Why It Matters

The House Natural Resources Committee is preparing to markup nine bills on Wednesday, July 15 that span water rights, land transfers, wildlife protections, and federal workplace safety. The package includes measures affecting Native American water settlements in Montana, federal land disposition in Nevada, polar bear trophy imports, and Chesapeake Bay restoration. Several bills have drawn little public attention but involve significant policy shifts, including one that would extend protections for North Atlantic right whales and another addressing sexual harassment at NOAA.

The Bills Under Review

The committee will consider the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, which revises Montana's 1999 Crow Indian Reservation Compact. The bill replaces references to the "MR&I System" with "MR&I Projects" and establishes a nontrust, interest-bearing Crow CIP Implementation Account to continue rehabilitation of the Crow Irrigation Project. It also creates a new MR&I Projects Account for water production, treatment, and delivery infrastructure and extends by five years the Crow Tribe's exclusive right to construct hydropower facilities on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana.

The Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act would transfer approximately 22,253 acres of federal land to Nevada counties and local districts. The bill designates over 12,000 acres as new wilderness, including the Burbank Canyons Wilderness, consolidates checkerboard-pattern federal and private lands in Pershing County, and releases federal interests in land near Jean, Nevada to allow state acquisition for airport development. Recipients of transferred land must pay conveyance costs and cannot sell the land. The bill permits livestock grazing and wildfire management in new wilderness areas while prohibiting new water facilities and mining.

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science Act reauthorizes and expands NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office. It establishes an integrated coastal observation system to monitor water quality and marine resources, a watershed education and training program for K-12 students and teachers, and a coastal living resources management program focused on restoring oysters, crabs, and fish species. The bill strengthens the Office Director's authority, requiring expertise in Chesapeake Bay research and management, and mandates biennial reports to Congress on program activities and progress.

The NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act addresses workplace safety at the agency. NOAA currently has a formal policy governing sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention and response that requires supervisors to notify employees of their right to seek EEO counseling within 45 calendar days of an alleged incident. The agency also requires contractors and financial assistance recipients to train employees on sexual harassment definitions and reporting.

The Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act and the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025 round out the package. The committee will also consider bills addressing Indian land disputes in Illinois, polar bear trophy imports from Canada, and North Atlantic right whale protections.

Hearing Details

Rep. Bruce Westerman chairs the committee, with Rep. Jared Huffman serving as Ranking Member. Rep. Rob Wittman is Vice Chair and Rep. Sarah Elfreth is Vice Ranking Member.

The bills under consideration include measures sponsored by committee members and others. Rep. Troy Downing, a committee member from Montana, sponsors the Crow Tribe bill. Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, also a committee member, sponsors the Nevada land transfer bill. Rep. Robert Wittman, the Vice Chair, is a cosponsor of the Chesapeake Bay bill alongside committee members Rep. Jennifer Kiggans and Rep. Sarah Elfreth. Other bills are sponsored by members outside the committee, including Rep. Robert Scott of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay measure and Rep. Nicholas Begich on the polar bear imports bill.

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