I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4018 
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to reauthorize and 
improve the Water Source Protection Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2023 
Mr. COSTA (for himself and Mr. VALADAO) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
to reauthorize and improve the Water Source Protection 
Program, 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 ‘‘Headwaters Protection 
Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. WATER SOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM REAU-
THORIZATION AND IMPROVEMENTS. 
Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6542) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(G) and (H) as subparagraphs (K) and 
(L), respectively; and 
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(F) the following: 
‘‘(G) an acequia association; 
‘‘(H) a local, regional, or other public enti-
ty that manages stormwater or wastewater re-
sources or other related water infrastructure; 
‘‘(I) a land-grant mercedes; 
‘‘(J) a local, regional, or other private enti-
ty that has water delivery authority;’’; 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), re-
spectively; and 
(C) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as 
so redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(1) ADJACENT
LAND.—The term ‘adjacent 
land’ means non-Federal land, including State, local, 
and private land, that is adjacent to, and within the 
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same watershed as, National Forest System land on 
which a watershed protection and restoration project 
is carried out under this section.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and adjacent land’’ be-
fore the period at the end; 
(B) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—A watershed protection 
and restoration project under the Program shall— 
‘‘(A) protect and restore watershed health, 
water supply and quality, a municipal or agri-
cultural water supply system, and water-related 
infrastructure; 
‘‘(B) protect and restore forest health from 
insect infestation and disease or wildfire; or 
‘‘(C) advance any combination of the pur-
poses described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
‘‘(3) PRIORITIES.—In selecting watershed pro-
tection and restoration projects under the Program, 
the Secretary shall give priority to projects that 
would— 
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