Griffith Project Prepayment and Conveyance Act
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 106-249.
Official Summary
Griffith Project Prepayment and Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consideration of the assumption by the Southern Nevada Water Authority from the United States of all liability for administration, operation, maintenance, and replacement of the Robert B. Griffith Water Project and subject to prepayment by the Authority of a specified Federal repayment amount, to convey and assign to the Authority: (1) improvements and facilities of the Project; (2) the lands acquired by the United States from non-Federal sources for the project; and (3) all interests reserved and developed for the Project in lands patented by the United States.Grants to the Authority at no cost a right-of-way across all public land and withdrawn land on which the Project is situated and across any Federal lands as reasonably necessary for the operation, maintenance, replacement, and repair of the Project, including existing access routes. Provides that such rights-of-way shall be valid for as long as they are needed for municipal water supply purposes and shall not require payment of rental or other fee.Requires the Secretary, if such conveyance has not occurred within 12 months after the effective date of this Act, to report on its status to Congress.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Griffith Project Prepayment and Conveyance Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer ownership and operational responsibility of the Robert B. Griffith Water Project to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) after the Authority assumes all liabilities and makes a specified prepayment to the federal government. The Act grants SNWA a permanent, no-cost right-of-way across federal lands necessary for the project’s operation and maintenance. If the conveyance does not occur within 12 months of the Act’s effective date, the Secretary must report to Congress on the status.
This law transfers federal water project assets and responsibilities to a local water authority, contingent on liability assumption and prepayment, while providing permanent rights-of-way for project operations.
- The Southern Nevada Water Authority assumes all liabilities related to the Robert B. Griffith Water Project.
- The Authority must prepay a specified federal repayment amount before the conveyance of project assets.
- The Secretary of the Interior must convey project improvements, lands, and interests to the Authority and grant permanent rights-of-way at no cost.
- If conveyance is delayed beyond 12 months, the Secretary must report to Congress on the status.
['Southern Nevada Water Authority', 'Local water users and municipalities served by the Robert B. Griffith Water Project', 'U.S. Department of the Interior (through liability transfer and repayment)']
['Ensuring the Southern Nevada Water Authority can effectively manage all liabilities and responsibilities transferred from the federal government.', 'Potential challenges in valuing and collecting the specified federal repayment amount.', 'Oversight mechanisms to monitor the transfer and ongoing operation post-conveyance.', 'Long-term implications of granting permanent, no-cost rights-of-way on federal lands.']
The bill was introduced and passed during the 106th Congress and was signed into law on July 26, 2000. It reflects a policy approach of transferring federal water infrastructure to local authorities under conditions of liability assumption and repayment, consistent with broader trends in water resource management and infrastructure devolution.
High concern review — 3 hidden impact flags detected
GovScope reviewed 3 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Local control over water infrastructure may lead to changes in operational priorities or investment strategies by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.', 'The permanent no-cost rights-of-way could set a precedent for similar transfers of federal land use rights to local entities.', 'The federal government’s reduced direct involvement may affect long-term federal oversight and maintenance standards for the project.']
The bill includes a reporting requirement to Congress if conveyance does not occur within 12 months, providing a transparency mechanism. However, the permanent no-cost rights-of-way and liability transfer provisions warrant ongoing oversight to ensure compliance with operational and environmental standards. The absence of the full bill text limits detailed analysis of enforcement and oversight provisions.
GovScope Intelligence Roadmap
Future bill intelligence will connect sponsors, committee referrals, related votes, campaign finance, disclosures, and stock trades into one legislative intelligence view.