Federal bill would strip Clean Water Act protections from seasonal streams and groundwater
Passed one chamberH.R. 3898Latest action
Sponsor: Mike Collins · Representative · GA
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: PERMIT Act
119th Congress
Topics: Environment & energy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 3898 removes federal Clean Water Act coverage from groundwater, seasonal streams, and certain wetlands, cutting permit requirements for farmers and developers.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 3898 rewrites the legal definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act to exclude specific categories of water from federal oversight. Those excluded categories include groundwater, ephemeral streams that only flow after rain, wastewater treatment ponds, and farmland converted from wetlands before 1985. The bill also grants the EPA Administrator and the Army Corps of Engineers authority to exclude additional water features in the future.
Who does it affect?
Farmers, landowners, and developers are most directly affected, since they would no longer need federal permits to discharge into or fill certain bodies of water on or near their property. Environmental regulators and state governments would also be affected, as states would need to decide whether to fill gaps in protection through their own laws.
Why does it matter?
Removing these water categories from federal protection reduces the permitting requirements that currently apply to activities like construction, farming, and development near wetlands or seasonal streams. Residents who rely on well water or downstream drinking water sources may see impacts depending on how groundwater and seasonal streams connect to larger water supplies in their area.
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Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJun 11, 2025
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · Dec 15, 2025
- The president's desk
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Recorded votes
Roll-call votes recorded since January 3, 2025.
House · · Roll call 330
As recorded
- Question
- On Passage
- Result:
- Passed
- 221
- Nay
- 205
- 0
- 7
Republicans 215 yes, 1 no, 4 not voting · Democrats 6 yes, 204 no, 3 not voting
Official recordHow members voted
The official record lists how each member voted.Official record
House · · Roll call 329
As recorded
- Question
- On
- Result:
- Failed
- 210
- Nay
- 216
- 0
- 7
Republicans 216 no, 4 not voting · Democrats 210 yes, 3 not voting
Official recordHow members voted
The official record lists how each member voted.Official record