Great Salt Lake Amendments

101
73-32-304
0
Great Salt Lake Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Nate Blouin
House Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses funding of programs with the objective of distributing water to the Great
Salt Lake.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
modifies the purposes for which Great Salt Lake Account money may be used for the
acquisition or lease of water or water rights related to the Great Salt Lake; and
makes technical and conforming amendments.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates
$1,500,000
in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027, all
of which is from the General Fund.
This bill appropriates
$198,500,000
in restricted fund and account transfers for fiscal year
2027, including:
($1,500,000)
from General Fund; and
$200,000,000
from various sources as detailed in this bill.
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
73-32-304
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 208 and renumbered and
amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 205
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
73-32-304
is amended to read:
73-32-304
. Great Salt Lake Account.
(1)
As used in this section
;
:
(a)
"Mineral" includes a chemical compound that includes an element or mineral.
(b)
"Mining" means the process of producing, extracting, leaching, evaporating, or
otherwise removing a mineral from a natural deposit of the mineral.
(2)
(a)
There is created within the General Fund a restricted account known as the "Great
Salt Lake Account" consisting of:
(i)
revenues deposited into the account under Subsection
(3)
;
(ii)
appropriations from the Legislature; and
(iii)
interest and other earnings described in Subsection
(2)(b)
.
(b)
The Office of the Treasurer shall deposit interest and other earnings derived from
investment of money in the account into the account.
(3)
The Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands shall deposit into the account the royalty
income received by the state from mining that occurs on or after July 1, 2022, of a
mineral from the sovereign lands of the Great Salt Lake if during the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 2020, the state did not receive royalty income from the mining of that
same mineral from the sovereign lands of the Great Salt Lake.
(4)
(a)
Upon appropriation by the Legislature, money in the account may be used to:
(a)
(i)
manage the water levels of the Great Salt Lake;
and
or
(b)
fund the activities of the commissioner and office under this chapter.
(ii)
make payments to negotiate agreements, leases, or other means to acquire or lease
water or water rights for the Great Salt Lake.
(b)
Money deposited into the account under Subsection
(2)(a)(ii)
or appropriations
transferring money from the Water Infrastructure Restricted Account may only be
used for the purpose outlined in Subsection
(4)(a)(ii)
.
Section 2.
FY 2027 Appropriations.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2027.
Subsection 2(a).
Operating and Capital Budgets
Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
ITEM 1
Department of Natural Resources - Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner
From General Fund
1,500,000
GSL Commissioner Administration
1,500,000
Subsection 2(b).
Restricted Fund and Account Transfers
The Legislature authorizes the State Division of Finance to transfer the following
amounts between the following funds or accounts as indicated. Expenditures and outlays from
the funds to which the money is transferred must be authorized by an appropriation.
NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ITEM 2
General Fund Restricted - Great Salt Lake Account
From General Fund
(1,500,000)
From Water Infrastructure Restricted Account, One-time
200,000,000
Great Salt Lake Account
198,500,000
The Legislature intends that the money
transferred from the Water Infrastructure Restricted
Account under this Item 2 be used for the acquisition or
lease of water or water rights for the Great Salt Lake as
provided in Subsection 73-32-304(4)(a)(ii).
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
July 1, 2026
.
2-12-26 4:59 PM