,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dief  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ac1     
#bjbf,ms4 ,lummis 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,armstrong1 ,mr4 ,lee1 and ,mr4         
,ricketts7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the
 ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control    
,act to clarify the scope of an         
exemption from permits for the discharge
 of dredged or fill material1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,farmers and   
,ranchers ,relief ,act of #bjbf4  #b4   
,intent of ,congress ,it is the intent  
of ,congress that1 to provide meaningful
 permitting relief to landowners-- 7#a7 
the exemptions under section            
#djd7;f77#a7 of the ,federal ,water     
,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#acdd7;f77#a77 for certain discharges of
 dredged or fill material from the      
prohibition under that ,act 7#cc        

,u4,s4,c4 #abea et seq47 of unpermitted 
discharge of pollutants 7commonly       
referred to as section #djd7;f7         
exemptions7 be interpreted liberally2   
and  7#b7 the recapture provision under 
section #djd7;f77#b7 of the ,federal    
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 7f77#b77 be interpreted       
narrowly4  #c4 ,clarification of        
exemption for non-prohibited discharge  
of dredged or fill material ,section    
#djd7;f7 of the ,federal ,water         
,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#acdd7;f77 is amended-- 7#a7 in         
paragraph 7#a71 in the matter preceding 
subparagraph 7,a71 by striking ,except  
as provided in paragraph 7#b7 of this   
subsection1 the discharge and inserting 
,the discharge2 and  7#b7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7#c7            
,construction ,this subsection shall be 
construed liberally in favor of not     
prohibiting1 and not requiring a permit 
under this section for1 any discharge of
 dredged or fill material described in  

paragraph 7#a74  4