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H.R. 3898119th CongressPassed one chamberLatest action Dec 15, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
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
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.
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.
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.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
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.