After Unprecedented Public Input, Rep. Jared Huffman Introduces Final "Crowdsourced" Drought Response Legislation

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) , who serves as the Ranking Democrat on the Water, Power, and Oceans Subcommittee, today introduced comprehensive legislation to respond to the worst drought in California state history. Last month, Huffman unveiled the draft legislation to the public and asked Californians to share comments and ideas to incorporate in the bill. The bill Huffman introduced in the House today, the Drought Relief and Resilience Act, reflects the feedback of nearly 1,000 Californians from San Diego to Crescent City, Fresno to San Francisco, as well as farmers, environmentalists, fishermen, urban and rural Californians, and water managers throughout the country.

The legislation includes a range of short- and long-term solutions to stretch water supplies and build new clean water infrastructure, creating jobs without undermining environmental protections, preempting state laws, or redirecting impacts from one drought-stricken area to another.

As a result of this significant public outreach, the Drought Relief and Resilience Act now includes significant technical changes and improvements throughout. The bill also features an entirely new section that will help homeowners weather the drought and reduce their water bills by providing a $2,000 tax credit for the purchase and installation of water-capture and harvesting systems.

Huffman's bill is supported by a growing list of state and national organizations, including: The Association of California Water Agencies, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, California Water Environment Association, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, Water Environment Federation, Western Recycled Water Coalition, WateReuse Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Northcoast Environmental Center, Endangered Species Coalition, Restore the Delta, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, and the Planning & Conservation League.

Huffman said:

"The drought deserves real solutions, considered in an open debate. I am grateful to the nearly 1,000 Californians that weighed in on my bill and supplied their ideas, their feedback, and their questions, helping this to be the most open, transparent legislative process we've seen in response to the drought.

"This is what a serious response to western water and drought looks like.

"It helps every drought-impacted state and region with critically-needed short-term actions and longer-term solutions to help us through future droughts. It will yield much greater water supply benefits, and make that water available far faster, than other congressional proposals we've seen--especially the secretive House GOP bill which would ignite a water war without any meaningful benefits to most of California.

"I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress can come together around this bill and ensure our state and the arid American West can get through this drought--together."

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