IB 

Union Calendar No. 558 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4891 

[Report No. 116–674, Part I] 

To provide for the conduct of certain water security measures in the Western 

United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 28, 2019 

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself, Mr. LUJA ́N, Ms. HAALAND, 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. HURD of Texas, and Ms. DEGETTE) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 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 October 28, 2019] 


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A BILL 

To provide for the conduct of certain water security measures 

in the Western United States, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Western Water Security Act of 2020’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of this 

7 Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER MANAGEMENT 

IMPROVEMENT 

Sec. 101. Watersmart extension and expansion. 

Sec. 102. Emergency drought funding. 

Sec. 103. Rio Grande Pueblo Irrigation Infrastructure Reauthorization. 

TITLE II—GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT 

Sec. 201. Reauthorization and expansion of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program. 

Sec. 202. Groundwater management assessment and improvement. 

Sec. 203. Surface and groundwater water availability and the energy nexus. 

TITLE III—WATER CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

RESTORATION 

Sec. 301. Definitions. 

Sec. 302. Water acquisition program. 

Sec. 303. Middle Rio Grande Water Conservation. 

Sec. 304. Sustaining biodiversity during droughts. 

Sec. 305. Reauthorization of cooperative watershed management program. 

TITLE IV—EFFECT ON EXISTING LAW 

Sec. 401. Effect on existing law. 

8 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) RIO GRANDE COMPACT.—The term ‘‘Rio 

11 Grande Compact’’ means the compact approved by 

12 Congress under the Act of May 31, 1939 (53 Stat. 

13 785, chapter 155). 


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1 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

4 of New Mexico. 

5 TITLE I—INFRASTRUCTURE AND 

6 WATER MANAGEMENT IM7 PROVEMENT 

8 SEC. 101. WATERSMART EXTENSION AND EXPANSION. 

9 (a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.—Section 

10 9502 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 

11 (42 U.S.C. 10362) is amended— 

12 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

13 striking ‘‘section’’ and inserting ‘‘subtitle’’; 

14 (2) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the 

15 following: 

16 ‘‘(7) ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.—The term ‘eligible 

17 applicant’ means— 

18 ‘‘(A) any State, Indian tribe, irrigation dis19 trict, or water district; 

20 ‘‘(B) any State, regional, or local authority, 

21 the members of which include one or more orga22 nizations with water or power delivery author23 ity; 

24 ‘‘(C) any other organization with water or 

25 power delivery authority; or 


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1 ‘‘(D) any nonprofit conservation organiza2 tion.’’; 

3 (3) by redesignating paragraphs (13) through 

4 (17) as paragraphs (14) through (18), respectively; 

5 and 

6 (4) by inserting after paragraph (12) the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘(13) NATURAL WATER RECHARGE INFRASTRUC9 TURE.—The term ‘natural water recharge infrastruc10 ture’ means a single project, a number of distributed 

11 projects across a watershed, or the redesign and re12 placement, or removal, of built infrastructure to in13 corporate natural aquatic elements, in which the 

14 project— 

15 ‘‘(A) uses natural materials appropriate to 

16 the specific site and landscape setting; 

17 ‘‘(B) mimics natural riverine, floodplain, 

18 riparian, wetland, hydrologic, or other ecological 

19 processes; and 

20 ‘‘(C) results in aquifer recharge, transient 

21 floodplain water retention, or restoration of 

22 water in the landscape such that the water re23 turns to a wetland, riparian area, or surface 

24 water channel.’’. 


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1 (b) RESEARCH AGREEMENTS.—Section 9504(b)(1) of 

2 the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 

3 U.S.C. 10364(b)(1)) is amended— 

4 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

5 by inserting ‘‘nonprofit conservation organization,’’ 

6 before ‘‘or organization’’; 

7 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

8 end; 

9 (3) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub10 paragraph (D); and 

11 (4) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(C) to increase natural water recharge in14 frastructure; or’’. 

15 (c) WATER MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT.—Section 

16 9504(e) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 

17 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364(e)) is amended by striking 

18 ‘‘$530,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$700,000,000, subject to the 

19 condition that $50,000,000 of that amount shall be used to 

20 carry out section 206 of the Energy and Water Development 

21 and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (43 U.S.C. 

22 620 note; Public Law 113–235)’’. 

23 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 4009(d) of 

24 Public Law 114–322 (42 U.S.C. 10364 note) is amended 

25 by striking ‘‘on the condition that of that amount, 


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1 $50,000,000 of it is used to carry out section 206 of the 

2 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Ap3 propriation Act, 2015 (43 U.S.C. 620 note; Public Law 

4 113–235)’’. 

5 SEC. 102. EMERGENCY DROUGHT FUNDING. 

6 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

7 301 of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief 

8 Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2241) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘120,000,000’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘180,000,000’’; and 

11 (2) by striking ‘‘2020’’ and inserting ‘‘2025, of 

12 which not more than $30,000,000 shall be made avail13 able during that period for the conduct of actions au14 thorized under title I of the Reclamation States 

15 Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 

16 2211 et seq.) to benefit imperiled fish and wildlife’’. 

17 (b) APPLICABLE PERIOD OF DROUGHT PROGRAM.— 

18 Section 104 of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought 

19 Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2214) is amended by striking 

20 subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

21 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The programs and authorities es22 tablished under this title shall become operative in any Rec23 lamation State and in the State of Hawaii only— 

24 ‘‘(1) after the Governor or Governors of the af25 fected State or States, or the governing body of an afVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4891.RH H4891

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1 fected Indian Tribe with respect to a reservation, has 

2 made a request for temporary drought assistance and 

3 the Secretary has determined that the temporary as4 sistance is merited; 

5 ‘‘(2) after a drought emergency has been declared 

6 by the Governor or Governors of the affected State or 

7 States; or 

8 ‘‘(3) on approval of a drought contingency plan 

9 as provided in title II.’’. 

10 (c) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 104(c) of the Rec11 lamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 

12 U.S.C. 2214(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘2020’’ and insert13 ing ‘‘2030’’. 

14 SEC. 103. RIO GRANDE PUEBLO IRRIGATION INFRASTRUC15 TURE REAUTHORIZATION. 

16 Section 9106 of the Omnibus Public Land Manage17 ment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–11; 123 Stat. 1304) is 

18 amended— 

19 (1) in subsection (c)(4), by striking ‘‘2 years 

20 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

21 shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

22 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Re23 sources’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020, the Sec24 retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 


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1 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 

2 on Natural Resources’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (g)(2)— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘$6,000,000’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘such sums as may be necessary’’; and 

6 (B) by striking ‘‘2010 through 2019’’ and 

7 inserting ‘‘2020 through 2029’’. 

8 TITLE II—GROUNDWATER 

9 MANAGEMENT 

10 SEC. 201. REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE 

11 TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENT 

12 PROGRAM. 

13 (a) DESIGNATION OF PRIORITY TRANSBOUNDARY

14 AQUIFERS.—Section 4(c)(2) of the United States-Mexico 

15 Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (42 U.S.C. 1962 

16 note; Public Law 109–448) is amended by striking ‘‘New 

17 Mexico or Texas’’ and inserting ‘‘New Mexico, Texas, or Ar18 izona (other than an aquifer underlying Arizona and So19 nora, Mexico, that is partially within the Yuma ground20 water basin designated by the order of the Director of the 

21 Arizona Department of Water Resources dated June 21, 

22 1984)’’. 

23 (b) REAUTHORIZATION.— 

24 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Sec25 tion 8(a) of the United States-Mexico Transboundary 


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1 Aquifer Assessment Act (42 U.S.C. 1962 note; Public 

2 Law 109–448) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal years 

3 2007 through 2016’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2021 

4 through 2029’’. 

5 (2) SUNSET OF AUTHORITY.—Section 9 of the 

6 United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assess7 ment Act (42 U.S.C. 1962 note; Public Law 109–448) 

8 is amended by striking ‘‘enactment of this Act’’ and 

9 inserting ‘‘enactment of the Western Water Security 

10 Act of 2020’’. 

11 SEC. 202. GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT AND 

12 IMPROVEMENT. 

13 Section 9504(a) of the Omnibus Public Land Manage14 ment Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364(a)) is amended— 

15 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

16 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

17 (A), by inserting ‘‘or carrying out any activity’’ 

18 after ‘‘any improvement’’; 

19 (B) by striking subparagraphs (A) through 

20 (E); 

21 (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) 

22 through (H) as subparagraphs (B) through (D), 

23 respectively; 

24 (D) by inserting before subparagraph (B) 

25 (as so redesignated) the following: 


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1 ‘‘(A) to assist States and water users in 

2 complying with interstate compacts through tem3 porary, voluntary, and compensated transactions 

4 that decrease consumptive water use at a re5 gional or watershed scale;’’; 

6 (E) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesig7 nated), by striking ‘‘to prevent’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘to achieve the prevention of’’; 

9 (F) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesig10 nated), by striking ‘‘to accelerate’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘to achieve the acceleration of’’; and 

12 (G) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesig13 nated)— 

14 (i) by striking clause (i) and inserting 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘(i) to increase ecological resilience to 

17 climate change, including by enhancing 

18 natural water recharge infrastructure with19 in a floodplain or riparian wetland, by ad20 dressing climate-related impacts or vulner21 ability to the water supply of the United 

22 States;’’; 

23 (ii) in clause (ii), by striking the pe24 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 


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1 (iii) by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(iii) to plan for or address the im4 pacts of drought.’’; 

5 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

6 paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; 

7 (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The improvements 

10 or activities eligible for assistance under paragraph 

11 (1) may include improvements or activities— 

12 ‘‘(A) using an approach— 

13 ‘‘(i) to conserve water; 

14 ‘‘(ii) to increase water use efficiency; 

15 ‘‘(iii) to facilitate water markets; or 

16 ‘‘(iv) to enhance water management, 

17 including increasing the use of renewable 

18 energy in the management and delivery of 

19 water or increasing natural water recharge 

20 infrastructure; 

21 ‘‘(B) to improve the condition of natural 

22 water recharge infrastructure; or 

23 ‘‘(C) to achieve the acceleration of the adop24 tion and use of advanced water treatment tech25 nologies to increase water supply.’’; and 


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1 (4) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking 

3 subclause (II) and inserting the following: 

4 ‘‘(II) to use the assistance pro5 vided under a grant or agreement to 

6 increase the consumptive use of water 

7 for agricultural operations above the 

8 pre-project levels, as determined pursu9 ant to the law of the State in which the 

10 operation of the eligible applicant is 

11 located.’’; and 

12 (B) in subparagraph (E)— 

13 (i) by striking clause (i) and inserting 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(i) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

16 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro17 vided in subclause (II), the Federal 

18 share of the cost of any infrastructure 

19 improvement or activity that is the 

20 subject of a grant or other agreement 

21 entered into between the Secretary and 

22 an eligible applicant under paragraph 

23 (1) shall not exceed 50 percent of the 

24 cost of the infrastructure improvement 

25 or activity. 


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1 ‘‘(II) INCREASED FEDERAL SHARE

2 FOR CERTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE IM3 PROVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES.— 

4 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—The 

5 Federal share of the cost of an in6 frastructure improvement or ac7 tivity described in item (bb) shall 

8 not exceed 75 percent of the cost of 

9 the infrastructure improvement or 

10 activity. 

11 ‘‘(bb) INFRASTRUCTURE IM12 PROVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES DE13 SCRIBED.—An infrastructure im14 provement or activity referred to 

15 in item (aa) is an infrastructure 

16 improvement or activity that pro17 vides benefits to consumptive 

18 water users and nonconsumptive 

19 ecological or recreational values 

20 in which— 

21 ‘‘(AA) in the case of an 

22 infrastructure improvement 

23 or activity that conserves 

24 water, the conserved water is 

25 returned to a surface water 


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1 source with ecological or rec2 reational benefits; or 

3 ‘‘(BB) in the case of 

4 other infrastructure improve5 ments or activities, the ma6 jority of the benefits are non7 consumptive ecological or 

8 recreational benefits.’’; and 

9 (ii) in clause (ii), in the matter pre10 ceding subclause (I), by striking ‘‘para11 graph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (3)’’. 

12 SEC. 203. SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER WATER AVAIL13 ABILITY AND THE ENERGY NEXUS. 

14 Section 9508(d)(3) of the Omnibus Public Land Man15 agement Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10368(d)(3)) is amended— 

16 (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

17 the end; 

18 (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the semi19 colon and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

20 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(F) oil, gas, and mineral development 

22 under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et 

23 seq.), the Act of May 11, 1938 (commonly known 

24 as the ‘Indian Mineral Leasing Act of 1938’) (25 

25 U.S.C. 396a et seq.), sections 2319 through 2344 


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1 of the Revised Statutes (commonly known as the 

2 ‘Mining Law of 1872’) (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.), 

3 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 

4 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.);’’. 

5 TITLE III—WATER CONSERVA6 TION AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

7 RESTORATION 

8 SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this title: 

10 (1) BASIN.—The term ‘‘Basin’’— 

11 (A) is limited to areas within the State; 

12 and 

13 (B) means each of— 

14 (i) the Upper Rio Grande Basin; 

15 (ii) the Middle Rio Grande Basin; 

16 (iii) the Lower Rio Grande Basin; 

17 (iv) the Lower Pecos River Basin; 

18 (v) the Gila River Basin; 

19 (vi) the Canadian River Basin; 

20 (vii) the San Francisco River Basin; 

21 and 

22 (viii) the San Juan River Basin. 

23 (2) DISTRICT.—The term ‘‘District’’ means— 

24 (A) the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy 

25 District; 


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1 (B) the Elephant Butte Irrigation District; 

2 (C) the Carlsbad Irrigation District; 

3 (D) the Arch Hurley Conservancy District; 

4 (E) the Pecos Valley Artesian Conservation 

5 District; or 

6 (F) the San Juan Water Commission. 

7 (3) PUEBLO.—The term ‘‘Pueblo’’ means each of 

8 the following pueblos in the State: 

9 (A) Cochiti. 

10 (B) Santo Domingo. 

11 (C) San Felipe. 

12 (D) Santa Ana. 

13 (E) Sandia. 

14 (F) Isleta. 

15 SEC. 302. WATER ACQUISITION PROGRAM. 

16 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary, acting through 

17 the Commissioner of Reclamation, shall carry out in the 

18 Basins a water acquisition program in coordination with 

19 the other appropriate Federal agencies, State agencies, and 

20 non-Federal stakeholders, under which the Secretary shall— 

21 (1) make acquisitions, or assist the State or a 

22 District in making acquisitions, of water in the Ba23 sins by lease or purchase of water rights or contrac24 tual entitlements from willing lessors or sellers, con25 sistent with section 8 of the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 


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1 U.S.C. 383), the Rio Grande Compact, and applicable 

2 State law relating to the acquisition and administra3 tion of water rights; and 

4 (2) take any other actions, consistent with sec5 tion 8 of the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 383), 

6 the Rio Grande Compact, and applicable State law, 

7 that the Secretary determines would achieve the pur8 poses of the water acquisition program described in 

9 subsection (b). 

10 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the water acquisition 

11 program are— 

12 (1) to enhance stream flow to benefit fish and 

13 wildlife (including endangered species), water quality, 

14 and river ecosystem restoration in the Basins; 

15 (2) to enhance stewardship and conservation of 

16 working land, water, and watersheds in the Basins, 

17 consistent with the purpose described in paragraph 

18 (1); and 

19 (3) to address water supply-demand imbalances 

20 in the Basins, consistent with State law and the pur21 pose described in paragraph (1). 

22 (c) COORDINATION.—To assist in developing and ad23 ministering the program, the Secretary may provide funds 

24 to the State, a District, or a federally established nonprofit 


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1 entity with particular expertise in western water trans2 actions. 

3 (d) DISTRICT PROJECTS.—Subject to the Rio Grande 

4 Compact and applicable State law, the Secretary may de5 velop programs to provide— 

6 (1) cost-share assistance to a District to reduce 

7 water depletions by agricultural producers and 

8 irrigators in that District by making irrigation sys9 tem improvements and increasing system efficiency; 

10 (2) incentives to a District for the establishment 

11 of a water leasing program from willing lessors for 

12 agricultural producers and irrigators in that District 

13 to temporarily lease pre-1907 water rights (instead of 

14 permanent severance from irrigable land) for the pur15 pose of providing benefits to species listed as threat16 ened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 

17 of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and other river eco18 system benefits; and 

19 (3) cost-share assistance to a District to imple20 ment infrastructure or operational changes that will 

21 allow for effective management of a leasing program, 

22 while maintaining adequate water deliveries to other 

23 agricultural producers and irrigators. 


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1 SEC. 303. MIDDLE RIO GRANDE WATER CONSERVATION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in cooperation with 

3 a District and in consultation with the Pueblos, may pro4 vide funding and technical assistance for the installation 

5 of metering and measurement devices and the construction 

6 of check structures on irrigation diversions, canals, laterals, 

7 ditches, and drains— 

8 (1) to ensure the conservation and efficient use 

9 of water within that District by— 

10 (A) reducing actual consumptive use; or 

11 (B) not increasing the use of water; and 

12 (2) to improve the measurement and allocation 

13 of water, including water acquired through the water 

14 acquisition program established under section 302. 

15 (b) RIO GRANDE, SAN ACACIA, AND ISLETA

16 REACHES.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

18 for the development of a comprehensive plan for the 

19 San Acacia and Isleta reaches to plan, design, per20 mit, construct, and prioritize projects that balance 

21 river maintenance, water availability, use, and deliv22 ery, and ecosystem benefits, including— 

23 (A) planning, permitting, and construction 

24 of a pumping station at Bosque del Apache Na25 tional Wildlife Refuge for the purpose of more ef26 ficiently using water to provide— 


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1 (i) a stable supply for the Refuge; and 

2 (ii) an efficient and reliable supply of 

3 water to the Rio Grande for the benefit of 

4 the endangered silvery minnow and South5 western willow flycatcher; 

6 (B) planning, permitting, and construction 

7 of a river channel realignment project near the 

8 Rio Grande mile-83 for the purpose of conveying 

9 water and sediment through the reach to Ele10 phant Butte Reservoir and addressing river 

11 channel aggradation while maintaining flood12 plain connectivity during the snowmelt runoff; 

13 (C) planning, permitting, and construction 

14 of a controlled outlet for the low flow conveyance 

15 channel to the Rio Grande between Fort Craig, 

16 New Mexico, and Rio Grande mile-60 for the 

17 purpose of water use and delivery, enhancement 

18 and development of habitat areas, and possible 

19 creation of a single-channel river ecosystem; and 

20 (D) development of a Lower Reach plan— 

21 (i) to identify additional projects and 

22 maintenance activities with water use, sedi23 ment management, and delivery and eco24 system benefits; and 


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1 (ii) to prioritize implementation of all 

2 projects and activities. 

3 (2) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—In carrying out 

4 this subsection, the Secretary shall provide a process 

5 for public participation and comment during plan 

6 development and alternative analysis. 

7 SEC. 304. SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY DURING DROUGHTS. 

8 Section 9503(b) of the Omnibus Public Land Manage9 ment Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10363(b)) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (3)(D), by inserting ‘‘and na11 tive biodiversity’’ after ‘‘wildlife habitat’’; and 

12 (2) in paragraph (4)(B), by inserting ‘‘and 

13 drought biodiversity plans to address sustaining na14 tive biodiversity during periods of drought’’ after 

15 ‘‘restoration plans’’. 

16 SEC. 305. REAUTHORIZATION OF COOPERATIVE WATER17 SHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 

18 Section 6002(g)(4) of the Omnibus Public Land Man19 agement Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 1015a(g)(4)) is amended 

20 by striking ‘‘2020’’ and inserting ‘‘2031’’. 

21 TITLE IV—EFFECT ON EXISTING 

22 LAW 

23 SEC. 401. EFFECT ON EXISTING LAW. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—An action taken by the Secretary 

25 or another entity under this Act or an amendment made 


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1 by this Act shall comply with applicable State laws in effect 

2 on the date of enactment of this Act. 

3 (b) STATE LAW.—Nothing in this Act or an amend4 ment made by this Act affects, is intended to affect, or inter5 feres with a law of the State relating to the control, appro6 priation, use, or distribution of water, or any vested right 

7 acquired under the law. 

8 (c) RIO GRANDE COMPACT.—Nothing in this Act or 

9 an amendment made by this Act affects or is intended to 

10 affect or interfere with any obligation of a State under the 

11 Rio Grande Compact or any litigation relating to the Rio 

12 Grande Compact. 


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Union Calendar No. 558 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4891 

[Report No. 116–674, Part I] 

A BILL 

To provide for the conduct of certain water security 

other purposes. measures in the Western United States, and for 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 

an amendment 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology disprinted House on the State of the Union and ordered to be charged; committed to the Committee of the Whole 


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