Farmers and Ranchers Relief Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the Farmers and Ranchers Relief Act of 2026.

It is the intent of Congress that, to provide meaningful permitting relief to landowners—

(1) the exemptions under section 404(f)(1) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(f)(1)) for certain discharges of dredged or fill material from the prohibition under that Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) of unpermitted discharge of pollutants (commonly referred to as section 404(f) exemptions) be interpreted liberally; and

(2) the recapture provision under section 404(f)(2) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. (f)(2)) be interpreted narrowly.

Section 404(f) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(f)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the discharge and inserting The discharge; and

(2) by adding at the end the following: