Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB331 Compare Versions

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Old	New		Differences
1		-	IB
2		-	Union Calendar No. 37
	1	+	I
3	2		119THCONGRESS
4	3		1
5	4		STSESSION H. R. 331
6		-	[Report No. 119–60]
7	5		To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating
8	6		to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes.
9	7		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
10	8		JANUARY13, 2025
11	9		Mr. F
12	10		ULCHER(for himself and Mr. SIMPSON) introduced the following bill;
13	11		which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
14		-	A
15		-	PRIL17, 2025
16		-	Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
17		-	House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
18		-	[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
19		-	[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 13, 2025]
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22		-	•HR 331 RH
23	12		A BILL
24	13		To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify
25	14		a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge
26	15		purposes.
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29		-	•HR 331 RH
30	16		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
31	17		tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
32	18		SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE FOR AQUIFER RECHARGE PUR-3
33	19		POSES. 4
34	20		(a) I
35		-	NGENERAL.—Subsection (c)(3) of the Aquifer Re-5
36		-	charge Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amended— 6
37		-	(1) by striking ‘‘The holder’’ and inserting the 7
38		-	following: 8
	21	+	NGENERAL.—Subsection (c)(3) of the Aquifer 5
	22	+	Recharge Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amend-6
	23	+	ed— 7
	24	+	(1) by striking ‘‘The holder’’ and inserting the 8
	25	+	following: 9
39	26		‘‘(A) I
40		-	N GENERAL.—The holder’’; 9
41		-	(2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by 10
42		-	striking ‘‘may transport water for aquifer recharge 11
43		-	purposes without requiring additional authorization 12
44		-	from the Secretary where the use does not expand or 13
45		-	modify the operation’’ and inserting ‘‘may, acting for 14
46		-	the holder or on behalf of a State, political subdivi-15
47		-	sion of a State, Indian Tribe, or public entity and 16
48		-	subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), use the existing 17
49		-	right-of-way, easement, permit, or other authorization 18
50		-	for the purpose of aquifer recharge and the transport 19
51		-	and use of water rights for aquifer recharge without 20
52		-	requiring additional authorization from the Sec-21
53		-	retary, which use shall not be considered an expan-22
54		-	sion, modification, or substantial deviation’’; and 23
55		-	(3) by adding at the end the following: 24
	27	+	N GENERAL.—The holder’’; 10
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	30	+	•HR 331 IH
	31	+	(2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by 1
	32	+	striking ‘‘may transport water for aquifer recharge 2
	33	+	purposes without requiring additional authorization 3
	34	+	from the Secretary where the use does not expand 4
	35	+	or modify the operation’’ and inserting ‘‘may, acting 5
	36	+	for the holder or on behalf of a State, political sub-6
	37	+	division of a State, Indian Tribe, or public entity 7
	38	+	and subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), use the 8
	39	+	existing right-of-way, easement, permit, or other au-9
	40	+	thorization for the purpose of aquifer recharge and 10
	41	+	the transport and use of water rights for aquifer re-11
	42	+	charge without requiring additional authorization 12
	43	+	from the Secretary, which use shall not be consid-13
	44	+	ered an expansion, modification, major Federal ac-14
	45	+	tion, or substantial deviation’’; and 15
	46	+	(3) by adding at the end the following: 16
56	47		‘‘(B) N
57		-	OTICE REQUIRED.— 25
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60		-	•HR 331 RH
61		-	‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not less than 30 1
62		-	days before using an existing right-of-way, 2
63		-	easement, permit, or other authorization for 3
64		-	the purpose of aquifer recharge under sub-4
65		-	paragraph (A), the holder of the right-of- 5
66		-	way, easement, permit, or other authoriza-6
67		-	tion shall submit to the Bureau of Land 7
68		-	Management notice of the intended use, in 8
69		-	accordance with clause (ii). 9
	48	+	OTICE REQUIRED.— 17
	49	+	‘‘(i) I
	50	+	N GENERAL.—Not less than 30 18
	51	+	days before using an existing right-of-way, 19
	52	+	easement, permit, or other authorization 20
	53	+	for the purpose of aquifer recharge under 21
	54	+	subparagraph (A), the holder of the right- 22
	55	+	of-way, easement, permit, or other author-23
	56	+	ization shall submit to the Bureau of Land 24
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	60	+	Management notice of the intended use, in 1
	61	+	accordance with clause (ii). 2
70	62		‘‘(ii) R
71		-	EQUIREMENTS.—A notice sub-10
72		-	mitted under clause (i) shall— 11
73		-	‘‘(I) identify the State, political 12
74		-	subdivision of the State, Indian Tribe, 13
75		-	or public entity intending to use the 14
76		-	existing right-of-way, easement, per-15
77		-	mit, or other authorization for the pur-16
78		-	pose of aquifer recharge; 17
79		-	‘‘(II) identify the existing right-of- 18
80		-	way, easement, permit, other author-19
81		-	ization, or recognized authorized use 20
82		-	for ditches and canals constructed on 21
83		-	public land before or on October 21, 22
84		-	1976, under the authority of sections 23
85		-	2339 and 2340 of the Revised Statutes 24
86		-	(43 U.S.C. 661) intended to be used; 25
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90		-	‘‘(III) provide details on the in-1
91		-	tended use and scope of use for the 2
92		-	purpose of aquifer recharge of the exist-3
93		-	ing right-of-way, easement, permit, or 4
94		-	other authorization; and 5
95		-	‘‘(IV) provide a copy of the agree-6
96		-	ment between the State, political sub-7
97		-	division of the State, Indian Tribe, or 8
98		-	public entity and the holder of the 9
99		-	right-of-way, easement, permit, or 10
100		-	other authorization to use the existing 11
101		-	right-of-way, easement, permit, or 12
102		-	other authorization for the purpose of 13
103		-	aquifer recharge.’’. 14
	63	+	EQUIREMENTS.—A notice sub-3
	64	+	mitted under clause (i) shall— 4
	65	+	‘‘(I) identify the State, political 5
	66	+	subdivision of the State, Indian Tribe, 6
	67	+	or public entity intending to use the 7
	68	+	existing right-of-way, easement, per-8
	69	+	mit, or other authorization for the 9
	70	+	purpose of aquifer recharge; 10
	71	+	‘‘(II) identify the existing right- 11
	72	+	of-way, easement, permit, other au-12
	73	+	thorization, or recognized authorized 13
	74	+	use for ditches and canals constructed 14
	75	+	on public land before or on October 15
	76	+	21, 1976, under the authority of sec-16
	77	+	tions 2339 and 2340 of the Revised 17
	78	+	Statutes (43 U.S.C. 661) intended to 18
	79	+	be used; 19
	80	+	‘‘(III) provide details on the in-20
	81	+	tended use and scope of use for the 21
	82	+	purpose of aquifer recharge of the ex-22
	83	+	isting right-of-way, easement, permit, 23
	84	+	or other authorization; and 24
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	87	+	•HR 331 IH
	88	+	‘‘(IV) provide a copy of the 1
	89	+	agreement between the State, political 2
	90	+	subdivision of the State, Indian Tribe, 3
	91	+	or public entity and the holder of the 4
	92	+	right-of-way, easement, permit, or 5
	93	+	other authorization to use the existing 6
	94	+	right-of-way, easement, permit, or 7
	95	+	other authorization for the purpose of 8
	96	+	aquifer recharge. 9
	97	+	‘‘(C) E
	98	+	XEMPTION FROM PAYMENT OF AD -10
	99	+	DITIONAL RENT.— 11
	100	+	‘‘(i) I
	101	+	N GENERAL.—Except as pro-12
	102	+	vided in clause (ii), any use of an existing 13
	103	+	right-of-way, easement, permit, or other 14
	104	+	authorization for the purpose of aquifer re-15
	105	+	charge under subparagraph (A) shall be 16
	106	+	exempt from the payment of additional 17
	107	+	rent to the Bureau of Land Management. 18
	108	+	‘‘(ii) F
	109	+	OR-PROFIT USES AND ENTI -19
	110	+	TIES.—Clause (i) shall not apply to— 20
	111	+	‘‘(I) any for-profit uses of aquifer 21
	112	+	recharge; or 22
	113	+	‘‘(II) any for-profit entities.’’. 23
104	114		(b) E
105		-	FFECT.—Subsection (c)(4) of the Aquifer Re-15
106		-	charge Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amended— 16
107		-	(1) by striking ‘‘Act creates’’ and inserting ‘‘sec-17
108		-	tion— 18
109		-	‘‘(A) creates’’; 19
110		-	(2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by 20
111		-	striking the period at the end and inserting a semi-21
112		-	colon; and 22
113		-	(3) by adding at the end of the following: 23
114		-	‘‘(B) waives the obligation of the holder of 24
115		-	a right-of-way, easement, permit, or other au-25
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118		-	•HR 331 RH
119		-	thorization described in paragraph (3)(A) to 1
120		-	comply with all applicable— 2
121		-	‘‘(i) Federal laws; and 3
122		-	‘‘(ii) policies of the Bureau; or 4
123		-	‘‘(C) provides authority to construct, mod-5
124		-	ify, or expand any existing infrastructure cov-6
125		-	ered under subsection (c)(3).’’. 7
	115	+	FFECT.—Subsection (c)(4) of the Aquifer Re-24
	116	+	charge Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amended— 25
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	120	+	(1) by striking ‘‘Act creates’’ and inserting 1
	121	+	‘‘section— 2
	122	+	‘‘(A) creates’’; 3
	123	+	(2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by 4
	124	+	striking the period at the end and inserting a semi-5
	125	+	colon; and 6
	126	+	(3) by adding at the end of the following: 7
	127	+	‘‘(B) waives the obligation of the holder of 8
	128	+	a right-of-way, easement, permit, or other au-9
	129	+	thorization described in paragraph (3)(A) to 10
	130	+	comply with— 11
	131	+	‘‘(i) the Federal Water Pollution Con-12
	132	+	trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); 13
	133	+	‘‘(ii) the Endangered Species Act of 14
	134	+	1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or 15
	135	+	‘‘(iii) the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 16
	136	+	(16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.); or 17
	137	+	‘‘(C) provides authority to construct, mod-18
	138	+	ify, or expand any existing infrastructure cov-19
	139	+	ered under subsection (c)(3).’’. 20
126	140		(c) T
127		-	ECHNICALAMENDMENTS.—The Aquifer Recharge 8
128		-	Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amended in each of 9
129		-	subsections (a) and (c)(5) by striking ‘‘Act’’ each place it 10
130		-	appears and inserting ‘‘section’’. 11
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134		-	37
135		-	119
136		-	TH
137		-	CONGRESS
138		-	1
139		-	ST
140		-	S
141		-	ESSION
142		-
143		-	H. R. 331
144		-	[Report No. 119–60]
145		-	A BILL
146		-	To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to
147		-	clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aq-
148		-	uifer recharge purposes.
149		-	A
150		-	PRIL
151		-	17, 2025
152		-	Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
153		-	mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
154		-	and ordered to be printed
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	141	+	ECHNICALAMENDMENTS.—The Aquifer Re-21
	142	+	charge Flexibility Act (43 U.S.C. 390g–9) is amended in 22
	143	+	each of subsections (a) and (c)(5) by striking ‘‘Act’’ each 23
	144	+	place it appears and inserting ‘‘section’’. 24
	145	+	Æ
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