AN ACT to amend and reenact section 61-04-15.4 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a change in the purpose of use of a conditional or perfected water permit.

SB 2141 amends North Dakota law to allow water permit holders to change the purpose of their permit (e.g., from agriculture to livestock or recreation) without losing their original water rights priority date, provided the Department of Water Resources approves the change. The bill requires applications to be processed like new conditional permits and restricts changes to two scenarios: shifting to a higher-priority water use or converting to livestock, fish, wildlife, or recreational use in a reservoir with no water withdrawal. This directly affects agricultural and water users who hold existing permits seeking to repurpose their water rights. The law aims to provide flexibility while protecting other water users' rights through departmental review.