---
kind: "diff"
citation: "H.R. 3189"
bill: "113-hr-3189"
heading: "Water Rights Protection Act"
from: "ih"
from_label: "Introduced in House"
to: "rh"
to_label: "Reported in House"
sections_amended: 1
sections_added: 2
sections_removed: 0
url: "https://uscodex.org/bills/113/hr/3189/changes/rh"
---

# H.R. 3189 — what changed

H.R. 3189, Water Rights Protection Act — 1 section amended and 2 added between Introduced in House and Reported in House.

Edits are marked `<del>struck</del>` and `<ins>inserted</ins>`.

## Sec. 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 <del>or relinquishment </del>of any water right directly to the United States, <ins>or any impairment of title, </ins>in whole or in part, granted <ins>or otherwise recognized </ins>under State law, by Federal or State adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pursuant to any interstate water <del>compact and the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture; </del><ins>compact; </ins>and
- (2) shall not require any water user to apply for <ins>or acquire </ins>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.

## Sec. 3 Definition — added

- <ins>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.</ins>

## Sec. 4 Impact on existing authority — added

- <ins>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.</ins>