Wildlife Legislative Items of Interest from the 2005 Session

This list includes a broad range of wildlife and DWR related legislation. Bill number links to current information on the Utah Legislature web site.

• HB-029
  State Engineer’s Powers and Duties Amendments:  This bill amends the powers and duties provisions of the state engineer.  This bill specifies rule-making authority of the state engineer consistent with provisions of this title and clarifies provisions relating to suits in court, to also include the prevention of theft of water.
• HB-037
  Administrative Rules Reauthorization: This bill reauthorizes all state agency administrative rules.
• HB-038S01
  Water Law – Criminal Penalties Amendments: This bill removes criminal penalties from certain provisions requiring report to the state engineer, and provides for graduated criminal penalties for violations of various criminal provisions pertaining to the regulation and distribution of water.
• HB-043S04
  School Land Trust Program Funding Amendments:  This bill modifies the use of interest and dividends from the investment of monies in the permanent State School Fund.  This bill removes the cap on the amount of interest and dividends earned on the permanent State School Fund that may be appropriated for the School LAND Trust Program and eliminates a requirement that a portion of interest and dividends earned on the permanent State School Fund be used for teachers’ classroom supplies.
• HB-044
  Additional State Retirement Benefit: This bill modifies the Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act by authorizing an additional retirement benefit for members of the Public Employees’ Contributory Retirement System with service prior to July 1, 1975, as well as members of the Public Employees’ Noncontributory Retirement System with service prior to July 1, 1975.
• HB-075
  Government Records Access and Management Task Force: This bill creates the Government Records Access Management Task Force and sets forth its duties.
• HB-150
  Water Rights Fees: This bill allows the state engineer to charge fees to certain public entities in certain situations.
• HB-152S02
  County Option Sales and Use Tax for Agricultural Land, Open Land, and Recreational Facilities Act: This bill allows counties to enact a sales and use tax for the purposes of agricultural land protection and watershed protection.
• HB-154
  School and Institutional Trust Lands Amendments:  This bill modifies the School and Institutional Trust Lands Management Act by authorizing certain information to be required of providers (prospective applicants, applicants, partners, and lessees).
• HB-157
  Water Enforcement Procedures and Penalties:  This bill modifies the state engineer’s enforcement and penalty processes.
• HB-160
  Wildlife Agents Reporting Requirements: This bill would allow license agents reporting requirements to be determined in DWR Administrative Rule.
• HB-168
  Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Amendments: This bill allows cooperative wildlife management units for turkey.
• HB-173
  State Employee Amendments:  This bill modifies the Utah State Personnel Management Act to amend salary survey and line of duty death benefits provisions.  It amends provisions for obtaining salary information for comparable unusual positions requiring recruitment from “surrounding western” to “other” states.  It also amends the unused sick leave benefits for the surviving family of an employee who dies in the line of duty to repeal the dental benefit, repeal the five-year maximum insurance coverage provision, and provide the same group health coverage that previously covered the surviving family.
• HB-177
  Wildlife License Refund Amendments: This bill amends wildlife license refund provisions to provide for a refund if a person becomes ill or suffers an injury that precludes that person from being able to participate in the activity for which the license, certificate, or permit was issued.
• HB-180S01
  Retirement Office Amendments: This bill modifies the Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act, including numerous technical and conforming amendments.
• HB-181
  Duplicate Wildlife Licensing Amendments: This bill allows the Wildlife Board to set rules regarding duplicate licenses, permits, tags, or certificates of registration.
• HB-182S01
  Historic Livestock Trails: This bill provides a defense for an owner of livestock whose livestock damages property abutting an historical livestock trail that is not fenced.  It also enacts provisions allowing a prescriptive easement for an historical livestock trail.
• HB-205
  Deer Hunt Opening Season Amendments:  This bill grants the Wildlife Board the ability to set the general season deer hunt commencement date.
• HB-213
  Unused Sick Leave at Retirement Amendments:  This bill modifies the Utah State Personnel Management Act by making many changes to the current unused sick leave at retirement provisions.
• HB-229
  Water Rights in Irrigation Companies: This bill specifies that in an action by the shareholder against the water company, if mediation is declined, the prevailing party shall be entitled to damages.
• HB-242
  Criminal Penalty for Animal Cruelty:  This bill amends the Criminal Code regarding animal cruelty.
• HB-264S02
  State Land Use Management Plans Amendments:  This bill modifies the duties of the state planning coordinator to require the state planning coordinator to consider certain findings and policy considerations when developing state policies, plans, and programs relating to federal lands and natural resources on federal lands.
• HB-266
  Changes to Quality Growth Commission: This bill modifies several provisions related to the Quality Growth Commission.
• HB-308S03
  Archeological Resources Amendments:  This bill declares that historical preservation must be kept in balance with other uses of state land and natural resources.  It also provides for an analysis of proposed undertakings on lands owned or controlled by the state, and it directs a Legislative interim committee to perform a study and make recommendations regarding the most appropriate location for the analysis of proposed undertakings on lands owned or controlled by the state.
• HB-332
  Possession of a Dangerous Weapon in a Vehicle:  This bill modifies provisions of the Utah Code related to the possession, transporting, and storing of a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
• HCR-010
  Concurrent Resolution Honoring Waldo Wilcox for Preservation of Range Creek Area: This resolution honors Waldo Wilcox for preserving the Range Creek area so that its archeological sites can be studied and preserved for the benefit of future generations.
• SB-027
  Sunset Reauthorizations:  This bill reauthorizes certain state entities and programs that would otherwise sunset before the 2006 Annual General Session of the Utah Legislature.  It does not reauthorize the Resources Development Coordinating Committee, which sunsets on July 1, 2005.
• SB-041
  School and Institutional Trust Lands Management Act Revisions:  This bill modifies mineral leasing procedures on school and institutional trust lands.
• SB-043S02
  Penalty for Providing False Information to State Agency:  This bill modifies the Criminal Code by expanding certain penalties for providing false information to also apply to false information provided to state or local agencies.
• SB-044S01
  Government Records Amendments: This bill modifies numerous provisions of the Government Records Access and Management Act.
• SB-073
  Tampering with Evidence:  This bill amends the Criminal Code to include tampering with evidence with the intent to prevent an official proceeding as a criminal offense.
• SB-079
  Extension of Sunset Date on Resources Development Coordinating Committee: This bill extends the sunset date for the Resource Development Coordinating Committee through July 1, 2015.
• SB-085
  Federal Research Committee: This bill creates the Federal Research Committee to review and make recommendations about federal installations pertaining to Utah and federal programs pertaining to Utah.
• SB-099
  Damages for Trespass in State Parks:  This bill amends the civil damages provision for criminal trespass on state park lands to provide for single damages rather than treble damages.
• SB-101
  Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act Revision: This bill clarifies that an agency authorized to make administrative rules is also authorized to amend or repeal those rules.
• SB-120
  Allocation of Profits from School and Institutional Trust Lands:  This bill requires that trust lands revenues distributed for the benefit of the state’s normal schools be allocated to colleges in proportion to the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded by the colleges in the previous fiscal year.
• SB-129
  Brine Shrimp Royalty Act Amendments:  This bill changes the amount of the brine shrimp royalty described in the Brine Shrimp Royalty Act.
• SB-148
  Conservation Easement Endowment Restricted Account:  This bill would create a restricted account known as the Conservation Easement Monitoring Endowment Account to be used to monitor or assist in the maintenance of conservation easements held by the divisions of the Department of Natural Resources.
• SB-154
  Public Safety Retirement Amendments:  This bill modifies the Utah State Retirement Act by increasing the cost-of-living allowance for members of the Public Safety Retirement Systems.
• SB-175
  Weapons Amendments:  This bill modifies provisions of the Utah Criminal Code dealing with the possession and carrying of weapons, including removing the prohibition on carrying a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle.
• SB-187S01
  Special Hunting Permits for Antelope Island:  This bill allows the Wildlife Board to set rules regarding the issuance of special hunting permits on Antelope Island, and if the Wildlife Board issues deer and bighorn sheep permits, the Board of Parks and Recreation must issue bison permits and allow access for hunting and camping activities related to the use of those special hunting permits on Antelope Island.
• SB-198
  Local Law Enforcement Authority for Wildlife Resources and State Parks: Current bill has no wording
• SB-204S01
  Sales and Use Tax Diversions:  This bill requires that certain state sales and use tax revenues ($3,000,000 each year) be transferred as dedicated credits to and used by the Department of Natural Resources for watershed rehabilitation or restoration.
• SB-239
  Public Lands Policy Coordination:  This bill creates the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office and the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Council.
• SCR-004
  Resolution Approving Utah Recreational Land Exchange:  This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor supports a proposed exchange of state school and institutional trust lands and mineral interests for federal lands and mineral interests.  All lands and mineral interests proposed for exchange are located in northeastern Utah.