,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gie  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bg1      
#bjbe,mr4 ,rounds 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,thune1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1   
and ,mr4 ,marshall7 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 exclude     
prior converted cropland from the       
definition of navigable waters1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,farmers       
,freedom ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,prior     
converted cropland  7a7 ,in general     
,section #ejb of the ,federal ,water    
,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#acfb7 is amended by striking paragraph 
7#g7 and inserting the following3  7#g7 
,navigable waters  7,a7 ,in general ,the
 term navigable waters means the waters 
of the ,united ,states1 including the   
territorial seas4  7,b7 ,exclusion ,the 

term navigable waters does not include  
prior converted cropland4  7,c7         
,associated definitions ,for purposes of
 this paragraph3 7i7 ,abandoned ,the    
term abandoned1 with respect to an area 
that was prior converted cropland1 means
 that the area was not used for1 or in  
support of1 agricultural purposes at    
least once in the immediately preceding 
#e-year period1 as determined by the    
,administrator4  7ii7 ,agricultural     
purpose ,the term agricultural purpose  
includes land use that makes the        
production of an agricultural product   
possible1 including-- 7,i7 grazing and  
haying2  7,,ii7 idling land for         
conservation use1 such as habitat       
management1 pollinator and wildlife     
management1 water storage and supply    
management1 and flood management2       
7,,iii7 irrigation tailwater storage2   
7,,iv7 farm-raised fish production2     
7,v7 cranberry bogs2  7,,vi7 nutrient   
retention2 and  7,,vii7 idling land for 
soil recovery after natural disasters   

such as hurricanes and drought4  7iii7  
,prior converted cropland  7,i7 ,in     
general ,the term prior converted       
cropland means any area that1 prior to  
,december #bc1 #aihe1 was drained or    
otherwise manipulated for the purpose1  
or having the effect1 of making         
production of an agricultural product   
possible1 including such areas that are 
designated as prior converted cropland  
by the ,secretary of ,agriculture4      
7,,ii7 ,exclusion ,the term prior       
converted cropland does not include an  
area that is abandoned and has reverted 
to wetlands4  7iv7 ,wetlands ,the term  
wetlands means an area that is inundated
 or saturated by surface or ground water
 at a frequency and duration sufficient 
to support1 and that under normal       
circumstances do support1 a prevalence  
of vegetation typically adapted for life
 in saturated soil conditions1 including
 swamps1 marshes1 bogs1 and similar     
areas4  4  7b7 ,prohibition on change in
 use policy ,in carrying out the        

amendments made by this section1 the    
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency and the ,secretary  
of the ,army1 acting through the ,chief 
of ,engineers1 may not1 with respect to 
prior converted cropland1 carry out the 
change in use policy described in the   
final rule of the ,environmental        
,protection ,agency and the ,corps of   
,engineers entitled ,revised ,definition
 of ,waters of the ,united ,states 7#hh 
,fed4 ,reg4 #cjjd 7,january #ah1 #bjbc77
 or a substantially similar policy4