119th Congress · introduced in the House · Jan 9, 2025
Water Rights Protection Act
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Nov 25, 2025): Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 334.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (Jan 9, 2025)
Water Rights Protection Act of 2025
This bill limits the transfer of water rights from water users to the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
First, the bill prohibits Interior and USDA from conditioning the issuance or renewal of land use or occupancy agreements (e.g., permits and leases) on the transfer of any water right to the United States. Next, it prohibits Interior and USDA from requiring water users, including Indian tribes, to acquire water rights in the name of the United States as a condition of the issuance or renewal of a land use or occupancy agreement. Finally, it prohibits Interior and USDA from conditioning or withholding the issuance or renewal of land use or occupancy agreements on (1) limiting the date, time, quantity, location of diversion or pumping, or place of use of a state water right beyond any applicable limitations under state water law; or (2) modifying the terms and conditions of groundwater withdrawal, guidance and reporting procedures, or conservation and source protection measures established by a state.
Interior and USDA must also ensure that federal action imposes no greater restriction or regulatory requirement than under applicable state water law.
Further, Interior and USDA must not take actions that adversely affect state authority in permitting water usage or in adjudicating water rights.
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 334.
Committee on Agriculture discharged.
Committee on Agriculture discharged.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-384, Part I.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-384, Part I.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 16.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
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.
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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
Administrative law and regulatory procedures · Department of Agriculture · Department of the Interior · Indian lands and resources rights · Intergovernmental relations · Land use and conservation · Licensing and registrations · State and local government operations · Water use and supply
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 23, 2026.
10 citations.
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Aug 5, 2026 · issue area: Natural Resources
$10,000
Paid to lobbying firm
…te companion) Farm Bill 2026; nat res provisions, fire, forestry H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted May 11, 2026 · issue area: Natural Resources
$5,000
Paid to lobbying firm
…Act funding and implementation Parochial grazing/land use bills. H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 27, 2026 · issue area: Natural Resources
Amount not reported
…gulations - Wild Horse and Burro Act funding and implementation. H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. View filing
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES · lobbying firm or registrant: ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 23, 2026 · issue area: Natural Resources
$115,000
Spent on own lobbying
…related to improving the implementation of the Endangered Species Act. H.R.106 LIST Act of 2025. Engage on issues related to the listing of endangered species. H.R. 302 The Water Rights Protection Act. Work to protect state allocated water rights from federal overreach. S.607/H.R. 1459 Protect the West Act. Work to increase re…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES · lobbying firm or registrant: ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Nov 6, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
$115,000
Spent on own lobbying
…related to improving the implementation of the Endangered Species Act. H.R.106 LIST Act of 2025. Engage on issues related to the listing of endangered species. H.R. 302 The Water Rights Protection Act. Work to protect state allocated water rights from federal overreach. S.607/H.R. 1459 Protect the West Act. Work to increase re…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 29, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
Amount not reported
…gulations - Wild Horse and Burro Act funding and implementation. H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. View filing
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES · lobbying firm or registrant: ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Aug 28, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
$115,000
Spent on own lobbying
…related to improving the implementation of the Endangered Species Act. H.R.106 LIST Act of 2025. Engage on issues related to the listing of endangered species. H.R. 302 The Water Rights Protection Act. Work to protect state allocated water rights from federal overreach. S.607/H.R. 1459 Protect the West Act. Work to increase re…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Aug 4, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
Amount not reported
…gulations - Wild Horse and Burro Act funding and implementation. H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. View filing
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES · lobbying firm or registrant: ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
2025 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025) · posted May 30, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
$115,000
Spent on own lobbying
…related to improving the implementation of the Endangered Species Act. H.R.106 LIST Act of 2025. Engage on issues related to the listing of endangered species. H.R. 302 The Water Rights Protection Act. Work to protect state allocated water rights from federal overreach. S.607/H.R. 1459 Protect the West Act. Work to increase re…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL · lobbying firm or registrant: PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
2025 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025) · posted Apr 22, 2025 · issue area: Natural Resources
Amount not reported
…gulations - Wild Horse and Burro Act funding and implementation. H.R.1110, Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction H.R.281/S.316, Grizzly Bear State Management Act H.R.302, Water Rights Protection Act H.R.1301, death tax repeal H.R.1897, the ESA Amendments Act H.R.2238, Ranching Without Red Tape Act H.R.1661/S.775, Save America's…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. View filing