H.R. 2603: To impose limitations on the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to claim title or other rights to water absent specific direction of law or to abrogate, injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of water.
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H.R. 2603: To impose limitations on the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to claim title or other rights to water absent specific direction of law or to abrogate, injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of water.
108th Congress · introduced 2003-06-25 · Water Resources Development · Latest: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2003-06-25 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Subcommittee Hearings Held. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
To impose limitations on the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to claim title or other rights to water absent specific direction of law or to abrogate, injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of water.
Plain summary
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from claiming title or other rights to water in a State, other than for Indian reservation lands, absent specific direction of law, or from exercising authority so as to abrogate, injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of water: (1) that has been allocated in accordance with provisions of the Department of Justice Appropriations Act relating to suits for the adjudication of water rights by or pursuant to interstate compact and by a decision of the United States Supreme Court; (2) by requiring a change in the nature of use or the transfer of any right to use water or creating a limitation on the exercise of any right to use water; or (3) by modifying the delivery, diversion, nondiversion, allocation, or storage of any water to be delivered by contract.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
To impose limitations on the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to claim title or other rights to water absent specific direction of law or to abrogate, injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of water.
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2] · 6 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr2603.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>
Record fed-us-cong108-hr2603 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108