FRANKFORT, Ky. — The U.S. House passed H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015, last week calling for the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to halt movement on a proposed rule regarding Waters of United States (WOTUS).

The legislation states the secretary of the Army and the administrator of the EPA shall withdraw the proposed rule no later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this act. The bill passed the House by a vote of 261-155, mostly along party lines. The Senate is entertaining similar legislation, but on a more bipartisan basis.

Farm organizations were quick to respond to the news. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said it sends a strong message that a flawed rule is unacceptable and should be scrapped.

“Furthermore, it was refreshing to see members of Congress order regulators back to the drawing board, with an admonition to listen to the very real concerns of people who would have their farm fields and ditches regulated in the same manner as navigable streams,” he added.

Stallman also opined the WOTUS rule was more about regulating land than it ever was about protecting valuable water resources. House Agriculture Committee Chair K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) said in a floor speech that the bill will force the EPA and the Corps to stop moving forward with the proposed rule and what he sees as damaging impacts on the country.

“This rule, in its current form, is a massive overreach of EPA’s authority and will impact nearly every farmer and rancher in America,” he said. “It gives EPA the ability to regulate essentially any body of water they want, including farm ponds and even ditches that are dry for most of the year. The EPA’s defense of this rule is that it provides clarity to producers regarding what is and is not regulated, but in reality, this rule will allow nearly every body of water in the United States to be controlled by federal regulators.”

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) voted for H.R. 1732. He said the bill would help to end the uncertainty surrounding WOTUS rulemaking.

“By requiring EPA and the Corps of Engineers to work with state and local stakeholders to develop a new rule that considers the public comments they’ve already received, as well as the economic and scientific analysis of the first proposed rule, H.R. 1732 creates an opportunity to better define the scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act,” he added.