[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 132 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8695-H8696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
    TEMPORARY CONVEYANCE OF WATER RIGHTS TO DRY PRAIRIE RURAL WATER 
                           ASSOCIATION, INC.

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1219) to authorize certain tribes in the State of 
Montana to enter into a lease or other temporary conveyance of water 
rights to meet the water needs of the Dry Prairie Rural Water 
Association, Inc

                                S. 1219

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY CONVEYANCE OF WATER RIGHTS TO DRY 
                   PRAIRIE RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION, INC.

       (a) In General.--The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the 
     Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Tribes'') may, with the approval of the 
     Secretary, enter into a lease or other temporary conveyance 
     of water rights recognized under the Fort Peck-Montana 
     Compact (Montana Code Annotated 85-20-201) with the Dry 
     Prairie Rural Water Association, Incorporated (or any 
     successor non-Federal entity) for the purpose of meeting the 
     water needs of that association, in accordance with section 5 
     of the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000 
     (Public Law 106-382; 114 Stat. 1454).
       (b) Conditions of Lease.--With respect to a lease or other 
     temporary conveyance described in subsection (a)--
       (1) the term of the lease or conveyance shall not exceed 
     100 years; and
       (2)(A) the lease or conveyance may be approved by the 
     Secretary without monetary compensation to the Tribes; and
       (B) the Secretary shall not be subject to liability for any 
     claim relating to any compensation or consideration received 
     by the Tribes under the lease or conveyance.
       (C) No Permanent Alienation of Water.--Nothing in this 
     section authorizes a permanent alienation of any water by the 
     Tribes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. 
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

[[Page H8696]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1219, introduced by Senator Conrad Burns and 
supported by our Montana colleague, Mr. Dennis Rehberg, allows two Fort 
Peck Indian Reservation tribes to lease water to nearby non-Indian 
communities. Because water supplies are very scarce in northern 
Montana, Congress authorized the construction of a rural water supply 
project for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and some of its neighbors.
  With the project now under way, water users realize that the 
underlying law needs to be clarified to ensure a water transfer can be 
made. This bill makes this commonsense clarification on a Federal 
level. The State Water Commission has already approved the conveyance.
  I urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is the companion to H.R. 
2978, a bill that passed the House of Representatives this past May. S. 
1219 offers a sensible and a cooperative solution to a water supply 
problem in eastern Montana. Too often in this body we are witness to 
conflicts over resources, especially when it comes to water problems in 
our western States. This bill is a welcome departure from that.
  Mr. Speaker, we strongly support the adoption of the Senate bill 
1219.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1219.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having 
responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the Senate 
bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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