# 119-hr-331: To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes.

119-hr-331, To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1] (R-ID); status passed_house (as of 2026-10-02).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-331
- As of: 2026-10-02
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-331
- Congress: 119
- Title: To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes.
- Status: passed_house
- Introduced: 2025-01-13
- Sponsor: Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1] (R-ID)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Water Resources Development
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-02

## Summary

**Expands flexibility to use existing rights-of-way for aquifer recharge without extra federal authorization.** The bill would let a holder of a right-of-way or an entity acting on its behalf — including a State, a political subdivision, an Indian Tribe, or a public entity — rely on an existing right-of-way, easement, permit, or similar authorization to transport and use water for aquifer recharge so long as the use does not expand, modify, or substantially deviate from the original authorization. - States, political subdivisions, Indian Tribes, and public entities: They could use existing authorizations for aquifer recharge but must submit a notice to the Bureau of Land Management at least 30 days before use that identifies the parties, the authorization, the intended use and scope, and a copy of the agreement. - Holders of rights-of-way and their partners: The bill creates a pathway for waivers of obligations to comply with applicable Federal laws and Bureau policies and authorizes construction, modification, or expansion of existing covered infrastructure. - Legal and agency clarity: The text broadens interpretive effect and clarifies cross-references by replacing instances of "Act" with "section," which reshapes how the statute and the Bureau of Land Management may apply these provisions.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2] (R-ID), 2025-01-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier aquifer recharge on public lands: mixed, medium. If enacted, holders of existing rights-of-way on federal land could use them for aquifer recharge without new approval. The bill would treat this use as not an expansion, modification, or major change. At least 30 days before, the holder would have to notify the Bureau of Land Management. The notic…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act
- 119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act
- 119-hr-8596: FAIR Labels Act of 2026
- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-1383: Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-331 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/331)

## Related
- [119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-137)
- [119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9298)
- [119-hr-8596: FAIR Labels Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8596)
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-1383: Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1383)
- [119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-987)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-331 (as of 2026-10-02).