S. 1983: Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-08-05 · Native Americans · Latest: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-08-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

Plain summary

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Pechanga Settlement Agreement, entered into by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, the Rancho California Water District (RCWD), and the United States, except to the extent that it is modified by or conflicts with this Act. Confirms a Tribal Water Right that must be held in trust by the United States on behalf of the Band and its allottees. (Allottees are individuals who hold a beneficial real property interest in an Indian allotment that is located within the reservation and held in trust by the United States.) Authorizes allottees to lease their lands together with any water right. Requires the Band to enact a Pechanga Water Code that governs the storage, recovery, and use of the Tribal Water Right, subject to the Department of the Interior's approval. Directs the Band and the United States (acting as trustee for the Band and allottees), to waive all claims for water rights within the Santa Margarita River Watershed. States that the Band and the United States (acting as trustee for the Band), waive specified claims against the RCWD. Authorizes the waiver of claims by the Band against the United States regarding specified water rights and damages. Establishes in the Treasury the Pechanga Settlement Fund. Makes this Act enforceable on the date Interior publishes specified findings regarding despoits and approved agreements. Repeals this Act and voids any related agreements on May 1, 2021, or an alternative later date agreed to by the Band and Interior, if Interior does not publish those findings. Prohibits Interior from being liable for failing to carry out any obligation or activity under this Act if there are insufficient appropriations.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 1983, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act (2016-07-05)

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1983.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1983 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114