Bill Overview
Title: A bill to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to modify the enforceability date for certain provisions, and for other purposes.
Description: This act revises the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010, including by extending certain deadlines and establishing reporting requirements. (The quantification act approved the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Agreement, settling the tribe's water rights in Arizona. It authorized the design and construction of a rural water system to address the water infrastructure needs on the tribe's reservation.) Specifically, the act extends the enforceability deadline, from 2023 to 2027, for the Department of the Interior to publish a statement of findings required by the quantification act. In particular, the act repeals the settlement agreement on December 31, 2027, if Interior does not publish by December 30, 2027, a statement of findings that specified conditions have been fulfilled (including that funds necessary to construct the rural water system have been deposited into a specified subaccount). The act makes changes to cost indexing for the funds and subaccounts established under the quantification act, including by allowing adjustments for construction costs. The act also requires annual reports to Congress describing all expenditures and including additional information, such as progress and cost accounting on the planning, design, and construction of the Miner Flat Dam and any additional water supply facilities resulting from expenditures. Finally, the act establishes requirements for determining whether the rural water system is substantially complete. In particular, the rural water system shall be determined to be substantially complete if (1) the infrastructure is capable of storing, diverting, treating, transmitting, and distributing a supply of water as set forth in the final project design; or (2) Interior has expended all available funding and cannot complete construction due solely to the lack of additional authorized funding.
Sponsors: Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
Target Audience
Population: White Mountain Apache Tribe individuals
Estimated Size: 16000
- The White Mountain Apache Tribe will be directly impacted as this legislation pertains to their water rights and infrastructure development, which affects their daily life and economic development.
- The population of the White Mountain Apache Tribe is about 16,000 individuals. These are the primary individuals who would be immediately affected by such changes to the settlement agreement and funding timelines.
- The legislation affects water infrastructure development timelines and funding arrangements, which may impact both short-term and long-term access to clean and reliable water sources for the tribe.
- This legislation does not impact a large population globally, as it is specific to a tribe located in Arizona, USA.
Reasoning
- The White Mountain Apache Tribe is the primary group affected by this legislation, which is related to water rights and infrastructure critical to their community.
- The population size of the tribe is approximately 16,000 individuals, and the policy is designed to serve this group specifically.
- This policy is highly localized and pertains to infrastructure improvements and legal deadlines directly impacting the tribe's access to water, which is a vital necessity.
- Therefore, the simulated interviews should focus heavily on individuals from this tribe, with a few viewpoints from others to show a broader perspective.
- As the policy extends deadlines and sets reporting requirements, it is important to consider both immediate and long-term impacts on well-being.
- Budget limits will cap the immediate scope of the policy's impact, likely requiring phased implementation.
Simulated Interviews
Community Health Representative (Fort Apache, AZ)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to reliable and clean water is crucial for our health and daily life.
- This policy seems like it's going to help ensure the funding and timelines are clearer, but I'm worried about delays if funding isn’t assured.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 3 |
Retired (Whiteriver, AZ)
Age: 66 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I’ve seen many projects start and stall due to funding issues. We need consistency.
- If they can keep to this schedule, it would greatly benefit our younger generations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 2 |
Environmental Engineer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a crucial step towards improving infrastructure in Arizona's diverse communities.
- Professionally, clear reporting and funding changes are significant to ensure project success.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Farmer (Cibecue, AZ)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We need water to grow our crops without worry. This policy could secure what we need for the future.
- I hope the policy keeps its promises on timelines and funds.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 2 |
Tribal Project Coordinator (Mesa, AZ)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill finally sets clear deadlines we can work with.
- I'm concerned about ensuring all the funding promises are met.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Teacher (San Carlos, AZ)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Education on water sustainability needs to be included with these developments.
- I'm optimistic about the infrastructure improvements but we need to emphasize environmental education.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Retired nurse (Hondah, AZ)
Age: 70 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Water access issues have been ongoing for so long. Greater accountability and clear deadlines are positive steps.
- I'm cautious; until it's fully executed, there's always a worry.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 1 |
College Student (Flagstaff, AZ)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm encouraged that the policy includes careful progress tracking.
- It’s crucial for our tribes to get frameworks that hold projects accountable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Policy Analyst (Tucson, AZ)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These changes can positively shift how resources are managed for tribes.
- Consistency and meeting deadlines are keys to maintaining tribal trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Rancher (Springerville, AZ)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- For us, every delay affects our livelihood significantly.
- Hopeful that this bill means more stable progress towards what was promised.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 2: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 3: $2200000 (Low: $1700000, High: $2700000)
Year 5: $2500000 (Low: $2000000, High: $3000000)
Year 10: $3000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $3500000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Key Considerations
- The delay in enforceability deadlines gives more time for project readiness and resource allocation, but it also defers immediate benefits.
- Accurate cost indexing for construction costs is crucial to avoid budget overruns.
- The administration of the annual reports will add some ongoing operational costs but can improve transparency and accountability.
- It is critical that funding for the water system remains consistent to meet deadlines and avoid repeal conditions.