The federal Liberals are officially giving notice of their plan to introduce a long-promised bill on First Nations’ access to clean water.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty placed the bill on the House notice paper on Friday, allowing the government to introduce the legislation this coming week. The formal title is “an Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands.”

READ MORE: Gull-Masty says government still plans on tabling Indigenous clean water bill this spring

Putting a bill on the notice paper is the first step before the government can introduce legislation in the House of Commons, though it doesn’t set a timeline for when that must happen.

It’s likely the clean water bill will be introduced before the House rises for the summer recess, currently scheduled for Friday. However, that schedule may change and the House could rise earlier.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his government would introduce legislation on clean water in the spring sitting, and Gull-Masty reiterated that commitment during an appearance before the House Indigenous and northern affairs committee on Thursday.

It comes as advocates express concern that the upcoming bill will fall short of the version tabled last Parliament that died on the order paper when the April 2025 election was called.

Sources who spoke to iPolitics offered a mix of reactions to the impending legislation.

Some said they were optimistic the government would maintain the source water protections and recognition of First Nations’ human right to clean drinking water that were part of the previous bill. These commitments weren’t explicitly required as part of the $8 billion settlement reached in 2021 with First Nations communities living under long-term water advisories.

One source said they were told it changed only slightly from the version seen in the last Parliament, but cautioned that they hadn’t seen the bill themselves.

Others were less optimistic, saying the government was already falling short when it comes to the requirement to co-develop the bill with First Nations, pointing to the lack of consultations.

The sources were granted anonymity to share their concerns freely.

Meanwhile, iPolitics has learned that Carney and Gull-Masty recently held discussions with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak.

It wasn’t immediately clear what level of detail was provided about the bill.

When reached by iPolitics on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office declined further comment.

Gull-Masty’s office also declined to offer further comment when reached on Saturday.

Woodhouse Nepinak was in Ottawa on Thursday to participate in a press conference and demonstration on Parliament Hill in support of passing Bill S-2 before the summer recess.

That bill was originally drafted to respond to the Nicholas ruling in B.C. last year that struck down provisions in the Indian Act that prevented descendants of enfranchised First Nations peoples from receiving status.

READ MORE: First Nations call on Liberals to pass S-2 before House rises

But it has has faced an uphill battle in Parliament after senators passed an amendment that would end the controversial second-generation cutoff, which denies Indian status to people who had a non-First Nation parent and grandparent.

The Senate amendment would allow status to be passed on to a child if at least one of their parents were recognized as having status.

Gull-Masty said the government supports ending the cutoff but requires more time to consult, noting the one-parent rule isn’t unanimously supported by First Nations. Critics have called this a stall tactic that allows the Liberals to put off meaningful changes.

A source said Gull-Masty and Woodhouse Nepinak met to discuss S-2, and said Gull-Masty reiterated the government’s position on the bill.