Committee of the Whole debates bill on state lands and water rights; sponsors, attorneys and ag groups voice concerns

House Bill 676, introduced by Representative Lear, received detailed debate in the House Committee of the Whole on March 4, 2025. The bill, as read into the record, would generally revise laws related to state lands and water rights, including language described in the transcript as eliminating “the water court duty to adjudicate water rights on 07/01/2031,” prohibiting the Board of Land Commissioners from obtaining a private water right that is used on state lands, and requiring the sale of isolated parcels with water rights in certain circumstances.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Lear, said the measure would protect agricultural lessees who invest in wells and other improvements on or near state trust land, and would “put the power back in the producer’s hands,” urging committee members to recommend passage. Representative Lear also characterized the proposal as setting a clear timeline for concluding the…