Description:
S. 1012 would extend the authority of the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to provide grants to Pueblo Indian Tribes to repair and replace irrigation infrastructure in New Mexico. The bill also would direct BOR to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study the management and consumption of water in the Rio Grande Basin. Finally, S. 1012 would authorize BOR to assist irrigation districts and water utilities in the state with projects designed to conserve water and to coordinate the acquisition of water from willing sellers. Using information from BOR, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $22 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized and necessary amounts. Enacting S. 1012 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 1012 would not increase direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. S. 1012 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
