A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the scope of an exemption from permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 13, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
This bill modifies federal water pollution control rules to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to discharge dredged or fill material on their land without obtaining permits. Currently, the Clean Water Act requires permits for most discharges into wetlands and waterways, but it includes exemptions for certain agricultural activities. This legislation expands those exemptions by directing that they be interpreted broadly in favor of landowners and narrowly when the government tries to recapture or limit those exemptions. The bill specifically removes language that would otherwise restrict these exemptions and adds a new provision requiring courts and agencies to interpret the exemption rules in the most permissive way possible for property owners. This change primarily affects farmers, ranchers, and other rural landowners by reducing regulatory burdens when they conduct land management activities involving wetlands or waterways on their property.
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