S. 1023: Farmer-Informed WOTUS Act of 2023

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an advisory committee that is representative of the U.S. farming and ranching sectors to make recommendations on the impact of waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations on U.S. agriculture and environmental protection. (The Clean Water Act [CWA] protects navigable waters, which the statute defines as WOTUS. Because the CWA does not further define this term, the agencies that implement the CWA have defined WOTUS in regulations.)

Specifically, USDA must establish an advisory committee to study and develop recommendations to address matters such as

• the impact of the prior-converted farmland exemption on agricultural operations,
• the impact of WOTUS regulations on secure food supply chains and rural infrastructure, and
• how to develop safe harbor conditions for farmers who observe certain conservation practices.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.