S2701Referred to Committee

Headwaters Protection Act of 2025

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-09-03
Introduced
4
Cosponsors
S
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Michael F. Bennet
Michael F. Bennet
Democrat · CO · Senator
Votes with party: 82.8% (808 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/B001267

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (4)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

2025-09-03

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

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Plain-English Summary

Headwaters Protection Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2034 and expands the Water Source Protection Program (WSPP) under which the Forest Service carries out watershed protection and restoration projects on federal land. It also requires the Forest Service's Watershed Condition Framework for National Forest System land to ensure certain activities and authorizations do not result in long-term degradation of the health of a watershed. The bill authorizes the WSPP to support projects on state, local, or private land that is adjacent to projects on National Forest System land, so long as (1) the adjacent land is within the same watershed as the project on federal land, and (2) the owner of the adjacent land supports the project. Further, the bill expands the types of end water users that may participate in the program to include (1) an acequia association (an organization that manages traditional irrigation systems found in the Southwest); (2) a public entity that manages water infrastructure, such as stormwater or wastewater resources; (3) certain land grant entities in New Mexico called land-grant mercedes; and (4) a local, regional, or other private entity that has water delivery authority. The bill requires projects under the program to (1) protect and restore watershed health, water supply and quality, a municipal or agricultural water supply system, and water-related infrastructure; (2) protect and restore forest health from insect infestation and disease or wildfire; or (3) advance any combination of those purposes. Additionally, the bill reduces the cost share for nonfederal WSPP participants.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Public Lands and Natural Resources
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Related legislation

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