Rep. Troy Shelley

Maddy summaryHB 496 amends Utah law to clarify enforcement powers for the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands regarding wildland fires and heritage trees, and establishes the Utah Wildfire Fund. The fund will cover wildfire suppression costs on state lands and, under specific conditions, private land and federal land rehabilitation, using existing revenue sources like federal funds and costs billed to landowners without cooperative agreements. It sets a $300,000 annual limit on grants to fire departments and requires the fund to pay at least $10 million for prevention costs yearly, or $3 million plus 10% of unspent funds from the prior year, whichever is greater. The bill also mandates annual reporting to the legislature on the fund’s balance and expenditures.

Maddy summaryHB 185 establishes new rules and funds for carbon credit transactions in Utah. It creates a Carbon Credit Investment Fund funded by a 19% assessment on carbon credit sales (administered by the State Tax Commission) and a Carbon Credit Litigation Fund. The bill requires carbon credit brokers to hold licenses, imposes criminal penalties for unlicensed sales, and gives the Office of Energy Development a right of first refusal to purchase in-state carbon credits. State agencies must report carbon credit details and deposit sale revenue into the General Fund, while 5% of the Investment Fund’s annual earnings go to rural counties and eligible rural colleges meeting specific enrollment and completion rate criteria.

Maddy summarySB 209 designates Gooseberry Narrows as a state park upon meeting three conditions: the Division of State Parks managing all federally-owned land there, completing a feasibility study by November 2026, and securing legislative funding. The bill requires the Division to study dam feasibility, land acquisition costs, and water rights needs, then report findings to the Natural Resources Committee. It authorizes the Division to acquire land via donations, exchanges, or purchases, coordinate with the U.S. Forest Service for land management, and consult with local governments holding property or water rights in the area. The bill has no funding attached and takes effect May 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 444 amends Utah's rules for managing minor public access roads (class D roads) on state and school trust lands. It requires the state to identify and record these roads with county offices by specific deadlines (e.g., January 5, 2026, for certain counties), creates a formal process for abandoning roads (including mandatory public meetings), and ensures existing utility access rights remain protected. The bill also expands road closure rules to cover roads on public university or government property. These changes affect counties, landowners, and utility providers by clarifying procedures for road maintenance and access without appropriating new funds.

Maddy summaryHB 46 allows Utah's Driver License Division to share specific driver license information - such as a person's name, license number, and current residential address - with county assessors. This data can only be used to verify whether property owners qualify for residential property tax exemptions. The bill strictly prohibits county assessors from using this information for any other purpose. It makes technical updates to existing laws governing data sharing between the Driver License Division and county assessors.

Maddy summaryHB 292 clarifies that water right subordination agreements - written arrangements where a water rights holder agrees to let another right take priority - do not create long-term property interests subject to Utah's rule against perpetuities. This affects water rights holders, state engineers, and anyone involved in water rights transactions, as it removes uncertainty about these agreements triggering the rule. The bill defines key terms like "water right" and "person with control of a water right," and explicitly states these changes apply retroactively to past agreements. It makes no new financial commitments and is a technical legal clarification, not a policy shift.

Maddy summaryHJR 14 is a procedural rules resolution that modifies how Utah legislators request funding for district projects. It directs the Executive Appropriations Committee to set aside 1% of certain revenue for "district requests for appropriation," allowing each legislator to allocate a fixed share (50% of district funds divided by 29 for senators or 75 for representatives) toward projects within their district that serve a statewide public purpose. Approved requests must be included in the final appropriations bill after review by joint subcommittees. This resolution does not appropriate new funds but changes committee procedures for handling existing district funding requests.

Maddy summaryHB 225 requires sellers of unincorporated real property in Utah to provide a written disclosure statement to buyers before a property sale. This statement explains that the property's boundaries might be affected by legal claims like adverse possession (taking over land through long-term use), boundary by acquiescence (long-standing agreement), or established right-of-way access. Both the seller and buyer must sign this disclosure at the time of conveyance. The bill affects all property transactions in unincorporated areas (outside city limits) and takes effect May 6, 2026. It does not change existing property laws but mandates this specific disclosure to inform buyers about potential boundary risks.

Maddy summarySB 61 modifies Utah's eminent domain laws for high voltage power line projects, requiring utilities to conduct an infrastructure siting analysis before seeking to take private land. This analysis must identify reasonable route alternatives, prioritize existing utility corridors and federal public lands, and document why federal lands aren't feasible. The bill also mandates coordination with federal land agencies and annual reporting to a state committee on eminent domain actions. These changes directly affect public utilities planning power lines and landowners whose property may be subject to condemnation.

Maddy summaryHB 103 requires state agencies like the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO) and School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) to identify and record public roads on state and school trust lands with county recorders. It exempts major highways (class A/B/C roads) from this requirement and mandates that the Division of Wildlife Resources must get county approval before permanently closing roads in wildlife areas. The bill also ensures state ownership of abandoned class D roads and requires agencies to document road locations using existing state databases. This directly affects landowners (state/trust lands), counties (through consent requirements), and the public (ensuring road access remains open). No new funding is provided for these changes.