Waivers and releases of claims
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(a) In general (1) Waivers and releases of claims by the Tribe and the United States as trustee for the Tribe Subject to the reservation of rights and retention of claims set forth in subsection (c), as consideration for recognition of the Tribe’s Tribal Water Right and other benefits described in the 2007 Agreement and this Act, the Tribe and the United States, acting as trustee for the Tribe, shall execute a waiver and release of all claims for the following: (A) All claims for water rights within the State of California based on any and all legal theories that the Tribe or the United States acting as trustee for the Tribe, asserted or could have asserted in any proceeding, including a general stream adjudication, on or before the Enforceability Date, except to the extent that such rights are recognized in the 2007 Agreement and this Act. (B) All claims for damages, losses, or injuries to water rights or claims of interference with, diversion, or taking of water rights (including claims for injury to lands resulting from such damages, losses, injuries, interference with, diversion, or taking of water rights) within California against the State, or any person, entity, corporation, or municipality, that accrued at any time up to and including the Enforceability Date. (2) Waiver and release of claims by the Tribe against the United States Subject to the reservation of rights and retention of claims under subsection (c), the Tribe shall execute a waiver and release of all claims against the United States (including any agency or employee of the United States) for water rights within the State of California first arising before the Enforceability Date relating to— (A) water rights within the State of California that the United States, acting as trustee for the Tribe, asserted or could have asserted in any proceeding, including a general stream adjudication, except to the extent that such rights are recognized as part of the Tribal Water Right under this Act; (B) foregone benefits from nontribal use of water, on and off the Reservation (including water from all sources and for all uses); (C) damage, loss, or injury to water, water rights, land, or natural resources due to loss of water or water rights (including damages, losses, or injuries to hunting, fishing, gathering, or cultural rights, due to loss of water or water rights, claims relating to interference with, diversion, or taking of water, or claims relating to a failure to protect, acquire, replace, or develop water, water rights, or water infrastructure) within the State of California; (D) a failure to establish or provide a municipal rural or industrial water delivery system on the Reservation; (E) damage, loss, or injury to water, water rights, land, or natural resources due to construction, operation, and management of irrigation projects on the Reservation and other Federal land and facilities (including damages, losses, or injuries to fish habitat, wildlife, and wildlife habitat); (F) failure to provide for operation, maintenance, or deferred maintenance for any irrigation system or irrigation project; (G) failure to provide a dam safety improvement to a dam on the Reservation; (H) the litigation of claims relating to any water rights of the Tribe within the State of California; (I) the negotiation, execution, or adoption of the 2007 Agreement (including exhibits A–F) and this Act; (J) the negotiation, execution, or adoption of operational rules referred to in article 3.4 of the 2007 Agreement in connection with any reservoir locations, including any claims related to the resolution of operational rules pursuant to the dispute resolution processes set forth in the article 8 of the 2007 Agreement, including claims arising after the Enforceability Date; and (K) claims related to the creation or reduction of the Reservation, including any claims relating to the failure to ratify any treaties and any claims that any particular lands were intended to be set aside as a permanent homeland for the Tribe but were not included as part of the present Reservation. (b) Effectiveness The waivers and releases under subsection (a) shall take effect on the Enforceability Date. (c) Reservation of rights and retention of claims Notwithstanding the waivers and releases under subsection (a), the Tribe and the United States, acting as trustee for the Tribe, shall retain— (1) all claims relating to the enforcement of, or claims accruing after the Enforceability Date relating to water rights recognized under the 2007 Agreement, any final court decree entered in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California, or this Act; (2) all claims relating to the right to use and protect water rights acquired after the date of enactment of this Act; (3) claims regarding the quality of water under— (A) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), including claims for damages to natural resources; (B) the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.); (C) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) (commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act); and (D) any regulations implementing the Acts described in subparagraphs (A) through (C); (4) all claims for damage, loss, or injury to land or natural resources that are not due to loss of water or water rights, including hunting, fishing, gathering, or cultural rights; and (5) all rights, remedies, privileges, immunities, and powers not specifically waived and released pursuant to this Act or the 2007 Agreement. (d) Effect of 2007 Agreement and Act Nothing in the 2007 Agreement or this Act— (1) affects the authority of the Tribe to enforce the laws of the Tribe, including with respect to environmental protections or reduces or extends the sovereignty (including civil and criminal jurisdiction) of any government entity; (2) affects the ability of the United States, acting as sovereign, to carry out any activity authorized by law, including— (A) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.); (B) the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.); (C) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); (D) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); and (E) any regulations implementing the Acts described in subparagraphs (A) through (D); (3) affects the ability of the United States to act as trustee for any other Indian Tribe or an allotee of any other Indian Tribe; (4) confers jurisdiction on any State court— (A) to interpret Federal law relating to health, safety, or the environment; (B) to determine the duties of the United States or any other party under Federal law regarding health, safety, or the environment; (C) to conduct judicial review of any Federal agency action; or (D) to interpret Tribal law; or (5) waives any claim of a member of the Tribe in an individual capacity that does not derive from a right of the Tribe. (e) Tolling of claims (1) In general Each applicable period of limitation and time-based equitable defense relating to a claim described in this section shall be tolled for the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the Enforceability Date. (2) Effect of subsection Nothing in this subsection revives any claim or tolls any period of limitation or time-based equitable defense that expired before the date of enactment of this Act. (3) Limitation Nothing in this section precludes the tolling of any period of limitations or any time-based equitable defense under any other applicable law. (f) Expiration (1) In general This Act shall expire in any case in which the Secretary fails to publish a statement of findings under section 11 by not later than— (A) 8 years after the date of enactment of this Act; or (B) such alternative later date as is agreed to by the Tribe and the Secretary, after providing reasonable notice to the State of California. (2) Consequences If this Act expires under paragraph (1)— (A) the waivers and releases under subsection (a) shall— (i) expire; and (ii) have no further force or effect; (B) the authorization, ratification, confirmation, and execution of the 2007 Agreement under section 4 shall no longer be effective; (C) any action carried out by the Secretary, and any contract or agreement entered into pursuant to this Act, shall be void; (D) any unexpended Federal funds appropriated or made available to carry out the activities authorized by this Act, together with any interest earned on those funds, and any water rights or contracts to use water and title to other property acquired or constructed with Federal funds appropriated or made available to carry out the activities authorized by this Act shall be returned to the Federal Government, unless otherwise agreed to by the Tribe and the United States and approved by Congress; and (E) except for Federal funds used to acquire or construct property that is returned to the Federal Government under subparagraph (D), the United States shall be entitled to offset any Federal funds made available to carry out this Act that were expended or withdrawn, or any funds made available to carry out this Act from other Federal authorized sources, together with any interest accrued on those funds, against any claims against the United States— (i) relating to— (I) water rights in the State of California asserted by— (aa) the Tribe; or (bb) any user of the Tribal Water Right; or (II) any other matter covered by subsection (a)(2); or (ii) in any future settlement of water rights of the Tribe.
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