# Plain Language Summary of H.R. 1061

This bill expands which irrigation districts can get cheap electricity from a federal program called the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. Right now, only certain irrigation districts in specific areas can access this discounted power. The bill would allow additional irrigation districts in the Missouri Basin region to qualify for the same benefit, as long as they sign a contract with the federal government agreeing to the terms and rates set by the Secretary of the Interior.

The bill specifically targets two groups of irrigation districts. First, it includes districts in a test area that was already being studied under the original program. Second, it includes districts in a larger 28,000-acre area that the government analyzed but never actually developed for irrigation purposes. These districts would now be able to tap into the federal power program instead of having to buy electricity at regular market rates.

For farmers and rural communities, this could mean lower electricity costs for pumping water to irrigate their crops. Irrigation pumping is expensive, and cheaper power could help reduce their operating costs and make farming more economical. However, the bill doesn't automatically give anyone power—districts still have to negotiate and sign a contract with the federal government, and they'll pay whatever rates the government decides to charge. The practical effect depends on how favorable those rates turn out to be compared to what they'd pay on the open market.

To make certain irrigation districts eligible for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program pumping power, and for other purposes.

Armstrong, Kelly

 <p>This bill makes certain irrigation districts in North Dakota eligible to receive pumping power (i.e., hydropower) from the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, subject to the terms and rates established by the Bureau of Reclamation. Under this bill, an irrigation district must enter into a contract with Reclamation to receive such pumping power.</p>