2026 Utah Legislative Session Recap
Progress, Setbacks, and What Comes Next
Each year, the Utah Legislature considers hundreds of bills that shape the health of our air, water, and communities. HEAL Utah spent the legislative session tracking proposals that could significantly affect environmental and public health protections in our state. We worked with lawmakers, deployed partnerships, and mobilized over 180 community lobbyists to support policies that improve Utahns’ quality of life while pushing back against efforts that weaken environmental safeguards.
This year’s session was a challenging one. While some positive steps were taken to improve transparency, protect the Great Salt Lake, and support cleaner energy planning, many proposals also moved forward that could limit environmental protections or make it harder for communities to hold polluters accountable. In a state where environmental policy debates often take place in a deeply polarized political landscape, HEAL Utah remains committed to showing up at the Capitol, advocating for science-based policy, and making sure the voices of Utah communities are heard.
Inversion Pictured January 13th: Air quality worsened significantly throughout January with little relief provided from Utah’s record-low snowpack in 2026.
Air Quality: Incremental Progress Amid Persistent Challenges
Utah’s air quality continues to be one of the most urgent public health issues facing our state. With record-low snowfall in 2026, winter inversions along the Wasatch Front exposed millions of residents to harmful levels of pollution.
This year, HEAL Utah supported policies with the goal of reducing pollution, strengthening enforcement, and encouraging environmentally-friendly transit choices. Progress on air quality remained difficult to achieve. While a number of bills offered incremental improvements, several important proposals aimed at reducing emissions and strengthening standards failed to pass. We will continue pushing for policies that prioritize the health of Utah families and communities.
Air Quality Bills We Monitored 👀
This bill requires the Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Oil Gas and Mining Board to establish rules for expedited permitting. HEAL was watching this bill to ensure that faster permitting does not come at the expense of environmental and community health.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill PASSED
Air Quality Bills We Supported ✅
This bill redirects brine shrimp tax revenue to support the Great Salt Lake. HEAL supported this bill for water conservation and infrastructure projects that stabilize lake levels and reduce dust-generating exposed lakebed, lowering harmful dust that worsens human health. HEAL supported this bill to save the Great Salt Lake to further protect our communities from dust.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill promotes water-wise landscaping practices and establishes landscaping requirements for state government facilities. HEAL supported this bill as an effort to support saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: 
SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill allows water conservation plans to include committing conserved or available water to the Great Salt Lake, creating a pathway for water savings to be directed to lake inflows rather than exclusively to future development or consumptive use. HEAL supported this bill as an effort to support saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill addresses nonfunctional turf and encourages water wise land use regulations including prohibition of overhead irrigation in certain cases. HEAL supported this bill as an effort to support saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill encouraged regulations supporting water efficient landscaping requirements related to new development and water efficiency standards. HEAL supported this bill as an effort to support saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill creates a framework under the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program to allow voluntary leasing of agricultural water rights to benefit the Great Salt Lake, establishes a board to oversee the program and set lease rates, clarifies the state engineer’s role in managing leased water so it actually reaches the lake, and includes reporting requirements and program deadlines. HEAL supported this bill as an effort to support saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill would have updated how state water infrastructure funds can be used, including funding water development projects and acquiring or leasing water to help support the Great Salt Lake. HEAL supported this bill as a continued effort to save the Great Salt Lake and protect our communities from dust storms.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This resolution encourages federal assistance in restoring the Great Salt Lake and proclaims that the Lake is a vital source of prosperity for our economy, industries, ecology, and communities. HEAL supported this resolution as an effort to increase federal financial and political support in saving the Great Salt Lake.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This resolution PASSED
This bill directs the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to study the efficiency and composition of the Transportation Commission, and shortens the terms of commissioners from 6 to 4 years. HEAL supported this bill because it allows UDOT to better serve high growth areas of the state.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill establishes a fee for registration or renewal of heavy-duty vehicles with a model year of 2009 or older. HEAL supported this bill because it ensures that high polluting vehicles bear the cost of mitigating negative impacts to our air quality.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill prohibits cargo carriers that obstruct tail lights on vehicles, unless auxiliary lighting or reflectors are installed. HEAL supported this bill because it improves roadway safety for all modes of transport, including active transportation users.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill requires that when the state procures landscaping equipment for maintenance of state government grounds of a certain size in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, and Weber County, the equipment be electric-powered. HEAL supported this bill because it transitions state owned gas-powered lawn equipment to electric in counties that are currently struggling to meet federal air quality standards.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill requires fugitive dust facilities larger than a quarter acre (e.g. gravel pits) to post signage outside of the facility that includes permit and contact information. It also allows the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) to impose annual compliance fees on aggregate operations based on total emissions. HEAL supported this bill because it promotes greater transparency between gravel pits and communities, and helps fund increased DAQ compliance enforcement activities.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill requires e-bike riders under 21 to wear a helmet when riding on public roads and requires riders 8-15 years old to complete a safety course to operate an e-bike without supervision. HEAL supported this bill because it improves safety for e-bike riders.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill repeals the Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees and Local Advisory Council, and replaces it with a Transit Commission to mirror the structure of the Utah Department of Transportation. It also increases transit funding. HEAL supported this bill because it takes steps to improve public transit and expand transit opportunities.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill enhances the ability to investigate whether an individual evades a required vehicle emissions inspection. HEAL supported this bill because it promotes better emissions enforcement which, in turn, improves air quality along the Wasatch Front.
HEAL Stance: SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill creates a new “permitting coordinator” position in the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and assigns them the responsibility of serving as the central source of state permitting requirements. HEAL supported this bill because it takes steps to create a more transparent permitting process.
HEAL Stance: SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill requires the Utah Department of Transportation to transition FrontRunner to hybrid-electric by 2031. HEAL supported this bill because it would transition FrontRunner from diesel to electric, reducing both PM 2.5 and NOx emissions.
HEAL Stance: SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill establishes a total annual emissions limit for PM 2.5 and NOx from point sources in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber County. HEAL supported this bill because it would establish clearer emission standards for point sources (e.g. power plants, refineries, etc.).
HEAL Stance: SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill increases funding for the Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF) beginning in fiscal year 2028, and ending whenever the TTIF doubles. HEAL supported this bill because it increases funding for public transit.
HEAL Stance: SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
Air Quality Bills We Opposed ❌
This bill expands protections against civil and criminal lawsuits alleging damage from greenhouse gas emissions. HEAL opposed this bill because it makes it much harder to hold polluters responsible for the negative impacts they cause.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill reduces the percentage of sales and use tax revenue deposited into the Transportation Investment Fund. HEAL opposed this bill because it reduces earmark funding for transportation projects.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill FAILED
This bill is the annual transportation omnibus bill, meaning it makes a number of changes to Utah’s transportation code. Notably, it limits or in some cases even eliminates Salt Lake City’s ability to implement traffic calming measures. It also subjects city road projects to strict oversight from the Utah Department of Transportation. HEAL opposed this bill because it singles out Salt Lake City and imposes unnecessary state oversight on city street design projects.
HEAL Stance: 
OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
Clean Energy: Protecting Community Energy Progress While Navigating Policy Shifts
Utah’s energy system is at an important crossroads. As electricity demand grows and new technologies emerge, new pieces of legislation will shape how the state produces and delivers power, potentially for decades to come. Some of the proposals HEAL tracked this year represented meaningful steps toward more responsible energy policy. Others raised our concerns about long-term costs, environmental impacts, and the role of public oversight in Utah’s energy future.
One example of the complex policy dynamics surrounding energy this session was H.B. 238 S3, Utah Energy Generation and Transmission Planning. The bill’s original version would have allowed the Utah Public Service Commission (PSC) to participate in regional energy planning groups, a change HEAL Utah supported because PSC involvement in transmission and energy planning is critical to protecting Utah ratepayers. Before the bill was heard in committee however, it was substituted to include new provisions that would have jeopardized the Utah Renewable Communities (URC) program, a collaboration of 19 Utah communities working toward a goal of reaching net-100% renewable electricity. After significant public pushback from local governments, advocates, and HEAL’s own grassroots network of community lobbyists, the sponsor introduced a third substitute that removed the harmful changes to URC. HEAL ultimately supported the final version of the bill because it preserves the URC program while still allowing the PSC to participate in regional planning.
Our experience with H.B. 238 highlights the important role played by policy organizations like HEAL Utah during the Legislative Session. Last-second changes can often change the character of entire pieces of legislation (for better or for worse). As you peruse the energy bills we tracked this legislative session, remember that you can submit relevant information or concerns to HEAL’s tip line, which is closely monitored by our policy professionals! In the meantime, HEAL remains committed to monitoring future legislative efforts to prevent bills that threaten or weaken community-driven clean energy initiatives.
Energy Bills We Monitored 👀
This bill reduced state incentives (tax credits, grants, loans, etc.) for new utility scale solar projects located on “prime farmland” and certain grazing land. Also imposes new decommissioning and permitting requirements on solar power plants. HEAL was watching this bill because we are concerned about limiting viable, sustainable, and cost effective energy projects in our state.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill PASSED
This bill clarifies ownership and regulation of geothermal resources in Utah by defining geothermal resources, establishing that they generally belong to the surface landowner (except on state trust lands), lowering the temperature threshold for what qualifies as a geothermal resource, and updating rules for leasing, development, and oversight of geothermal wells. HEAL was watching this bill in a positive way as we support geothermal projects in Utah.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill PASSED
This bill would have outlined the preservation of a culturally or scientifically significant site on school and institutional trust lands and excludes sites that may contain deposits of coal, oil, gas, or hydrocarbon resources; mineral resources; or geothermal resources. HEAL was watching this bill mainly in support of the intention of the bill, but urging caution on the exclusions.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill FAILED
This bill would have strengthened consumer protections for residential solar sales in Utah by requiring clearer disclosures about costs, savings estimates, and financing, regulating sales practices and compensation, and requiring solar sales representatives to be certified and bonded. HEAL was watching this bill, generally in support, but watching to see how this bill would impact rooftop solar projects in Utah.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill FAILED
This bill expanded the Utah Energy Council and created the Utah Energy Infrastructure Service District, a special district governed by the council that can finance, own, and manage energy infrastructure projects, such as nuclear power plants, transmission, and storage facilities, within designated energy development zones using revenue bonds and operating contracts. HEAL watched this bill concerned about using taxpayer dollars for nuclear energy projects and also asked to see amendments made to expand the Council even further to include a public health expert, an environmental health expert, and an impacted community member.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill PASSED
This bill requires owners of utility-scale renewable energy facilities to consult with the Division of Wildlife Resources during the permitting process regarding potential impacts to wildlife. While HEAL supports responsible energy planning that mitigates impacts to wildlife, we monitored the bill to ensure the state does not impose special regulatory requirements on renewable energy projects that are not also applied to oil and gas projects.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This resolution PASSED
This bill requires large-scale utility companies to analyze existing energy efficiency rebate programs and share the analysis with the Utah Office of Energy Development. HEAL was watching this bill because our stance was neutral given the bill is a study bill.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This resolution PASSED
Energy Bills We Supported ✅
This bill requires large data centers (annual water withdrawal of >75 acre ft. per year and over 10,000 sq. ft) to submit a pre-construction water use report. It also requires annual water use reporting, which is to be made public. HEAL supported this bill because it promotes greater transparency around data center water consumption.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill establishes a sharing band between Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) and customers, only allowing RMP to recover 80% of price fluctuations from customers after January 2026. HEAL supported this bill because it imposes protections for ratepayers by not allowing the utility company to recover the full cost of price fluctuations from customers, which is the status quo.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill allows the Public Service Commission (PSC) to participate in regional energy groups where Utah-based utilities are involved. The final version of the bill excludes changes from a previous version that would have changed community clean energy programs from being opt-out to opt-in. HEAL supported the final version of the bill because it gives the PSC the ability to represent and protect Utah ratepayers in regional energy discussions, and it excludes provisions that would have undermined the Utah Renewable Communities program.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill requires the Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control to study solar panel recycling. It also imposes a 2 year fee on commercial solar facilities to fund the study. HEAL supported this bill because certain solar panels can include hazardous materials that can cause negative environmental and health impacts if not disposed of properly, and this bill allows the state to study a safe process for disposal.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill directs Utah State University to study geologic and environmental impacts of developing geothermal energy in Utah, including at or near existing coal plants. HEAL supported this bill because it allows the state to develop a better understanding of how to colocate geothermal and coal energy resources, which can reduce costs and emissions while increasing energy production.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill PASSED
This bill requires Rocky Mountain Power to analyze surplus interconnection service opportunities and allows the Public Service Commission to authorize cost recovery for prudently incurred costs of these projects. HEAL supported this bill because surplus interconnection service can allow for increased electricity supply without needing to build new infrastructure (e.g. power lines), and can offer a solution to some of our growing energy demands.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill requires large load contracts (e.g. a contract between Rocky Mountain Power and a data center) to demonstrate a net positive or net neutral impact on energy reliability, energy cost, and the environment. Also requires that large load customers submit an annual report to the Department of Environmental Quality detailing energy consumption and water use. HEAL supported this bill because it helps protect Utahns and our environment by ensuring that any new data center development would, at worst, have a net-neutral impact on our resources.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill requires large data centers to submit a pre-construction report estimating energy consumption, and requires annual reporting on actual energy consumption. HEAL supported this bill because it allows for greater transparency around data center electricity consumption.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill prohibits municipalities, counties, and state agencies from entering into non-disclosure agreements with prospective data centers. HEAL supported this bill because it eliminates secret contracts between local governments and new data centers, promoting greater public transparency and allowing for more informed approval processes.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
Energy Bills We Opposed ❌
This bill modifies public funding accounts and fundings, and creates a new state Energy Development Infrastructure Fund that provides public loans for infrastructure supporting nuclear power generation and transmission. HEAL opposed this bill because it directs taxpayer dollars towards a costly and risky private industry.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This resolution expresses support for formalizing an agreement between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Utah to streamline the permitting process for oil, gas, and mining operations on BLM land. HEAL opposed this bill because of our concern that it affirms Utah’s intention to speed up the oil and gas permitting process without ensuring proper environmental protections and opportunities for public engagement.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill expands the definition of environmental action to include judicial review of certain Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining (DOGM) permits, imposing additional requirements for plaintiffs in environmental actions involving DOGM. HEAL opposed this bill because it makes it more difficult to challenge certain DOGM permits.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill accelerates the permitting process for midstream facilities (e.g. pipelines) and reduces the gas tax by 15%. HEAL opposed this bill mainly because of the provisions that speed up permitting for new pipelines.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
Radioactive and Toxic Exposure: Standing Up for Community Health
From nuclear weapons testing fallout to proposals for new nuclear development, communities across Utah continue to face the legacy and risks associated with radioactive and toxic exposure.
This year’s legislative session brought several proposals related to nuclear development and radioactive waste policy. Many of these bills raised serious concerns for HEAL Utah because they could expand nuclear activities in the state and weaken safeguards that protect communities from environmental and public health risks. While we supported measures aimed at protecting Utahns by increasing transparency, we opposed several proposals that we believe move the state in the wrong direction.
Toxic & Radioactive Bills We Monitored 👀
This bill would have required training and certification for individuals and companies performing or selling radon mitigation work in Utah, with exemptions for workers under direct supervision. HEAL monitored this bill and recommended amendments to remove the exclusionary clause to ensure every person testing, installing, or maintaining radon equipment is trained and certified and to require standards set in place by nationally recognized organizations to ensure that companies are not using different radon standards in bad faith.
HEAL Stance: 👀 WATCHING
This bill FAILED
Toxic & Radioactive Bills We Supported ✅
This resolution would have urged the U.S. government not to resume explosive nuclear weapons testing. HEAL supported this resolution because it recognizes the lasting harm caused by nuclear weapons testing to Utah’s communities and that resumption of testing is unnecessary.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
This bill would have protected nearby communities from potential toxic exposures from artificial turf by requiring early, detailed notice and a public hearing on artificial turf installations. HEAL supported this bill because it could reduce the use of synthetic surfaces that contribute to urban heat islands and microplastic pollution.
HEAL Stance: ✅ SUPPORT
This bill FAILED
Toxic & Radioactive Bills We Opposed ❌
This resolution declares Utah’s support for the advanced nuclear manufacturing industry. HEAL opposed this resolution because nuclear manufacturing poses significant economic risks to communities, are unproven at commercial scale, and rely on long-term public subsidies.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill focused on developing the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Office through the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control and the state’s pursuit of expanded NRC Agreement State status. The substitute moved this bill from “watching” to “opposed” for HEAL because it contained an exemption to allow certain high-level nuclear waste storage in Utah without triggering Utah’s stricter high-level waste siting restrictions, as long as it is licensed by the state. HEAL is very concerned about decreasing federal limits on radiation protection, and its impact on our environment and communities.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill would have extended the radioactive waste facility expansion tax until December 31, 2026, a move we saw last year to support the expansion of radioactive waste coming into the state from international sources for dumping. HEAL opposed this bill as an effort to fight back against the state becoming an international radioactive waste dumping ground.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill FAILED
This resolution expresses support for Utah to pursue expanded Agreement State status with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for additional elements of permitting and oversight within the nuclear fuel cycle. HEAL Utah opposed this resolution because it poses significant economic, health, and environmental risks given the unresolved waste disposal challenges that accompany nuclear development.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This bill PASSED
This bill authorizes the Office of Energy Development to coordinate nuclear fuel reprocessing and a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus with all parts of the nuclear fuel chain. HEAL opposed this bill because the entire nuclear nuclear chain is extremely costly, requires decades of government support, and creates high risks of radioactive exposure.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This resolution PASSED
The bill removes Utah’s authority to adopt stronger or more protective environmental and health standards than federal law, even when local conditions or public health concerns warrant stricter protections. HEAL opposed this bill because it limits Utah’s ability to protect communities from environmental public health threats at a time when federal regulations are being cut left and right.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This resolution PASSED
Take Action with our Action Alert to Governor Cox asking him to VETO S.B. 234 and continue protecting Utah’s environmental and public health the Utah way.
This bill creates a state council and facilitates faster permitting of critical mineral mining operations by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining and the creation of the Minerals for Industrial, National, and Economic Security Center. This bill was substituted with changes to the severance taxes and decreasing funding for ozone research in the Uinta Basin. HEAL opposed this bill due to concern that faster permitting usually means that public engagement or public and environmental health protections are cut, and because of the decreased funding for critical air quality research.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This resolution PASSED
Similar to the S.B. 254, this resolution expresses Utah’s support for developing the state’s critical minerals industry by promoting the creation of a Minerals for Industrial, National, and Economic Security (MINES) Center, encouraging federal funding through block grants, and urging Utah’s congressional delegation to support establishing a critical minerals research hub and potential national lab in the state. HEAL opposed this resolution due to concern of fast tracking and financially supporting private mining industries.
HEAL Stance: ❌ OPPOSE
This resolution PASSED
Looking Forward
After 7 weeks and 45 days, Utahns witnessed 1,015 bills numbered in the 2026 General Session. 89 of these bills – highlighted above – were monitored closely by HEAL Utah’s policy experts because of their relevance to the air we breathe, their impacts on toxic exposure, and their potential for affecting our climate future.
HEAL Utah works tirelessly throughout each yearly iteration of Utah’s Legislative Session. This year, our outreach team mobilized more than 180 grassroots community lobbyists to the Capitol across six themed lobby days. Our action alerts provided a platform that generated over 2,000 messages to lawmakers from constituents concerned about Utah’s environmental health. And our Bill Tracker kept Utahns informed while legislation moved rapidly over day and night.
HEAL Utah is a truly grassroots organization. Our work requires the help of dedicated community members like you who are passionate about the air we breathe and hopeful for a better relationship between Utahns and their environment. Please consider making a donation today—or becoming a monthly sustainer—to help power the advocacy that keeps Utah’s air, land, water, and communities protected as we prepare for the 2027 legislative session and beyond!
The Session is over, now what?
Curious about what happens after legislative sessions? Dive into our blog post on the Interim session!