The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the bipartisan Water Rights Protection Act.

The act would protect private water rights and prioritize state law above federal laws regarding those rights.

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., proposed this legislation as an effort to ensure small communities can continue to use their water resources without federal intervention.

“Water is the lifeblood of the Western United States, and all water users including grazers, ski areas, businesses, tribes and municipalities need certainty that all federal land management agencies, not just the Forest Service, are prohibited from future attempts to take privately held water rights.” Tipton said in a press release.

“The Water Rights Protection Act offers a sensible approach that preserves water rights for all water users and the ability to develop water requisite to living in the arid West. I thank my House colleagues for joining me today in passing this important bill, and urge our colleagues over in the Senate to take swift action to do the same,” Tipton said.

The bill now will make its way to the Senate.