H.R. 8546: Pechanga Band of Indians Water Rights Settlement Technical Amendments Act

This bill is titled the "Pechanga Band of Indians Water Rights Settlement Technical Amendments Act" and aims to make several technical amendments to the existing Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act. Below are the main components of what the bill proposes:

Definition of Reservation

The bill amends the definition of "Reservation" to clarify what land is included. Specifically, it incorporates:

• Land set aside for the Band through executive orders dated June 27, 1882, and January 9, 1907.
• Land added to the Band's reservation on specific historical dates, such as August 29, 1893, and March 11, 1907, among others.
• Any contiguous land held in trust by the United States for the Band on the enforceability date.
• Contiguous land within the Santa Margarita River Watershed that is placed into trust for the Band after the enforceability date.

Water Quality Account Uses

The bill also changes the intended uses of the Pechanga Water Quality account. It modifies the language from focusing on groundwater desalination in the Wolf Valley Basin to activities that address water quality issues in that area.

Pechanga Settlement Agreement Amendments

The bill includes provisions that state:

• Congress acknowledges that the parties to the Pechanga Settlement Agreement agree to amend the agreement and its exhibits as necessary to align with the changes proposed in this bill.
• The Secretary of the Interior is instructed to promptly execute the necessary amendments to the Pechanga Settlement Agreement.

Enforceability and Existing Water Rights

The bill also clarifies that the amendments do not affect:

• The status of any required conditions as described in the existing Pechanga settlement.
• The validity of any existing findings published by the Secretary of the Interior regarding those conditions.
• Current water rights in existence at the time of the bill's enactment.

Overall, the bill is focused on refining the definitions and operational guidelines of the Pechanga water rights settlement and ensuring that the necessary technical corrections are made for clarity and enforceability.

Relevant Companies

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