Rep. Stansbury Introduces Water Legislation for Tribal Infrastructure
Congresswoman fights for water security on Tribal lands with WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, reintroduced the WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act as her first piece of legislation of the 119th Congress.
Watch the bill introduction here.
The Senate lead is Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). Original co-sponsors include Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ranking Member House Natural Resources Committee, House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), and Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04).
“As we say in New Mexico, water is life. Water is sacred. Water is essential to everything we do,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01). “In the United States, in the year 2025, there are Tribal communities that still do not have access to running water in their homes, with thousands of families across the Navajo Nation continuing to haul water to drink, shower, make dinner, and clean. We must address the vast and urgent needs of tribal nations. This bill is one tool to help unlock the funding needed to address this vital infrastructure."
“Everyone should have access to clean, safe, and reliable water. The WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act will help Tribes and Pueblos secure funding for crucial water projects by removing barriers,” said Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “This critical legislation will help ensure that we fulfill our duty to Pueblos and Tribes, enabling them to better address their water needs.”
“The climate crisis is causing severe drought throughout the West, and as we look to best manage increasingly limited resources, we have an obligation to make sure we do so equitably,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ranking Member House Natural Resources Committee. “Everyone in America deserves access to clean, reliable water – but the cost-share requirements under WaterSMART are often a barrier for tribes. Our bill makes the necessary changes so tribes can access this important federal funding, and I’m glad to join Rep. Stansbury in leading the charge.”
“Indian Country has often been left out of vital water and drought programs for far too long, despite the critical need to protect these resources for our communities,” said Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03). “This bill is an important step to make sure Tribes have the support needed to address water challenges and build a more resilient future for their community.”
New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized tribes including the Navajo Nation, 19 Pueblos, and Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache nations. From drinking water to irrigation, the water infrastructure needs of these communities are vast. Despite the immense need, less than five percent of the projects funded under the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program have been led by Tribes or Pueblos. Since January 2021, Reclamation has selected 983 projects to be funded with $446 million in WaterSMART funding, in conjunction with $3.93 billion in non-Federal funding, across the western states. Leaders in Tribal communities have long pointed to the 50 percent nonfederal cost-share for the WaterSMART program as cost-prohibitive for many Tribes.
The WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act gives the Secretary of the Interior the authority to reduce or waive Reclamation’s WaterSMART cost-share requirement for Tribal nations. The legislation would help Tribes and Pueblos across the West access funding to build resilient water systems and fulfill the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations regarding Tribal water needs.
This legislation builds on Rep. Stansbury’s career as a water expert and climate champion. As a state legislator in the New Mexico House of Representatives, Rep. Stansbury passed numerous pieces of legislation on climate and water, including the bipartisan Water Data Act, which created a nationally leading framework for leveraging the power of data to transform water management.
The following groups have endorsed this legislation:
Western States Water Council
Santa Clara Pueblo
Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities
Pueblo of Isleta
American Rivers
Environmental Defense Fund
National Audubon Society
Trout Unlimited
Western Resource Advocates
Audubon Society
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Pueblo of Tesuque
National Congress of American Indians
Navajo Nation
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