-day and 180-day windows, then meet the spending and completion deadlines or risk losing their award. Funding pulled from a non-compliant entity can be handed to another.

Project applicants and contractors

Anyone building funded infrastructure works against firm deadlines. Non-mitigation projects must reach substantial completion in 6 years and full completion in 8; mitigation well projects must reach substantial completion in 4 years and full completion in 5.

Federal taxpayers and appropriators

The bill mandates at least $367 million in spending straight from the Treasury, with possible increases tied to construction-cost changes after July 2025 and market volatility. The mutual-benefit share sits in a noninterest-bearing Treasury fund until it is paid out.

Cost & Funding

Authorization

$367,000,000 in mandatory appropriations, with possible upward cost adjustments

$161,000,000 for mutual-benefit projects, held in the noninterest-bearing Taos Settlement Mutual-Benefit Projects Supplemental Fund.
$190,000,000 for the Taos Pueblo Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund.
$16,000,000 for the Taos Pueblo Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund.
All three amounts can be adjusted for construction-cost changes after July 2025 using the Bureau of Reclamation Construction Cost Index-Composite Trend, plus unforeseen market volatility — so the true total could exceed $367 million.
For the mutual-benefit money, cost indexing cannot continue more than 10 years after enactment.
For the two trust funds, indexing ends once the money is deposited into the fund.

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Tracking floor activity — no debate on H.R. 6205 yet. Updates when a legislator speaks on the record.

HR6205 Legislative Journey

1 actions

House: Committee Action

Nov 20, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

About the Sponsor

Teresa Leger Fernandez

Democrat, New Mexico's 3rd congressional district · 5 years in Congress

Committees: Natural Resources, Rules

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Committee Sponsors

Natural Resources Committee

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No committee members have cosponsored this bill

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What laws does H.R. 6205 change?

1 changes

Full Text

Sections Amended

Section 509 of Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act (Public Law 111-291; 124 Stat. 3128)

adding at the end the following: ``(k) Supplemental Funding for Mutual-Benefit Projects

H.R. 6205 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

Committee: Natural Resources
Chamber: House
Policy: Native Americans
Introduced: Nov 20, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Nov 20, 2025

Constituent Resources

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Official Sources

H.R. 6205 on Congress.gov

Official bill page with text, actions, cosponsors, and legislative status for the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025.

Taos Pueblo Settlement Act (Public Law 111-291) on GovInfo

Public Law 111-291 contains the underlying Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act that HR6205 amends, including sections 503, 505, 507, and 509.

Public Law 111-291 full text (PDF) on GovInfo

The enacted statute as published, with the original Taos Pueblo settlement sections 503-509 that HR6205 amends.

Federal Register notice on Taos Pueblo settlement conditions precedent

The bill preserves the Secretary of the Interior's October 7, 2016 finding that the settlement's conditions precedent were satisfied.

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H.R. 6205 Common Questions

How much money does H.R. 6205 add to the Taos Pueblo water settlement?

$367 million total: $161 million for mutual-benefit projects shared with non-Pueblo neighbors, $190 million for a new groundwater development fund, and $16 million for a new surface water sharing fund.

Could the cost of H.R. 6205 go above $367 million?

Yes. All three amounts can be adjusted upward for construction-cost increases after July 2025 and for unforeseen market volatility, so the real federal cost could end up higher than the $367 million headline figure.

What are the two new trust funds in H.R. 6205?

A Taos Pueblo Groundwater Development Supplemental Trust Fund ($190 million) for wells, treatment, and delivery, and a Taos Pueblo Surface Water Sharing Supplemental Trust Fund ($16 million) for sharing infrastructure and stream gages. Both sit in the U.S. Treasury.

What happens if a Taos water project misses its construction deadline?

The Bureau of Reclamation can terminate the grant, contract, or assistance agreement and require the recipient to return any unexpended funds. That money can then be reassigned to another eligible builder.

How fast do mitigation well projects have to be finished under H.R. 6205?

On a tight clock: spend 15% of the award within 3 years, reach substantial completion within 4 years, and finish within 5. Regular projects get more time — substantial completion in 6 years and full completion in 8.

Who can get the shared mutual-benefit money under H.R. 6205?

Non-Pueblo entities that meet two filing windows: they must have applied for the original settlement funding within 90 days of enactment, then apply for the supplemental funding within 180 days. Miss either window and they're shut out.

Does H.R. 6205 reopen the Taos settlement agreement or court decree?

No. The bill says neither the Settlement Agreement nor the Partial Final Decree has to be amended for the new funding to take effect, and it preserves the government's October 7, 2016 finding that the settlement's conditions were met.

Who sponsored H.R. 6205 and where does it stand?

Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) introduced the bill on November 20, 2025. It has no cosponsors yet and was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, where it awaits action.

Based on H.R. 6205 bill text

H.R. 6205 Bill Text

PDF

“To amend the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to facilitate implementation of the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement, and for other purposes.”

Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office