Lets farmers and ranchers avoid some federal permits for moving dirt and materials on their land.
This bill would make it easier for farmers, ranchers, and other landowners to avoid some federal permits. This applies to certain work on their land, like moving dirt or other materials near water. It would change how existing environmental rules are understood, making exemptions broader and permit requirements narrower. This could mean less paperwork and fewer hurdles for landowners.
Today, federal law provides exemptions for certain discharges of dredged or fill material, but these exemptions are explicitly subject to a rule that can take them away. This bill would remove that explicit link and mandate that the exemptions be interpreted broadly to avoid requiring a permit, while the rule that can take them away would be interpreted narrowly.
S 4956 · 119th Congress · July 13, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10
Sign in to see your representatives' phone numbers