SB 216 modifies Utah's regulations for radioactive waste facilities. It creates a new tax for facilities applying to build or expand, requiring payment when submitting applications to the Division of Waste Management. The tax revenue must be deposited into an energy-related fund, and the tax expires after a set period. This bill directly affects radioactive waste facilities seeking expansion or new construction.
HB 152 establishes new standards for satellite emergency departments (facilities operating separately from a main hospital but providing emergency care). It requires these facilities to have specific equipment (like CT scans and lab services), qualified staff (board-certified ER physicians, specialized nurses, and respiratory care personnel), and clear signage distinguishing them from urgent care centers. The bill also limits health care organizations to operating no more than twice as many satellite emergency departments as they have full hospital emergency departments in Utah. These requirements apply to satellite ERs in counties of the first or second class and take effect on May 7, 2025.
HB 333 amends Utah law to allow students with severe allergies to possess and self-administer epinephrine nasal spray at school under specific conditions, directly affecting students with anaphylaxis. The bill updates definitions in school health codes to include "epinephrine nasal spray" as a permitted medication, distinguishing it from injectable forms. Key provisions clarify that schools must permit student self-administration of this nasal spray type during allergic reactions, while maintaining requirements for trained staff. This change expands access to emergency allergy treatment without requiring a school nurse's direct involvement in all cases.
HB 421 requires Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources to obtain approval from three entities before using funds from the Wildlife Conservation Fund to purchase or acquire grazing permits. Specifically, the division must get approval from the local land use authority, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture and Food. This bill amends existing law to add this requirement, making it a technical adjustment to the existing process without appropriating new funds. It directly affects how the wildlife division manages grazing permit acquisitions using conservation fund money.
HB 56 modifies Utah's civil commitment process for individuals temporarily held in mental health facilities. It requires local mental health authorities to provide discharge instructions in the patient's preferred format (paper or electronic), clarifies that certain duties can be delegated to a designee, and specifies follow-up requirements after discharge. The bill also updates notification rules for when a patient is released from temporary involuntary commitment. These changes directly affect individuals transitioning out of short-term mental health holds and the local authorities managing their care. The bill makes technical updates to Utah Code sections 26B-5-331 through 26B-6-608 without appropriating funds.
SB 159 modifies Utah's rules for nonhazardous solid waste facilities, directly affecting operators of landfills and waste treatment sites. It requires new landfill facilities to meet specific conditions before approval, including local government consent and legislative/governor approval, while updating rules for existing facilities handling certain wastes. Key provisions target facilities processing coal ash, mining byproducts, or cement kiln dust, prohibiting new approvals without full compliance with the amended code (Utah Code 19-6-108). The bill makes technical changes to the approval process but does not appropriate funding. It was signed into law by the governor on March 24, 2025.
HB 343 amends Utah's medical cannabis production regulations to require cannabis production establishments in industrial zones to include specific odor-reduction plans in their operating applications. These plans must identify odor sources, detail mitigation equipment, and comply with local nuisance laws. The bill also directs the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to develop recommendations for odor control methods. Additionally, it updates land use provisions governing where medical cannabis production facilities may operate. The changes directly affect medical cannabis producers seeking licenses or renewals in industrial areas.
HB 34 creates a formal process for designating campgrounds on Utah state land. It defines key terms (like "state campground" and "application"), requires written applications to the Division of State Parks, and mandates review by local governments and legislators before designation. The bill authorizes the parks division to establish application rules and manage designated campgrounds, while allowing counties or municipalities to block proposals via resolution. This applies directly to landowners seeking to convert property into state-managed campgrounds and local officials involved in the review process. The law takes effect May 7, 2025, with no new funding required.
HB 520 restructures water entity governance by removing specific water agencies from the definition of "independent entity" under state law. It moves the Great Salt Lake commissioner and Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner into the Department of Natural Resources, expands the Great Salt Lake Trust Council’s duties, and requires the Council to review certain expenditures by the commissioner. The bill also mandates coordination between the state water agent and the Department of Natural Resources. These changes affect water management entities and Great Salt Lake oversight without appropriating new funds.
SB 80 creates a system for state agencies to establish fees based on water consumption. It requires the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a fee schedule, while allowing the Water Development Coordinating Council to set a separate schedule starting July 1, 2026 (pending legislative approval). The bill exempts agricultural water users and wholesale water suppliers from these fees, and directs collected fees (after covering department costs) into the Water Infrastructure Fund. Both the Department and Council must report on the fee schedules to a specific legislative committee and monitor fee collection.
This bill improves access to substance use and mental health treatment by requiring local authorities to include provider lists in annual plans (usable by first responders) and allowing first responders to refer overdose patients to care. It also establishes mobile opioid treatment units with specific operational requirements, updates syringe exchange program rules, and creates a new criminal offense for "maintenance of a drug-involved premises" while amending related enforcement laws. These changes directly affect county substance abuse/metal health authorities, first responders (police, EMTs, firefighters), and treatment providers. The bill makes no new funding commitments and focuses on policy adjustments to treatment access and enforcement.
HB 93 amends Utah's Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Fund to allow existing fund money to support nervous system research grants, up to $100,000 annually, for qualified charitable clinics meeting specific criteria (tax-exempt, five years of rehabilitation experience, and approved research protocols). The bill requires the advisory committee to meet quarterly, creates new reporting requirements, and specifies minimum annual allocations: at least 40% for public education, 25% for adult services, and 10% for children's services. This directly affects the advisory committee, qualified clinics (which provide rehabilitation services), and individuals with brain/spinal cord injuries or neurological conditions who benefit from the fund's services and research. The bill does not appropriate new money and makes technical updates to fund administration.
