# Utah H.B. 247: Great Salt Lake Related Amendments Utah H.B. 247, Great Salt Lake Related Amendments, is a 2026 General Session House bill sponsored by Raymond P. Ward (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-25 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB247-2026GS - As of: 2026-10-14 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Utah H.B. 247 - State: Utah - Session: 2026 General Session - Title: Great Salt Lake Related Amendments - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-03-25, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward (Republican) - Cosponsors: 24 - Subjects: Natural Resources, Severance Tax, Revenue and Taxation, Water, Great Salt Lake - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (189 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Lake funds support water and shrimp: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah must spend $125,000 of designated lands-account royalty deposits as the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council directs. That money must benefit the lake. The remaining designated deposits must fund water-right leases that add lake water or projects supporting the lake's brine… - Lake revenues support lands and species: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the first $125,000 of annual brine shrimp royalties goes to the Sovereign Lands Management Account. In fiscal years 2027 and 2028, the remainder initially goes to the Species Protection Account. Royalties stay there only to fill any gap between specified other account revenu… - Extra filing time for lake operators: benefit, low. Lake extraction operators normally submit their annual tax certification by December 31 for the next calendar year. For tax years 2025 and 2026, operators entering a voluntary agreement concerning state-owned water rights can file by May 15, 2026. The Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands mus… - Brine shrimp harvesters pay higher royalties: cost, low. Utah raises the royalty on unprocessed brine shrimp eggs harvested in the state from 3.25 to 3.75 cents per pound. The higher rate applies to tax years beginning on or after February 1, 2026. The royalty equals the total pounds harvested during the tax year multiplied by the rate. The law takes eff… - Higher or lower lake extraction taxes: mixed, low. Effective May 6, 2026, the law changes Great Salt Lake extraction taxes starting with calendar year 2025. Operators without an approved voluntary water-rights agreement pay 7.8% of taxable value, or 2.6% if they never use evaporation to concentrate minerals. Operators covered by an agreement approv… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carl R. Albrecht (Republican), House - Cosponsor: John Arthur (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Stewart E. Barlow (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kay J. Christofferson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Paul A. Cutler (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Dailey-Provost (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ariel Defay (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rosalba Dominguez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jake Fitisemanu (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Stephanie Gricius (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sahara Hayes (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ken Ivory (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mike L. Kohler (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Anthony E. Loubet (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matt MacPherson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ashlee Matthews (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Verona Mauga (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Hoang Nguyen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Clinton Okerlund (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Doug Owens (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nicholeen P. Peck (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Scott D. Sandall (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jason E. Thompson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Stephen L. Whyte (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | House/ concurs with Senate amendment | pass | 67 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 4 | 0 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 71 | 0 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 13 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | House | House Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 13 | 0 | | ## Actions (42) - 2026-03-25: Governor Signed - 2026-03-16: House/ to Governor (House) - 2026-03-16: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2026-03-12: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2026-03-12: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2026-03-10: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2026-03-10: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2026-03-07: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2026-03-07: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ concurs with Senate amendment (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ to House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ substituted (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senate/ committee report favorable (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-24: Senate Comm - Not Considered - 2026-02-19: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-02-17: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-02-17: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-17: House/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-17: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-06: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2026-02-06: House/ comm rpt/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-05: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-05: House Comm - Substitute Recommendation - 2026-02-04: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2026-01-20: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2026-01-20: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House) - 2026-01-14: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2026-01-13: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2026-03-12: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0247.pdf) - Substitute #5, 2026-03-04: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S05.pdf) - Substitute #4, 2026-03-03: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S04.pdf) - Substitute #3, 2026-02-25: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S03.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2026-02-17: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2026-02-05: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247.pdf) ## Related bills - H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments (signed) - H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments (signed) - H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments (signed) - H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments (signed) - H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments (signed) - H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0247.pdf) - [Substitute #5 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S05.pdf) - [Substitute #4 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S04.pdf) - [Substitute #3 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S03.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0247.pdf) ## Related - [H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB94-2026GS) - [H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB101-2026GS) - [H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB178-2026GS) - [H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB134-2026GS) - [H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB136-2026GS) - [H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB220-2026GS) - [Utah bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah/bills) - [Utah state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB247-2026GS (as of 2026-10-14).