A bill relating to the settlement between the United States and the Ak-Chin Indian Community of certain water rights claims of such Community against the United States.
Public Law 95-328 · S. 1582 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jul 28, 1978 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Barry Goldwater
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Declares it the policy of the Congress to settle water claims of the Ak-Chin Indian community of Arizona without costly litigation.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to determine if sufficient available water exists on nearby Federal lands to furnish 85,000 acre feet of water per annum to the reservation.
Requires the Secretary, if he so finds, to enter into an agreement with the community to furnish such water, not later than four years after the date of the agreement.
Authorizes the Secretary to receive and consider any claims of water users other than the Ak-Chin Indian community for any losses incurred by the enactment of this Act.
Directs the Secretary, within 25 years of the date of enactment of this Act, as part of the agreement with the community, to provide for the permanent delivery, on an annual basis, to the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation, of 85,000 acre feet of water suitable for irrigation.
Stipulates that, as consideration for such agreement, the Ak-Chin Indian Community shall waive any claim it might have against the United States, Arizona, or any other person, corporation or municipal corporation.
Authorizes to be appropriated for fiscal year 1979, $500,000, and the aggregate sum of $42,500,000 to be appropriated prior to fiscal year 1983 to carry out certain provisions of this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Jul 28, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-328.
- Jul 17, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 13, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Jun 29, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 8099.
- Oct 13, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 12, 1977FloorFloor · Technical amendments agreed to by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Oct 11, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Sep 30, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- May 23, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.