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indirectly to the United States or any other des-
ignee; or 
(B) any other impairment of any water 
right, in whole or in part, granted or otherwise 
recognized under State law, by Federal or State 
adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pur-
suant to any interstate water compact; 
(2) require any water user (including any feder-
ally 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, re-
newal, amendment, or extension of any permit, ap-
proval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of- 
way, or other land use or occupancy agreement; 
(3) assert jurisdiction over groundwater with-
drawals or impacts on groundwater resources, unless 
jurisdiction is asserted, and any regulatory or policy 
actions taken pursuant to such assertion are, con-
sistent with, and impose no greater restrictions or 
regulatory requirements than, applicable State laws 
(including regulations) and policies governing the 
protection and use of groundwater resources; or 
(4) infringe on the rights and obligations of a 
State in evaluating, allocating, and adjudicating the 
waters of the State originating on or under, or flow-
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ing from, land owned or managed by the Federal 
Government. 
SEC. 1104. RECOGNITION OF STATE AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out section 1103, the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall— 
(1) recognize the longstanding authority of the 
States relating to evaluating, protecting, allocating, 
regulating, and adjudicating groundwater by any 
means, including a rulemaking, permitting, directive, 
water court adjudication, resource management 
planning, regional authority, or other policy; and 
(2) coordinate with the States in the adoption 
and implementation by the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Agriculture of any rulemaking, 
policy, directive, management plan, or other similar 
Federal action so as to ensure that such actions are 
consistent with, and impose no greater restrictions 
or regulatory requirements than, State groundwater 
laws and programs. 
(b) EFFECT ON STATE WATER RIGHTS.—In carrying 
out this title, the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall not take any action that ad-
versely affects— 
(1) any water rights granted by a State; 
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(2) the authority of a State in adjudicating 
water rights; 
(3) definitions established by a State with re-
spect to the term ‘‘beneficial use’’, ‘‘priority of water 
rights’’, or ‘‘terms of use’’; 
(4) terms and conditions of groundwater with-
drawal, guidance and reporting procedures, and con-
servation and source protection measures established 
by a State; 
(5) the use of groundwater in accordance with 
State law; or 
(6) any other rights and obligations of a State 
established under State law. 
SEC. 1105. EFFECT OF TITLE. 
(a) EFFECT ON EXISTING AUTHORITY.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands any existing legally recognized 
authority of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary 
of Agriculture to issue, grant, or condition any permit, ap-
proval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or 
other land use or occupancy agreement on Federal land 
subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Agriculture, respectively. 
(b) EFFECT ON RECLAMATION CONTRACTS.—Noth-
ing in this title interferes with Bureau of Reclamation con-
tracts entered into pursuant to the reclamation laws. 
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(c) EFFECT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.—Noth-
ing in this title affects the implementation of the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
(d) EFFECT
ON
FEDERAL
RESERVED
WATER 
RIGHTS.—Nothing in this title limits or expands any exist-
ing or claimed reserved water rights of the Federal Gov-
ernment on land administered by the Secretary of the In-
terior or the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(e) EFFECT ON FEDERAL POWER ACT.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands authorities under sections 4(e), 
10(j), or 18 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 797(e), 
803(j), 811). 
(f) EFFECT ON INDIAN WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands any water right or treaty right 
of any federally recognized Indian tribe. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 16, 2015. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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