Bill Sponsor
House Bill 23
115th Congress(2017-2018)
Gaining Responsibility on Water Act of 2017
Active
Amendments
Active
Passed House on Jul 12, 2017
Overview
Text
Introduced
Jan 3, 2017
Latest Action
Jul 18, 2017
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
23
Congress
115
Policy Area
Water Resources Development
Water Resources Development
Primary focus of measure is the supply and use of water and control of water flows; watersheds; floods and storm protection; wetlands. Measures concerning water quality may fall under Environmental Protection policy area.
Sponsorship by Party
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Democrat
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
House Votes (2)
Senate Votes (0)
Question
On Passage
Status
Passed
Type
Roll Call Vote
Roll Call Vote
A vote that records the individual position of each Member who voted. Such votes occurring on the House floor (by the "yeas and nays" or by "recorded vote") are taken by electronic device. The Senate has no electronic voting system; in such votes, Senators answer "yea" or "nay" as the clerk calls each name aloud. Each vote is compiled by clerks and receives a roll call number (referenced in Congress.gov as a "Record Vote" [Senate] or "Roll no." [House]).
Roll Call Type
Recorded Vote
Roll Number
352
House Roll Call Votes
Summary

Gaining Responsibility on Water Act of 2017

This bill requires the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project in California to be operated pursuant to the water quality standards and operational constraints described in the "Principles for Agreement on the Bay-Delta Standards Between the State of California and the Federal Government" dated December 15, 1994.

The Department of the Interior shall cease any action to implement the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act.

The Bureau of Reclamation shall complete specified feasibility studies for water storage projects in California.

Interior is directed, in the operation of the CVP, to adhere to California's water rights laws governing water rights priorities and to honor water rights senior to those held by the United States.

Interior, in the operation of the Trinity River Division of the CVP, shall not make releases from Lewiston Dam in excess of specified volumes for each water-year type.

Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall recognize: (1) congressional opposition to the violation of private property rights by the California State Water Resources Control Board in its proposal to require a minimum percentage of unimpaired flows in the main tributaries of the San Joaquin River; and (2) the need to provide reliable water supplies to municipal, industrial, and agricultural users across the state.

The Bureau of Reclamation is established as the lead agency for purposes of coordinating all reviews, permits, licenses, or other approvals or decisions required under federal law to construct qualifying water projects. Reclamation shall identify, as early as practicable upon receipt of an application for a qualifying project, any federal agency that may have jurisdiction over a review, permit, license, approval, or decision required for a qualifying project.

Interior must convert certain existing water service contracts between the United States and water users' associations to repayment contracts, upon the request of the contractor, to allow for the prepayment of such contracts.

The bill amends the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize Interior to develop additional project benefits through the construction of new or supplementary works.

Neither Interior nor USDA may condition or withhold issuance or renewal of any land use permit based on federal limitations or encumbrances or otherwise infringe on state water rights.

Text (3)
July 18, 2017
July 12, 2017
January 3, 2017
Amendments (6)
Jul 12, 2017
Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 159
An amendment numbered 6 printed in Part C of House Report 115-212 to ensure that the water rights of federally recognized Indian tribes are not affected by this bill.
Agreed To
Jul 12, 2017
Not Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 158
Amendment sought to require a review of available and new, innovative technologies for capturing municipal wastewater and recycling it for providing drinking water and energy and report on the feasibility of expanding the implementation of these technologies and programs among Central Valley Project contractors.
Active
Jul 12, 2017
Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 157
An amendment numbered 4 printed in Part C of House Report 115-212 to set a timeline for completion of the New Melones Reservoir study, prevents exploitation of water rights, extends the program to protect Anadromous Fish in Stanislaus River for 2 years.
Agreed To
Jul 12, 2017
Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 156
An amendment numbered 3 printed in Part C of House Report 115-212 to authorize the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to develop a study to enhance mountain runoff to Central Valley Project reservoirs from headwaters restoration activities.
Agreed To
Jul 12, 2017
Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 155
An amendment numbered 2 printed in Part C of House Report 115-212 to authorize the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to conduct geophysical characterization activities of groundwater aquifers and groundwater vulnerability in California, including identifying areas of greatest recharge potential.
Agreed To
Jul 12, 2017
Agreed to in House
1
Sponsorship
House Amendment 154
An amendment numbered 1 printed in Part C of House Report 115-212 to ensure water supply rescheduling provisions apply to equitably to all water districts in region.
Agreed To
Public Record
Record Updated
Jan 11, 2023 1:34:34 PM