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S. 855 · 117th Congress

Water Rights Protection Act of 2021

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

2 cosponsors · 2 R

2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture from

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 18, 2021

Water Rights Protection Act of 2021

This bill prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture from

  • conditioning the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement (permit) on the transfer of any water right to the United States or on any impairment of title granted or otherwise recognized under state law by federal or state action;
  • requiring any water user (including a federally recognized Indian tribe) to apply for or acquire a water right in the name of the United States under state law as a condition of the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit; or
  • conditioning or withholding the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit on limiting the date, time, quantity, location of diversion or pumping, or place of use of a state water right beyond any limitations under state water law, or on the modification of the terms and conditions of groundwater withdrawal, guidance and reporting procedures, or conservation and source protection measures established by a state.

In developing any rule or similar federal action relating to the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, such departments (1) shall recognize the longstanding water use authority of the states and coordinate with the states to ensure that any federal action is consistent with applicable state water law, and (2) shall not adversely affect the authority of a state in permitting the beneficial use of water or adjudicating water rights.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Water Rights Protection Act of 2021

Latest action (Mar 18, 2021): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 18, 2021

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.