CO HB1013

The United States cannot demand that water right or conditional water right owners assign partial or joint ownership of their water rights to the United States as a condition of granting a right-of-way or special use permit.

The United States cannot require water right owners to limit the alienability (transferability) of their water rights as a condition of granting a right-of-way or special use permit.

Any conditions imposed in violation of these restrictions are declared void and unenforceable as against public policy.

The bill amends Colorado Revised Statutes sections 37-86-102 (right-of-way through other lands) and 37-92-102 (basic tenets of Colorado water law) to codify these protections.

The act takes effect 90 days after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 7, 2013), unless a referendum petition is filed, in which case it requires voter approval in November 2014.