UTAH CONSERVATION COMMUNITY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2020 General Legislative Session Issue #5 March 1, 2020 Welcome to the 2020 Legislative Update issue will prepare you to call, email or tweet your legislators This issue includes highlights of week five, what we can with your opinions and concerns! expect in the week ahead, and information for protecting wildlife and the environment. Please direct any questions or ACTION ALERT! comments to Steve Erickson: [email protected]. The Inland Port Modifications bill - HB 347 (Rep. About the Legislative Update Gibson), is now awaiting action on the House floor, The Legislative Update is made possible by the Utah probably Monday but early in the week for sure. We’re Audubon Council and contributing organizations. Each working to get it amended as it moves forward, but it Update provides bill and budget item descriptions and will remain a bill for a project and process we can’t support. status updates throughout the Session, as well as important Session dates and key committees. For the most up-to-date Oppose HB 347! information and the names and contact information for all legislators, check the Legislature’s website at HB 233, the Depleted Uranium-funded Natural Resources Legacy Fund, will be debated and voted on in the Senate www.le.utah.gov. The Legislative Update focuses on this week. Urge legislators to pass the Fund without the legislative information pertaining to wildlife, sensitive and DE funding source- and avoid making this their legacy! invasive species, public lands, state parks, SITLA land management, energy development, renewable energy and Lastly, contact your legislators to urge them to fund bills and budgets to Clear the Air! conservation, and water issues. The Update will be distributed after each Friday of the Session. We may also send out additional Action Alerts during the Session as issues arise that need quick action. We hope each Update Page 1 of 22 parties and chambers prioritize their funding requests. EAC News of Week Five (Week # 5) meets Friday after 4 PM where we may get some insights into where the chips will fall. HB 328 requiring a study of diverting Green River water to the Wasatch Front had a rough ride in House A number of our budget priorities have sorted themselves NRAE on Friday, failing on a first vote but passing on out already and are locked into the budget. Top of the list is a reconsideration. It goes to the floor with a $200k the funding for the Great Salt Lake Coordinator position. price tag. HCR 19 – Opposing the Introduction of But there’s much uncertainty about the funding for a number Wolves, predictably passed the House and will get of air quality initiatives that haven’t been baked into the similar treatment in the Senate. It won’t deter wolves appropriations process and will rely on prioritization by the on our doorstep from moving in sooner than we think. caucuses (R’s) this week. Clean air bills are likely to fall Also HB 125, the predator removal bill, passed as well short of the Governor’s goal of $100 m., but let’s work expected - without a sunset provision.HB 296 – and hope for a happy surprise ending. Limitations on Landowner Liability, passed the House No new is good news, sometimes. We haven’t heard any and appears certain to be enacted. further rumors about bonding for transportation and big New: HB 396 would set in motion a $50 m. water projects, Nor about last minute money for Big Game investment by Rocky Mt. Power in new electric vehicle Forever and its profitable anti-wolf work. A case of over- recharging stations throughout the state. SCR 12 confidence? Not on our end – we’ll watch closely. acknowledges the risks of climate change and growing global carbon emissions and calls on Utah's What’s Ahead congressional delegation to consider backing carbon Both chambers will be on the floor from 10:00-12:00 and dividends legislation. Maybe not a great leap forward 2:00-4:00 daily. Standing Committees meet 8-10 and 2-4 for our Legislature, but worth supporting! each day. There will be caucus lunches each day beginning at 12:30 for the rest of the Session. No word so far on if and Budget News when the House will “wipe the board”, sending bills on the 3rd Reading Calendar back to Rules to be prioritized for The budget negotiations are down to the last few time- debate. Hang on to your hat! pressured days. Decisions will be made this week on almost all of the allocations so that the EAC Chairs and staff and Here are the calendars for the 6th week: Republican leadership can finalize the budget. Caucus meetings are bound to be interesting, as members in both House: https://le.utah.gov/~2020/schedule/h6.pdf Senate: https://le.utah.gov/~2020/schedule/s6.pdf Page 2 of 22 Rules Committees Senate Rules Committee: House Rules Committee: Sen. Greg Buxton, Chair [email protected] Rep. Tim Hawkes, Chair [email protected] Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, Vice-Chair [email protected] Rep. Robert Spendlove, Vice-Chair [email protected] Sen. Dan Hemmert [email protected] Rep. Joel Briscoe [email protected] Sen. Wayne Harper [email protected] Rep. Jake Anderegg [email protected] Sen. Karen Mayne [email protected] Rep. Sandra Hollins [email protected] Sen. Jani Iwamoto [email protected] Rep. John Knotwell [email protected] Sen. Don Ipson [email protected] Rep. Mike McKell [email protected] Sen. Dan McCay [email protected] Rep. Logan Wilde [email protected] Rep. Casey Snider [email protected] Page 3 of 22 BILL TRACKING LIST Priority Code: 1=High; 2=Medium; 3=Low Bill Sponsor Description/Status Priority Position HB 5 Natural Rep. Barlow Supplements or reduces appropriations for the operation of 1 Support Resources, the Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Agriculture, and Environmental Quality for fiscal years 2020 (July1, 2019 Environmental Quality to June 30, 2020) and 2021 (July 1, 2020 to June 30, Base Budget 2021). Passed House. Passed Senate. HB 26 Jordan River Rep. Winder Clarifies that the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State 3 Support Recreation Area Lands manages the money appropriated to programs Funding related to the Jordan River Recreation Area; provides that Management the money appropriated to programs related to the Jordan River Recreation Area are non-lapsing; and makes technical changes. Passed House. Passed Senate. HB 27 Waste Tire Rep. Chew Modifies definitions related to waste tire piles; increases 3 Support Recycling the number of whole waste tires a person may transfer at Amendments one time to a landfill or any other location in the state authorized by the director to receive waste tires; addresses storage of whole waste tires; and extends the relevant sunset date. Passed House. Passed Senate. HB 28 Legislative Rep. Stratton Extends the sunset date of the Legislative Water 3 Neutral Water Development Development Commission to January 1, 2031. Passed Commission Sunset House. Passed Senate 27-0-2 on 2/27. Amendments HB 39 Agricultural Rep. Snider Expands the membership of the task force. Passed House. 3 Support Water Optimization Passed Senate. Task Force Page 4 of 22 Substitute HB 40 Rep. Ballard Substitute refers the bill to study by the Utah Water Task 3 Support Water Loss Force and others, and specifies the components of the Accountability Act study. Passed House 62-0-3 on 2/27. In Senate Rules. HB 41 State Water Rep. Stratton Outlines the water policies of the state. Passed House. 1 Oppose Policy Amendments Passed Senate. HB 56 Fuel Sales Tax Rep. Shipp The original bill would codify current Tax Commission 2 Oppose Amendment rules in assessing for tax purposes delivery of electrical, if gasoline or natural gas through a single meter for both amended commercial and residential use, basing that assessment on the predominant use. There is a rumored amendment in the works that would extend the tax credit for refineries to produce Tier 3 fuel to benefit the only refinery not to do so by the expiration of the credit. Circled on Senate 2nd Reading Calendar. HB 59 Tax Credit for Rep. Stoddard Extends the availability of the income tax credit related to 3 Support Alternate Fuel Heavy certain alternative fuel heavy duty vehicles. Passed House Duty Vehicles 38-24-13 on 2/28. In Senate Rules Committee. Substitute HB 62 Rep. Sagers Authorizes enterprise zone income tax credits for certain 3 Support Enterprise Zone Tax investments in and creation of certain full-time jobs in a Credit Amendments business that produces, processes, distributes, or dispenses hydrogen fuel. Held in House Rev & Tax Committee. 3rd Substitute HB 66 Rep. Albrect Enacts and modifies provisions relating to wildland fire 3 Support Wildland Fire planning and cost recovery. Passed House. On Senate 2nd Planning and Cost Reading Calendar. Recovery Amendments HB 85 Federal Rep. Albrect Amends the definitions related to federal designations, 2 Neutral Designations removing the Governor’s Office agencies from the list of Amendments governmental entities required to report to intent to Page 5 of 22 advocate for federal land designations. Passed House. Passed Senate. Substitute HB 92 Fire Rep. Snider Prohibits a governmental agency from prohibiting pile 3 Studying Amendments burns or prescribed fires being started when the United States National Weather Service clearing index for the area where the fire is to occur is above a certain level. Passed House. On Senate 2nd Reading Calendar. HB 94 Water Rep. Hawkes Allows the state engineer to issue a certificate meeting 3 Support Applications certain requirements before evaluating a claim in a general Amendments adjudication for small amounts of water.