Congress funds tribal water infrastructure in Colorado River Basin
S. 4381 — Western Tribal Water Act of 2026 · Filed by Michael Bennet (D-CO) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Apr 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program to add 10 eligible projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin and allocates $60 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2028 to fund them. The bill specifically identifies the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's $50 million drinking water infrastructure project in southwestern Colorado as a priority, addressing over $100 million in total water infrastructure needs across tribes in that region.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a targeted appropriation and program expansion to fund drinking water infrastructure for Indian tribes in a specific geographic region. It is a straightforward public-health and infrastructure measure.
What the text implies
- The $60M annual appropriation is time-limited to FY2027–2028; reauthorization beyond 2028 would require separate legislation, creating a cliff risk for ongoing projects.
- The bill caps eligible projects at 10 within the Upper Colorado River Basin; tribes outside that basin remain subject to the original program's allocation structure, potentially creating regional disparity.
- The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's $50M project is identified in findings but not explicitly named as a recipient; allocation among the 10 eligible projects is left to administrative discretion under the existing program rules.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill directs federal funding to address documented drinking water infrastructure deficits in Indian tribal communities, improving public health and water security for residents. The allocation is transparent, tied to specific geographic need, and serves a historically underserved population.
Who stands to gain
- Indian tribes in the Upper Colorado River Basin (Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, other federally recognized
- water infrastructure contractors and engineering firms hired to execute projects
Named in the bill
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Upper Colorado River Basin, Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program, America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, Section 2001 (AWIA 2018), U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.
- Apr 23, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Apr 23, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Indian Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,431 characters) on Aug 29, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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