Western Water Security Act

To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from conditioning any permit, lease, or other use agreement on the transfer of any water right to the United States, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Western Water Security Act 2. Policy development When developing any rule, policy, directive, management plan, or similar Federal action relating to the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement, the Secretary— (1) shall— (A) recognize the longstanding authority of the States relating to evaluating, protecting, allocating, regulating, permitting, and adjudicating water use; and (B) coordinate with the States to ensure that any rule, policy, directive, management plan, or similar Federal action is consistent with, and imposes no greater restriction or regulatory requirement, than applicable State water law; and (2) shall not— (A) assert any connection between surface and groundwater that is inconsistent with such a connection recognized by State water law; or (B) take any action that adversely affects the authority of a State in permitting the beneficial use of water, adjudicating water rights, definitions established by a State with respect to the term beneficial use priority of water rights terms of use 3. Treatment of water rights The Secretary shall not— (1) 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 of any water right (including joint and sole ownership) directly or indirectly to the United States, or on any impairment of title or interest, in whole or in part, granted or otherwise recognized under State law, by Federal or State adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pursuant to any interstate water compact; or (2) require any water user (including any federally recognized Indian Tribe) to apply for or acquire 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. 4. Effect (a) Existing authority Nothing in this Act limits or expands any existing legally recognized authority of the Secretary to issue, grant, or condition any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on Federal land that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (b) Reclamation contracts Nothing in this Act in any way interferes with any existing or future Bureau of Reclamation contract entered into pursuant to Federal reclamation law (the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental to and amendatory of that Act). (c) Endangered species act Nothing in this Act affects the implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 (d) Federal reserved water rights Nothing in this Act limits or expands any existing and future reserved water rights of the Federal Government on land administered by the Secretary. (e) Federal power act Nothing in this Act limits or expands authorities pursuant to section 4(e), 10(j), or 18 of the Federal Power Act ( 16 U.S.C. 797(e) (f) Indian water rights Nothing in this Act limits or expands any existing and future reserved water right or treaty right of any federally recognized Indian Tribe. (g) Federally held state water rights Nothing in this Act limits the ability of the Secretary, through applicable State procedures, to acquire, use, enforce, or protect a State water right owned by the United States. (h) Interstate Compacts Nothing in this Act effects the allocations contained in, or limitations and requirements of, any interstate water compact or Supreme Court decree interpreting or enforcing the same. 5. Definitions In this Act: (1) Secretary The term Secretary (A) the Secretary of Agriculture; or (B) the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Water right The term water right (A) 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; and (B) includes water rights of federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Summary: Water Rights Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture from conditioning the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement (permit) on the transfer of any water right to the United States or on any impairment of title granted or otherwise recognized under state law by federal or state action; or requiring any water user (including a federally recognized Indian tribe) to apply for or acquire a water right in the name of the United States under state law as a condition of the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit. When developing any rule or similar federal action relating to the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, such departments (1) shall recognize the longstanding water use authority of the states and coordinate with the states to ensure that any federal action is consistent with applicable state water law, and (2) shall not adversely affect the authority of a state in permitting the beneficial use of water or adjudicating water rights.