Water Agency and Transparency Enhancement Review (WATER) Act

Faster federal review for California water

If enacted, the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce would identify major ongoing or potential water-supply and storage projects in California they oversee under NEPA or the Endangered Species Act. Each Secretary would name one federal official to coordinate that agency's NEPA and ESA compliance for those projects. Within 30 days after enactment, each named official would (1) identify regulations that "unduly burden" the projects, (2) identify recent state or federal law changes affecting the projects, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, and (3) propose a plan for Secretarial review to suspend, revise, or rescind rules or procedures that unduly burden projects and are not needed to protect the public interest or comply with law. Designated officials would share information to improve efficiencies. The bill defines "unduly burden" to mean actions that unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail, impede, or impose significant costs on permitting, use, transmission, delivery, or supply of water resources and infrastructure.