1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
House Bill 2813
Ordered by the House March 6
Including House Amendments dated March 6
Introduced and printed pursuant to House Rule 12.00. Presession filed (at the request of Governor Tina Kotek for
Water Resources Department)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act creates a new fund related to ground water conservation. The Act puts
money in the fund. (Flesch Readability Score: 80.2).
[Digest: The Act creates a new fund related to ground water conservation in Harney County. The
Act puts money in the fund.(Flesch Readability Score: 75.3).]
Establishes the [Harney] Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Match
Fund in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund.
Appropriates moneys for the [Harney] Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement Pro-
gram Match Fund.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to water right retirement under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program; and de-
claring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the General Fund appropriation
made to the Water Resources Department, by _____, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025,
for technical services, is decreased by $500,000.
SECTION 2.(1) There is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the
General Fund, the Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Match Fund.
Interest earned by the Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Match
Fund shall be credited to the fund.
(2)(a) All moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the Water Resources De-
partment to provide the state contribution for water users who cancel ground water rights
as part of enrollment in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (16 U.S.C.
3831a).
(b) This subsection applies only to water users in areas in which the department is not
allowing new rights to use ground water for irrigation.
(3) The fund shall consist of all moneys credited to the fund, including moneys appropri-
ated or transferred to the fund by the Legislative Assembly.
SECTION 3.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Water Resources Department, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the
General Fund, the amount of $500,000, for deposit in the Groundwater Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program Match Fund established under section 2 of this 2025 Act for the
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 408 A-Eng. HB 2813
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
purpose of providing the state contribution for water users who cancel ground water rights
as part of enrollment in the Harney Valley Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program.
SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any other law limiting expenditures, the limitation on
expenditures established by _____, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, as the maximum
limit for payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous
Receipts, and including federal funds received under cooperative agreements with or con-
tracts from the Bureau of Reclamation of the United States Department of the Interior, the
United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Geological Survey, the Bonneville
Power Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, but excluding lottery
funds and federal funds not described in this section, collected or received by the Water
Resources Department, for technical services, is increased by $500,000, for authorized
expenditures of moneys deposited in the Groundwater Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program Match Fund established under section 2 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 5.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
[2]