Week 6 Capitol Report: We’ve officially crossed 1,000 bills filed. A new record.
The Utah legislative session continues as we move into week three.
Week Six! Can you believe it! On Tuesday this past week, the Utah state legislature had over 1,000 bills numbered – a new record!
We are seeing less new bills, but no less bad bills. We are also starting to see bills make it across the finish line or fall short. Wednesday is the last day for a bill to be heard in committee before straight floor time begins for the next two days.
At this point, we will start seeing funding for requests for appropriations be finalized, bills passed and failed, and even motions for suspension of rules where anything goes! We could see new bill files opened, bills moved around on the reading calendars and bills passed without public engagement.
Now is not the time to stop engaging with your legislators. They will be debating bills until the last day, March 6th, and they are allowed to be on the floor passing bills until midnight. You can watch floor time at le.utah.gov like HEAL staffers.
Act now if you have not already on SB 234, Rulemaking Amendments and SB 242 Transportation Amendments. And keep an eye out for new actions popping up next week!
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 prohibits municipalities, counties, and state agencies from entering into non-disclosure agreements with prospective data centers. The bill comes in response to a national trend where local governments have been barred from sharing information about new data center projects with their constituents because of confidential clauses in contracts. HEAL supports this bill because people deserve to know what impact data centers will have on their communities, and on our land, air, and water.
This resolution urges 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 supports this resolution as an effort to increase federal financial and political support in saving the Great Salt Lake.
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.
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. This bill was heard in the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee this week. HEAL gave comments in support of continued efforts to protect our communities from dust from the Great Salt Lake – the bill passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation and is on the Senate floor awaiting a vote. Take Action: Contact your Senators in support of this bill!
This bill requires the Utah Department of Transportation to transition its commuter rail systems (e.g. FrontRunner) to hybrid-electric by 2031. HEAL supports this bill because it would electrify FrontRunner, reducing emissions and improving our air quality. The bill has been assigned to the House Transportation Committee and is awaiting a committee hearing.
This bill expands the Utah Energy Council and authorizes the Council to issue bonds to finance electrical energy projects in designated energy development zones. HEAL is watching this bill and would like to see an amendment made to expand the Council even further. We ask for a public health expert, an environmental health expert, and an impacted community member. This bill was passed out of the House and was introduced to the Senate, but we have not seen the addition of public or environmental health experts, but continued focus on private industries.
This bill increases funding for the Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF), the main state fund for transit infrastructure projects, beginning in fiscal year 2028. The increased funding would end once the total amount in the fund doubles from its current level. HEAL supports this bill as it creates new funding for transit projects, which is especially important leading up to the 2034 Olympics. The bill has been assigned to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee and is awaiting a committee hearing.
This bill requires training and certification for individuals and companies performing or selling radon mitigation work in Utah, with exemptions for workers under direct supervision. HEAL would like to see this bill amended to remove the exclusionary clause to ensure every person testing, installing, or maintaining radon equipment is trained and certified. We would also like to see standards set in place by nationally recognized organizations to ensure that companies are not using different radon standards in bad faith. This bill is still in the House Rules Committee.
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.
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 opposes 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. This bill was passed out of the House Public Utilities and Energy Standing Committee this week and HEAL made comments again, expressing our concerns with limiting our ability to protect our health and the health of future generations and is now on the House 3rd reading calendar, close to being sent to the Governor to become law. Check out HEAL’s press release for more. Take Action: Urge your legislators to protect Utah by filling out our action alert today!
This bill is the legislature’s annual transportation omnibus bill, meaning it makes a number of changes to Utah’s transportation code. Most notably, it gives the Utah Department of Transportation final authority over certain Salt Lake City (SLC) street design projects, in some cases preventing the city from adopting traffic calming measures. This could greatly impact the city’s ability to improve active transit infrastructure, including projects adding bike lanes and bus lanes. The bill passed out of the Senate with a vote of 20-7-2 and now moves over to the House. Take Action: Protect our right to safer streets by filling out our action alert today!
This substituted 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 opposes this bill because the entire nuclear nuclear chain is extremely costly, requires decades of government support, and creates high risks of radioactive exposure. This bill is in the House Rules Committee for final appropriations decisions to be made before heading to the House floor for a final vote. Take Action: Contact your representative and urge them to vote no on SB 135 Sub 2.
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. HEAL opposes this bill because while permitting reform is needed, having faster permitting usually means that public engagement or public and environmental health protections are cut. This bill was assigned to the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee and is awaiting a committee hearing.
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