On May 20, the Missouri state legislature passed a bill, Senate Bill 82, that would make it illegal to export any water from the state without a permit. Lawmakers talked about water scarcity in the western United States and raised concerns that states would tap Missouri’s water resources in any future drought.
The bill requires people to get a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources to export water and makes it illegal to export water with a pipeline farther than 30 miles from the state’s borders. Water exporters would be required to report the amount of water they withdrew and its use. If the governor declared a state of national emergency, the DNR could revoke or suspend the permits. Last year, a similar bill passed the state House but failed in the Senate.