United States 119th Congress Status: To Executive 2 R cosponsors

HR 131 — Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act

Last action — The Chair directed the Clerk to notify the Senate of the action of the House.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 03, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 34% · moderate confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 R).

  • Failed a recorded vote

    Failed 1 recorded vote so far — a real headwind.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

HR 131 aims to enhance protections for natural resources.

HR 131 is a bill focusing on the preservation of natural resources in the U.S. It has passed committee consideration and is moving forward for further discussion.

What this means for you
  • Environment: This bill means enhanced protection efforts for natural resources, which benefits environmental health.

Summary

Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit ActThis bill reduces payments that communities within the Arkansas River Valley must pay to the Bureau of Reclamation for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline in Colorado for delivering water from the Pueblo Reservoir to such communities. Specifically, it removes interest payments and extends the repayment period to 100 years.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

6 added · 1 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill text shows that the version referred in the Senate has been updated to reflect that it was received, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Additionally, the reference to its prior form as "Engrossed in House" has been removed. This change indicates a progression in the legislative process as the bill moves from the House to the Senate for further consideration.

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Latest
131 Engrossed in House (EH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
131 Referred in Senate (RFS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
131 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To make certain modifications to the repayment for the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado.
131 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 22, 2025 Received;
read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To make certain modifications to the repayment for the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado.
Clerk.
KEVIN F.
119th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
MCCUMBER, Clerk.
R.
131 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To make certain modifications to the repayment for the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado.
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What Congress says this changes

H. Rept. 119-187

Published by the reporting committee Not generated — this is the committee's own “Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported”.

Text to be removed appears in [brackets]. Newly inserted text is italicised in the official report and cannot be marked in this plain-text rendition — read the official PDF ↗ for the authoritative formatting. 

changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

 ACT OF AUGUST 16, 1962

 (Public Law 87-590)

AN ACT To authorize the construction, operation, and maintenance by the 
 Secretary of the Interior of the Fryingpan-Arkansas project, Colorado.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the 
purposes of supplying water for irrigation, municipal, 
domestic, and industrial uses, generating and transmitting 
hydroelectric power and energy, and controlling floods, and for 
other useful and beneficial purposes incidental thereto, 
including recreation and the conservation and development of 
fish and wildlife, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized 
to construct, operate, and maintain the Fryingpan-Arkansas 
project, Colorado, in substantial accordance with the 
engineering plans therefor set forth in House Document Numbered 
187, Eighty-third Congress, modified as proposed in the 
September 1959 report of the Bureau of Reclamation entitled 
``Ruedi Dam and Reservoir, Colorado'', with such minor 
modifications of, omissions from, or additions to the works 
described in those reports as he may find necessary or proper 
for accomplishing the objectives of the project. Such 
modifications or additions as may be required in connection 
therewith shall not, however, extend to or contemplate the so-
called Gunnison-Arkansas project; and nothing in this Act shall 
constitute a commitment, real or implied, to exportations of 
water from the Colorado River system in Colorado beyond those 
required for projects heretofore or herein authorized. In 
constructing operating, and maintaining the Fryingpan-Arkansas 
project the Secretary shall be governed by the Federal 
reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902; 32 Stat. 388, and Acts 
amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto).
 (b) A reservoir at the Ruedi site on the Fryingpan River with 
an active capacity of approximately one hundred thousand acre-
feet shall be constructed in lieu of the reservoir on the 
Roaring Pork River at the Aspen site contemplated in House 
Document Numbered 187, Eighty-third Congress. The Secretary 
shaIl investigate and prepare a report on the feasibility of a 
replacement reservoir at or near the Ashcroft site on Castle 
Creek, a tributary of the Roaring Fork River above its 
confluence with the Fryingpan River with a capacity of 
approximately five thousand acre-feet, but construction thereof 
shall not be commenced unless said report, which shall be 
submitted to the President and the Congress, demonstrates the 
feasibility of said reservoir and is approved by the Congress. 
The Secretary shall expedite completion of his planning report 
on the Basalt project, Colorado, as a participating project 
under the Act of April 11, 1956 (70 Stat. 105), and said report 
shall have the priority status of the reports to which 
reference is made in section 2 of said Act.
 (c) No part of the single purpose municipal and industrial 
water supply works involved in the Fryingpan-Arkansas project 
shall be constructed by the Secretary in the absence of 
evidence satisfactory to him that it would be infeasible for 
the communities involved to construct the works themselves, 
singly or jointly. In the event it is determined that these 
works, or any of them, are to be constructed by the Secretary, 
a contract providing, among other things, for payment of the 
actual cost thereof, [or in the case of the Arkansas Valley 
Conduit, payment in an amount equal to 35 percent of the cost 
of the conduit that is comprised of revenue generated by 
payments pursuant to a repayment contract and revenue that may 
be derived from contracts for the use of Fryingpan-Arkansas 
project excess capacity or exchange contracts using Fryingpan-
Arkansas project facilities,] with interest as hereinafter 
provided, as rapidly as is consistent with the contracting 
parties' ability to pay, but in any event, within fifty years 
from the time the works are first available for the delivery of 
water, and for assumption by the contracting parties of the 
care, operation, maintenance, and replacement of the works 
shall be a condition precedent to construction thereof.
 (d) Arkansas Valley Conduit.--
 (1) Repayment contract.--To provide domestic water 
 supplies to communities and households that do not have 
 reliable access to domestic water supplies, the 
 contract for the Arkansas Valley Conduit shall provide 
 for payment in an amount equal to 35 percent of the 
 cost of the conduit, notwithstanding the reclamation 
 laws or any other provision of this Act. The contract 
 payments shall consist of--
 (A) funding provided during construction from 
 any entity other than the Secretary; and
 (B) based on a demonstration of financial 
 hardship, as determined by the Secretary, 
 repayment of the balance not covered under 
 subparagraph (A) for a period of not more than 
 75 years with simple interest at a rate that is 
 equal to 50 percent of the interest rate 
 determined by the Secretary of the Treasury 
 under section 2(c), including revenue derived 
 from contracts for the use of excess capacity 
 or exchange contracts using Fryingpan-Arkansas 
 project facilities.
 (2) Operations and maintenance.--The contract for the 
 Arkansas Valley Conduit shall provide for the 
 assumption by the contracting parties of the care, 
 operation, maintenance, and replacement of the conduit.
 Sec. 2. (a) Contracts to repay the portion of the cost of the 
frying-arkansas project allocated to irrigation and assigned to 
be repaid py irrigation water users (exclusive of such portion 
of said cost as may be derived from temporary water supply 
contracts or from other sources) which are entered into 
pursuant to subsection (d), section 9, of the reclamation 
project act of 1939 (53 stat. 1187, as amended, shall provide 
for a basic repayment period of not more than fifty years after 
completion of construction and shall not provide for any 
development period. such contracts shall be entered into only 
with organizations which have the capacity to levy assessments 
upon all taxable real property located within their boundaries.
 (b) Rates.--
 (1) In general.--Rates charged for commercial power 
 and for water for municipal, domestic or industrial use 
 or for the use of facilities for the storage and/or 
 delivery of such water shall be designed to return to 
 the United States, within not more than fifty years 
 from the completion of each unit of the project which 
 serves those purposes, those costs of constructing, 
 operating and maintaining that unit which are allocated 
 to said purposes and interest on the unamortized 
 balance of said construction allocation and, in 
 addition, within the period fixed by subsection (a) of 
 this section, so much of the irrigation allocation as 
 is beyond the ability of the water users and their 
 organizations to repay.
 (2) Ruedi dam and reservoir, fountain valley 
 pipeline, and south outlet works at pueblo dam and 
 reservoir.--
 (A) In general.--Notwithstanding the 
 reclamation laws, until the date on which the 
 payments for the Arkansas Valley Conduit under 
 paragraph (3) begin, any revenue that may be 
 derived from contracts for the use of 
 Fryingpan-Arkansas project excess capacity or 
 exchange contracts using Fryingpan-Arkansas 
 project facilities shall be credited towards 
 payment of the actual cost of Ruedi Dam and 
 Reservoir, the Fountain Valley Pipeline, and 
 the South Outlet Works at Pueblo Dam and 
 Reservoir plus interest in an amount determined 
 in accordance with this section.
 (B) Effect.--Nothing in the Federal 
 reclamation law (the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 
 Stat. 388, chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental 
 to and amendatory of that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et 
 seq.)) prohibits the concurrent crediting of 
 revenue (with interest as provided under this 
 section) towards payment of the Arkansas Valley 
 Conduit as provided under this paragraph.
 (3) Arkansas valley conduit.--
 (A) Use of revenue.--Notwithstanding the 
 reclamation laws, any revenue derived from 
 contracts for the use of Fryingpan-Arkansas 
 project excess capacity or exchange contracts 
 using Fryingpan-Arkansas project facilities 
 shall be credited towards payment of the actual 
 cost of the Arkansas Valley Conduit plus 
 interest in an amount determined in accordance 
 with [this section] subsection (d) of the first 
 section .
 (B) Adjustment of rates.--Any rates charged 
 under this section for water for municipal, 
 domestic, or industrial use or for the use of 
 facilities for the storage or delivery of water 
 shall be adjusted to reflect the estimated 
 revenue derived from contracts for the use of 
 Fryingpan-Arkansas project excess capacity or 
 exchange contracts using Fryingpan-Arkansas 
 project facilities.
 (c) The interest rate on the unamortized balance of the 
commercial power and municipal, domestic, and industrial water 
supply allocations shall be determined by the Secretary of the 
Treasury, as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which 
construction is initiated, on the basis of the computed average 
interest rate payable by the Treasury upon its outstanding 
marketable public obligations, which are neither due nor 
callable for redemption for fifteen.years from the date of 
issue.

 * * * * * * *

Source: H. Rept. 119-187 · govinfo

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill modifies the repayment terms for the Arkansas Valley Conduit project by establishing specific provisions for its repayment contract and operational responsibilities.

  • Public Law 87-590

    or in the case of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, payment in an amount equal to 35 percent of the cost of the conduit that is comprised of revenue generated by payments pursuant to a repayment contract and revenue that may be derived from contracts for the use of Fryingpan-Arkansas project excess capacity or exchange contracts using Fryingpan-Arkansas project facilities, → (d) Arkansas Valley Conduit.--(1) Repayment contract.--To provide domestic water supplies to communities and households that do not have reliable access to domestic water supplies, the contract for the Arkansas Valley Conduit shall provide for payment in an amount equal to 35 percent of the cost of the conduit, notwithstanding the reclamation laws or any other provision of this Act. The contract payments shall consist of--(A) funding provided during construction from any entity other than the Secretary; and (B) based on a demonstration of financial hardship, as determined by the Secretary, repayment of the balance not covered under subparagraph (A) for a period of not more than 75 years with simple interest at a rate that is equal to 50 percent of the interest rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 2(c), including revenue derived from contracts for the use of excess capacity or exchange contracts using Fryingpan-Arkansas project facilities. (2) Operations and maintenance.--The contract for the Arkansas Valley Conduit shall provide for the assumption by the contracting parties of the care, operation, maintenance, and replacement of the conduit.

    This change introduces a new repayment contract structure specific to the Arkansas Valley Conduit, outlining funding sources and responsibilities.

  • Public Law 87-590

    this section → subsection (d) of the first section

    This change specifies the reference to the new repayment contract provisions for clarity.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

  6. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

  7. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

  8. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

  9. Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.

  10. Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.

  11. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-187.

  12. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-187.

  13. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-187.

  14. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-187.

  15. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 152.

  16. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 152.

  17. Mr. Gosar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

  18. Mr. Gosar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

  19. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3497-3498)

  20. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3497-3498)

  21. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 131.

  22. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 131.

  23. Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3497-3498)

  24. Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3497-3498)

  25. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3497-3498)

  26. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3497-3498)

  27. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  28. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  29. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

  30. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

  31. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  32. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  33. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  34. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  35. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

  36. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

  37. Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8766-8768)

  38. Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8766-8768)

  39. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  40. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  41. Presented to President.

  42. Presented to President.

  43. Presented to President.

  44. Presented to President.

  45. Vetoed by President.

  46. Vetoed by President.

  47. Vetoed by President.

  48. Vetoed by President.

  49. The Chair laid before the House the veto message from the President.

  50. The Chair laid before the House the veto message from the President.

  51. The Chair announced that the objections of the President to H.R. 131 would be spread at large upon the Journal and the veto message would be printed as a House Document (119-119).

  52. The Chair announced that the objections of the President to H.R. 131 would be spread at large upon the Journal and the veto message would be printed as a House Document (119-119).

  53. POSTPONED CONSIDERATION OF VETO MESSAGE - The Chair announced that further consideration of the veto message and the bill, H.R. 131, is postponed until the legislative day of January 8, 2026. Agreed to without objection.

  54. POSTPONED CONSIDERATION OF VETO MESSAGE - The Chair announced that further consideration of the veto message and the bill, H.R. 131, is postponed until the legislative day of January 8, 2026. Agreed to without objection.

  55. The Chair laid before the House the veto message from the President.

  56. The Chair laid before the House the veto message from the President.

  57. DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous order of the House of January 2, 2026, the unfinished business is the further consideration of the veto message of the President on H.R. 131. The House proceeded with one hour of debate on the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding. (consideration: CR H205-208)

  58. DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous order of the House of January 2, 2026, the unfinished business is the further consideration of the veto message of the President on H.R. 131. The House proceeded with one hour of debate on the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding. (consideration: CR H205-208)

  59. The previous question was ordered without objection.

  60. The previous question was ordered without objection.

  61. POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the veto message of the President to H.R. 131, the Chair put the question on will the House, on reconsideration, pass the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding. Under the Constitution, the vote must be taken by the yeas and nays. Further proceedings were postponed until a time to be announced.

  62. POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the veto message of the President to H.R. 131, the Chair put the question on will the House, on reconsideration, pass the bill, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding. Under the Constitution, the vote must be taken by the yeas and nays. Further proceedings were postponed until a time to be announced.

  63. The Chair announced the unfinished business to be the consideration of the veto. (consideration: CR H212)

  64. The Chair announced the unfinished business to be the consideration of the veto. (consideration: CR H212)

  65. Failed of passage in House over veto On passage, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 248 - 177, 1 Present (Roll no. 9).

  66. Failed of passage in House over veto On passage, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 248 - 177, 1 Present (Roll no. 9).

  67. On passage, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 248 - 177, 1 Present (Roll no. 9).

  68. On passage, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 248 - 177, 1 Present (Roll no. 9).

  69. Motion to refer the bill and accompanying veto message to the Committee on Natural Resources.

  70. Motion to refer the bill and accompanying veto message to the Committee on Natural Resources.

  71. On motion to refer the bill and the accompanying veto message to the Committee on Natural Resources. Agreed to without objection.

  72. On motion to refer the bill and the accompanying veto message to the Committee on Natural Resources. Agreed to without objection.

  73. The Chair directed the Clerk to notify the Senate of the action of the House.

  74. The Chair directed the Clerk to notify the Senate of the action of the House.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

environment transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 131 do?
Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit ActThis bill reduces payments that communities within the Arkansas River Valley must pay to the Bureau of Reclamation for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline in Colorado for delivering water from the Pueblo Reservoir to such communities. Specifically, it removes interest payments and extends the repayment period to 100 years.
Who sponsors HR 131?
HR 131 is sponsored by Hurd, Jeff (Republican) and Boebert, Lauren (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 131?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 03, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track HR 131?
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