Headwaters Protection Act of 2025
Latest action · Feb 28, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 22, 2025
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Headwaters Protection Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2033 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.
Cosponsors 9
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 22, 2025 to Aug 1, 2025, with 4 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CO | Brittany Pettersen | Original | Jan 22, 2025 |
| R-CA | David G. Valadao | Original | Jan 22, 2025 |
| D-WA | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez | Original | Jan 22, 2025 |
| D-NM | Melanie A. Stansbury | Original | Jan 22, 2025 |
| D-WA | Kim Schrier | Feb 7, 2025 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Mar 11, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Josh Harder | Mar 11, 2025 | |
| D-CO | Joe Neguse | Jun 3, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Doris O. Matsui | Aug 1, 2025 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 28, 2025Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- Jan 22, 2025Introduced in House
- Jan 22, 2025Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2701 | Headwaters Protection Act of 2025 | Identical bill | Sep 3, 2025 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 22, 2025Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.