Description:
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on November 21, 2013
S. 715 would establish a new Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund and transfer $150 million from the existing Reclamation Fund into the proposed fund annually through 2035. Those annual deposits and interest credited to the unspent balances in the new fund would be authorized to be appropriated for constructing certain rural water projects, settling claims against the federal government regarding the use of tribal lands, and maintaining Indian irrigation projects.
Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, CBO estimates that subject to appropriation of the authorized amounts, the legislation would cost $692 million over the 2015-2019 period and $2.6 billion after 2019. Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply to this legislation because it would not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 715 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. Tribal governments and rural communities would benefit from funds appropriated under this bill.
