I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 594 
To preserve existing rights and responsibilities with respect to waters of 
the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2015 
Mr. GOSAR (for himself, Mr. AMODEI, Mr. ASHFORD, Mr. BARR, Mr. 
BENISHEK, Mr. BLUM, Mr. BOST, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, 
Mr. BROOKS of Alabama, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. 
COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. COOK, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. 
DENHAM, Mr. DENT, Mr. EMMER, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. 
FLORES, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GIBSON, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. 
GOODLATTE, Mr. GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. GROTHMAN, 
Mr. HARPER, Mr. HANNA, Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia, Mr. HILL, Mr. 
HUDSON, Mr. HUELSKAMP, Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan, Mr. HUNTER, 
Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. HURT of Virginia, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, 
Mr. JOLLY, Mr. JOYCE, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. KINZINGER of 
Illinois, Mr. LATTA, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LONG, Mr. 
LUCAS, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. DUNCAN 
of South Carolina, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. 
MEADOWS, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. NUGENT, Mr. 
NUNES, Mr. OLSON, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. 
POE of Texas, Mr. POMPEO, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. 
ROONEY of Florida, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SCHOCK, 
Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. STEW-
ART, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. TIPTON, Mr. 
HARDY, Mr. UPTON, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WEBER of 
Texas, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WIL-
LIAMS, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. WESTMORE-
LAND, Mr. YOHO, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. CREN-
SHAW, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. 
BABIN, Mr. FORBES, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. AMASH, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. 
PERRY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:05 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H594.IH
H594
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
A BILL 
To preserve existing rights and responsibilities with respect 
to waters of the United States, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Waters of the United 
States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. RULES AND GUIDANCE. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION
OF WATERS PROTECTED
BY 
THE CLEAN WATER ACT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Ad-
ministrator are prohibited from— 
(A) developing, finalizing, adopting, imple-
menting, applying, administering, or enforc-
ing— 
(i) the proposed rule described in the 
notice of proposed rule published in the 
Federal Register entitled ‘‘Definition of 
‘Waters of the United States’ Under the 
Clean Water Act’’ (79 Fed. Reg. 22188 
(April 21, 2014)); or 
(ii) the proposed guidance submitted 
to the Office of Information and Regu-
latory Affairs of the Office of Management 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:05 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H594.IH
H594
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
and Budget for regulatory review under 
Executive Order 12866, entitled ‘‘Guidance 
on Identifying Waters Protected By the 
Clean Water Act’’ and dated February 17, 
2012 (referred to as ‘‘Clean Water Protec-
tion 
Guidance’’, 
Regulatory 
Identifier 
Number (RIN) 2040–ZA11, received Feb-
ruary 21, 2012); or 
(B) using the proposed rule or proposed 
guidance described in subparagraph (A), any 
successor document, or any substantially simi-
lar proposed rule or guidance, as the basis for 
any rulemaking or decision regarding the scope 
or enforcement of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.). 
(2) USE OF RULES AND GUIDANCE.—The use 
of the proposed rule or proposed guidance described 
in paragraph (1)(A), any successor document, or any 
substantially similar proposed rule or guidance, as 
the basis for any rulemaking or decision regarding 
the scope or enforcement of the Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Act shall be grounds for vacating the 
final rule, decision, or enforcement action. 
(b) EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL CON-
SERVATION PRACTICES.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:05 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H594.IH
H594
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Ad-
ministrator are prohibited from developing, final-
izing, adopting, implementing, applying, admin-
istering, or enforcing the interpretive rule described 
in the notice of availability published in the Federal 
Register entitled ‘‘Notice of Availability Regarding 
the Exemption from Permitting Under Section 
404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act to Certain Ag-
ricultural Conservation Practices’’ (79 Fed. Reg. 
22276 (April 21, 2014)). 
(2) WITHDRAWAL.—The Secretary and the Ad-
ministrator shall withdraw the interpretive rule de-
scribed in paragraph (1), and such interpretive rule 
shall have no force or effect. 
(3) APPLICATION.—Section 404(f)(1)(A) of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1344(f)(1)(A)) shall be applied without regard to the 
interpretive rule described in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 3. FEDERALISM CONSULTATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Adminis-
trator shall jointly consult with relevant State and local 
officials to develop recommendations for a regulatory pro-
posal that would, consistent with applicable rulings of the 
United States Supreme Court, identify— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:05 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H594.IH
H594
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS