H.R. 3898 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Dec 11, 2025. Received Dec 15, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryNarrows what counts as protected water
The Clean Water Act currently protects certain bodies of water from pollution. This bill would change which waters get that protection by excluding five categories: waste treatment systems, areas that only flow during or right after rain, former farmland that was converted from crops, groundwater, and other features the Army Corps of Engineers decides don't count. Basically, fewer waterways would fall under federal protection rules.
How it affects you
If you own land, farm, or run a business that might be affected by clean water regulations, this could change what you need to do to comply with federal rules. People who rely on groundwater for drinking water or worry about water pollution in their area might see different protections apply to their local waterways, though the specific effects depend on which waters in your region would be excluded.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jun 11, 2025)
Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act or the PERMIT Act
This bill limits the scope of the Clean Water Act by redefining navigable waters to exclude (1) waste treatment systems, (2) ephemeral features that flow only in direct response to precipitation, (3) prior converted cropland, (4) groundwater, or (5) any other features determined to be excluded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 3898
AN ACT
PERMIT Act
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA-10) · Introduced Jun 11, 2025 · Environmental Protection · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 15, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Dec 11, 2025
Passage Passed 221–205
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 6 | 204 | 3 |
| Republicans | 215 | 1 | 4 |
7 members voted against most of their party: 6 Democrats voted Yes and 1 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.