2026 Legislative Update and Actions
Legislative process: Bills that start with HB (House Bill) are introduced in the Utah House of Representatives, while bills that start with SB (Senate Bill) begin in the Utah State Senate. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to one or more committees, where lawmakers hear public testimony, debate the bill, and vote on whether it should move forward. If it passes committee, the bill goes to the full chamber (House or Senate) for a vote. If it passes there, it moves to the other chamber, where the process repeats—committee hearings, then a full vote. Only after passing both chambers does a bill go to the Governor to be signed or vetoed. Public input matters most during committee hearings, which is why showing up and speaking out early can make a real difference.
Legislation UPHE OPPOSES
H.B. 60 – Water Rights Amendments
Air quality is inextricably linked to Great Salt Lake water levels. HB 60 would prevent the Utah State Engineer from considering certain protests on water rights applications, including those that raise concerns about air quality impacts.
Status: Passed House and Senate.
Actions: Call Governor Cox to VETO.
S.B. 225 – Public Corporations Amendments
Senate Bill 225 (“Public Corporation Amendments”) greenlights using tax dollars to support water guzzling projects benefiting private developers throughout Utah. This is a huge problem in the Great Salt Lake Basin, where state leaders say they are committed to saving the lake, yet at the same time through this bill are using tax dollars to incentivize the depletion of Great Salt Lake Basin water resources and destruction of wetlands.
Ask your legislators to oppose Senate Bill 225 as written, ask them to support an amendment to include a 200,000 gallon a day cap on water use for all Great Salt Lake Basin Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) project areas. Places with UIPA project areas and vulnerable groundwater aquifers include Tooele County, west Weber County, western and southern Utah County, Salt Lake County and parts of Box Elder County and Juab County.
Status: Passed Senate, Going to House
Actions: Call your State House Representative!
H.B. 222 – Limitation of Actions Amendments
This legislation would give polluters a sweeping legal shield, blocking communities from holding companies accountable for the real harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions. At a time when climate pollution is worsening air quality, threatening water supplies, and harming public health, this bill shuts the courthouse doors on people seeking responsibility and transparency. Utahns deserve stronger protections for their health and environment, not laws that protect corporate polluters from consequences.
Status: Passed House and Senate.
Actions: Call Governor Cox to VETO.
S.B. 242 – Transportation Amendments
If passed, this would make it harder for cities to add bike lanes & pedestrian improvements, improve and prioritize public transit and reduce car pollution. S.B. 242 shifts control away from local communities and prioritizes cars over people.
Status: Passed Senate Committee, going to full Senate for a vote soon
Actions: Call your State Senator!
S.B. 234 – Rulemaking Amendments
We oppose S.B. 234 because it would strip Utah regulators of their ability to protect public health and environmental safety when federal standards fall short. By tying state rules to weakened federal protections and imposing an unrealistic legal and scientific burden, this bill would prevent action on emerging pollutants unless direct, immediate bodily harm can be proven. That approach ignores decades of public health science and the lived experiences of Utah communities, where diseases linked to environmental exposure often take years to surface.
Status: Passed Senate, Going to House Committee
Actions: Call your State House Representative!
Legislation UPHE SUPPORTS
S.B. 250 – Great Salt Lake Amendments
S.B. 250, which was brought forward by teens and twenty-somethings who are concerned for their future in Utah, would resolve this funding shortfall by matching the $200 million private pledge with public funds. It accomplishes this without raising taxes by removing $200 million from the Water Infrastructure Restricted Account (WIRA) and redirecting it to the Great Salt Lake account. These funds, which were previously earmarked for water development projects like the Bear River Development would now be used to acquire or lease water or water rights for the lake. The bill also eliminates the Bear River Development as an allowable use of WIRA funds moving forward.
Status: Tied up In Senate Rules
Actions: Call your State Senator to support moving it out of Rules at to a vote ASAP!
H.B. 509 – Wetlands Protection Modifications
We support this legislation because it takes a much-needed, science-based look at the health of Utah’s wetlands and how quickly we’re losing them.
The bill directs the Department of Natural Resources to study recent changes in wetland acreage, including losses tied to shifts in federal protections, and to examine how those losses affect water quality, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and ecosystems that Utah communities rely on. Importantly, it requires DNR to bring concrete recommendations to the Legislature on how to better protect wetlands and prevent further degradation. At a time when federal wetland protections are being rolled back, this bill helps Utah understand what’s at risk and lays the groundwork for smarter, proactive state-level action to protect water, habitat, and public health.
Status: Passed a House Committee, going to a full House vote soon
Actions: Call your House Representative to Support!
H.B. 456 – Pesticide Amendments
This bill would restrict pesticide spraying within 1,000 feet of a school. Glyphosate, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) would be prohibited to be sprayed within the boundary. Both glyphosate and PFAS chemicals have been linked to a wide array of medical issues, and children are more sensitive to the health risks, and have added risks. We encourage this common-sense legislation to protect children from toxic chemicals.
Status: In the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
Actions: Write the Committee to support!
carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov, rshipp@le.utah.gov, jarthur@le.utah.gov, bbolinder@le.utah.gov, wbrooks@le.utah.gov, scottchew@le.utah.gov, jkoford@le.utah.gov, mkohler@le.utah.gov, lmonson@le.utah.gov, dougowens@le.utah.gov, mikeschultz@le.utah.gov, dshallenberger@le.utah.gov, csnider@le.utah.gov, christinewatkins@le.utah.gov