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119-hr-302119th Congress

Water Rights Protection Act

Sponsored By: Representative Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]

In Committee

Summary

Protects state authority over water rights. This bill bars federal officials from conditioning land-use permits on transferring or altering water rights and requires federal actions to align with state water law.

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  • States: Requires the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate with states and ensure federal rules do not add restrictions beyond state water law. It also forbids asserting a surface-water and groundwater connection that conflicts with state law.
  • Water users and tribes: Forbids conditioning issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of permits, leases, easements, rights-of-way, or similar agreements on transferring water rights to the United States or on impairing title under state law. It also bars federal limits on timing, quantity, location of diversion or place of use beyond what state law allows.
  • Federal projects and laws: Clarifies it does not change Bureau of Reclamation contracts, the Endangered Species Act, federal reserved water rights, tribal treaty rights, interstate compacts or Supreme Court decrees, or authorities under the Federal Power Act.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Protects state and tribal water rights

If enacted, this bill would limit Federal actions that affect water rights. It would define "Secretary" to mean the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, and it would define "water right" to include surface water, groundwater, and stored water recognized by a State or court. The Secretary would have to follow State water law and coordinate with States when making rules, permits, or land-use approvals. The bill would bar conditioning permits on transferring a State water right to the United States or on requiring users, including federally recognized tribes, to apply for rights in the name of the United States. It would also forbid asserting surface-groundwater links or imposing limits that conflict with State law, and it would say the bill does not change Reclamation contracts, tribal reserved rights, interstate compacts, the Endangered Species Act, or certain Federal Power Act authorities.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]

UT • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 1/9/2025

  • Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 1/9/2025

  • Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 1/9/2025

  • Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4]

    KS • R

    Sponsored 1/9/2025

  • Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 1/14/2025

  • Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 2/11/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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