113 HR 3189 RH: Water Rights Protection Act U.S. House of Representatives 2014-03-04 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IB Union Calendar No. 278 113th CONGRESS2d Session H. R. 3189 [Report No. 113–372, Part I] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 26, 2013 Mr. Tipton (for himself, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Amodei, and Mr. Polis) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned March 4, 2014 Additional sponsors: Mr. Coffman, Mrs. Lummis, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Chaffetz, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Poe of Texas, and Mr. Gardner March 4, 2014 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with amendments Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic March 4, 2014 The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 26, 2013 A BILL To prohibit the conditioning of any permit, lease, or other use agreement on the transfer, relinquishment, or other impairment of any water right to the United States by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Water Rights Protection Act.

2.

Treatment of water rights

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture— (1)shall not condition the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on the transfer of any water right directly to the United States, or any impairment of title, in whole or in part, granted or otherwise recognized under State law, by Federal or State adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pursuant to any interstate water compact; and (2)shall not require any water user 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 any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement.

3.

Definition

For purposes of this Act, the term water right means any surface, groundwater, or storage use filed, permitted, certificated, confirmed, decreed, adjudicated, or otherwise recognized by a judicial proceeding or by the State in which the user acquires possession of the water or puts it to beneficial use.

4.

Impact on existing authority

Nothing in this Act limits or expands any existing authority of the Secretaries to condition any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on Federal lands subject to their respective jurisdictions.

Amend the title so as to read: A bill to prohibit the conditioning of any permit, lease, or other use agreement on the transfer of any water right to the United States by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture.. March 4, 2014 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with amendments March 4, 2014 The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed