Week 3 Capitol Report:
Week 3 Capitol Report: Is Utah Ready for 2034?
The Utah legislative session continues as we move into week three.
As the Winter Olympics kick off in Italy, Utah is being reminded of the responsibility that comes with hosting the world in 2034. While global attention is on celebration, Utah is confronting a different reality at home.
This winter, snowpack is at record lows, and the Great Salt Lake has once again dropped to historic levels. These conditions are not abstract climate projections. They are already shaping our air, water, and public health. As lawmakers move through the legislative session, the choices made now will determine whether Utah is truly prepared for the global stage or continues to delay the environmental action this moment demands.
The New
Several new bills were introduced this week, setting the tone for key debates ahead.
TAKE ACTION!
Reach out to your lawmakers and urge them to support this legislation. You can also sign up to provide public comment when these bills are heard in committee. Action details below.
This bill limits Utah’s ability to protect communities from environmental public health threats at a time when federal regulations are being cut left and right. It pushes agencies towards inaction until many people have been obviously harmed and away from the protective standards of the precautionary principle; the gold standard for regulation of toxic substances. And it applies to air quality, drinking water, handling of hazardous waste, remediation of contaminated sites and more! HEAL gave comment against this bill when SB 234 was heard in the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Standing Committee on February 4, where it passed with only one opposition vote.
Take Action: Fill out our action alert and urge your legislators to protect Utah!
This bill is the annual transportation omnibus bill, meaning it makes several changes to our transportation code. Most notably it limits or, in some cases, eliminates Salt Lake City’s (SLC) ability to implement traffic calming measures that make our roads safer and subjects them to stricter oversight from the Utah Department of Transportation. It also calls on Salt Lake City to “mitigate” the impacts of protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes on 300 West, 200 South, and 400 South. HEAL opposes these provisions in the bill and the legislature’s continued attempts to assert greater control over SLC infrastructure planning. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee and may be heard in committee as early as Monday.
Take Action: Email or call the committee members and your legislators and urge them to remove the sections of the bill that take local control away from Salt Lake City!
HEAL supports this bill because it makes it easier to investigate whether an individual evades a required vehicle emissions test. It was heard in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, passed out of committee, and is now before the full Senate for a vote.
HB 437 requires the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Division of Oil Gas and Mining (DOGM) to establish rules for expedited review of a permit. HEAL is watching this bill to ensure that expediting the review process does not come at the expense of community and environmental health, or the public’s ability to challenge permit decisions made by DEQ and DOGM. It is currently in the House Rules Committee waiting to be assigned to a standing committee.
Updates to Good Bills
Here are the latest updates to good legislation we are following.
TAKE ACTION!
Reach out to your lawmakers and urge them to support this legislation. You can also sign up to provide public comment when these bills are heard in committee. Action details below.
HB 76 S1 requires new large data centers (larger than 10,000 sq ft.) to submit a water use report prior to beginning construction. It also requires annual water use reporting from large data centers, which will be made publicly available–a critical provision in our water-scarce state. HEAL supports this bill because it promotes greater transparency around water use.
It passed the full House with a vote of 72-0-3, and is now in the Senate Rules Committee waiting to be assigned to a standing committee.
TAKE ACTION: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND URGE THEM TO VOTE YES!
Another positive development is SB 176, which would require electric powered landscaping equipment for certain state maintained properties along the Wasatch Front. Gas powered landscaping equipment is a significant source of air pollution, and this bill moves Utah toward cleaner air and healthier communities. It is currently waiting for committee assignment.
TAKE ACTION: CONTACT SENATE RULES COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND URGE THEM TO ASSIGN THE BIL TO A COMMITTEE
This bill redirects brine shrimp tax revenue to support the Great Salt Lake. HEAL supports 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. HB 247 passed the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee and is on its way to the floor.
TAKE ACTION: CONTACT HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES AND URGE THEM TO VOTE YES!
This resolution urged the U.S. government not to resume explosive nuclear weapons testing. HEAL was in favor of the resolution because it recognizes the lasting harm caused by nuclear weapons testing to Utah’s communities and that resumption of testing is unnecessary. We are deeply disheartened to report that the resolution failed this past week despite the real threat of restarting nuclear weapons testing.
Take Action: Email your legislator and tell them that you want to see this resolution pass in the future.
Update to bad bills
Here is an update to the bad legislation we are tracking.
TAKE ACTION!
Reach out to your lawmakers and urge them to vote against this legislation. You can also sign up to provide public comment when these bills are heard in committee. Action details below.
This bill expands protections against civil and criminal lawsuits alleging damage from greenhouse gas emissions, effectively creating a shield against lawsuits aimed at holding companies responsible for emissions. It was heard in the House Public Utilities and Energy Committee and passed out of committee with a vote of 9-1-2. It now goes to the full House for a vote.
Take Action: Contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to vote against HB 222 to uphold one of the few mechanisms available to communities to seek justice when they suffer from the adverse impacts of air pollution and climate change.
This bill authorizes the Office of Energy Development to facilitate the development of nuclear fuel reprocessing in the state. HEAL Utah opposes SB 135 because nuclear fuel reprocessing is extremely costly, requires decades of government support, and creates high risks of radioactive exposure and nuclear weapons proliferation.
This bill is on the 3rd Reading Calendar in the Senate before it moves to the House.
This resolution declares Utah’s support for the advanced nuclear manufacturing industry. HEAL Utah testified against this resolution because nuclear manufacturing poses significant economic risks to communities, are unproven at commercial scale, and rely on long-term public subsidies.
This resolution has passed the House and Senate and is on its way to being signed by the governor.
S.C.R. 1 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 opposes this resolution because it poses significant economic, health, and environmental risks given the unresolved waste disposal challenges that accompany nuclear development. This bill was heard in the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee and moved on to the Senate floor without allowing for online public comment.
TAKE ACTION: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND URGE THEM TO VOTE NO!
Looking Ahead to Next Week
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