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<leg xml:space="preserve" billnum="HB0222" sponsor="Carl R. Albrecht" designation="HB" otherSponsor="Heidi Balderree" otherHouse="Senate" subNumber="01" subSponsor="Carl R. Albrecht" sess="2026GS" fileno="2026FL0944" date="02-24-26" printDate="03-10 16:12" subVer="-2" minVer="1" office="LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL" actionDate="" impact="code"><info><nextbuid>3</nextbuid><aminfo anum="0" effdate="05/06/2026"><seclist><sect action="A" src="code" buid="1" uid="C78B-4-S515_2026050620260506" fromuid="C78B-4-S515_1800010118000101" sort="78B04 05150020260506" mtype="section" effdate="05/06/2026">78B-4-515</sect><sect src="uncod" untype="effdate" buid="2" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" mtype="uncod" effdate="05/06/2026"/></seclist></aminfo></info><tbox><sinfo><nextpairid>0</nextpairid></sinfo><st numlevel="1" lineno="1" slineno="0-1">Limitation of Actions Amendments</st><sessionhead>2026 GENERAL SESSION</sessionhead><statehead>STATE OF UTAH</statehead><sponsorhead>Chief Sponsor: Carl R. Albrecht</sponsorhead><otherSponsorhead>Senate Sponsor: Heidi Balderree</otherSponsorhead></tbox><lt numlevel="1" lineno="2" slineno="0-2"><lthead lineno="3">LONG TITLE</lthead><gdhead lineno="4">General Description:</gdhead><gd numlevel="1" lineno="5" slineno="0-5">This bill addresses the liability of a person for damage or injury caused by greenhouse gas <ln numlevel="1" lineno="6" slineno="0-6"/>emissions.</gd><hphead lineno="7">Highlighted Provisions:</hphead><hp numlevel="1" lineno="8" slineno="0-8">This bill:<hl numlevel="1" lineno="9" slineno="0-9" level="1">defines terms;</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="10" slineno="0-10" level="1">clarifies the limitation on liability of a person for damage or injury caused by greenhouse <ln numlevel="1" lineno="11" slineno="0-11"/>gas emissions;</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="12" slineno="0-12" level="1">removes the requirement that a person reside or do business in this state to qualify for <ln numlevel="1" lineno="13" slineno="0-13"/>limited liability for damage or injury caused by greenhouse gas emissions; and</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="14" slineno="0-14" level="1">makes technical and conforming changes.</hl></hp><moni numlevel="1" lineno="15" slineno="0-15" display="none">Money Appropriated in this Bill:</moni><moniNone lineno="16">None</moniNone><oc numlevel="1" lineno="17" slineno="0-17">Other Special Clauses:</oc><ocNone lineno="18">None</ocNone><sa numlevel="1" lineno="19" slineno="0-19">Utah Code Sections Affected:<saamd numlevel="1" lineno="20" slineno="0-20"><snhead>AMENDS:</snhead><sn num="78B-4-515" src="code" uid="C78B-4-S515_2026050620260506" buid="1" sort="78B04 05150020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="21" slineno="0-21"><bold>78B-4-515</bold>, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 340</sn></saamd></sa></lt><enacthead lineno="22"/><enact numlevel="1" lineno="23" slineno="0-23">Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:</enact><bdy><bsec buid="1" num="78B-4-515" type="amend" src="code" uid="C78B-4-S515_2026050620260506" sort="78B04 05150020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="24" slineno="1-1" sn="1"><section number="78B-4-515" numlevel="1" lineno="25" slineno="1-2" type="amend"><secline lineno="24">Section 1. Section <bold>78B-4-515</bold> is amended to read:</secline><catline lineno="25"><bold>78B-4-515<parens/>. Limitation on liability for greenhouse gases.</bold></catline><subsection ssid="1-null-1" dnum="1-o:_-e" numlevel="1" lineno="26" slineno="1-3" ea="erase" anum="0" owner="admin" style="2" level="1" placement="noreturn"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1000" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="start">(1)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="37" groupid="29" style="2" owner="admin" level="1" deltag="end">"Greenhouse gas" means water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, <ln numlevel="1" lineno="27" slineno="1-4"/>and chlorofluorocarbons.</amend><amendoutend style="2"/></subsection><subsection ssid="1-18" dnum="_-o:1-e" numlevel="1" lineno="28" slineno="1-5" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="1"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1001" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(1)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="73" groupid="53" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">As used in this section, "greenhouse gas" means any of the following, whether derived <ln numlevel="1" lineno="29" slineno="1-6"/>from human activity or a natural source:</amend><subsection ssid="1-19" dnum="_-o:a-e" numlevel="1" lineno="30" slineno="1-7" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1002" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(a)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="81" groupid="59" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">carbon dioxide;</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-20" dnum="_-o:b-e" numlevel="1" lineno="31" slineno="1-8" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1003" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(b)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="86" groupid="63" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">methane;</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-21" dnum="_-o:c-e" numlevel="1" lineno="32" slineno="1-9" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1004" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(c)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="91" groupid="67" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">nitrous oxide;</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-22" dnum="_-o:d-e" numlevel="1" lineno="33" slineno="1-10" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1005" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(d)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="96" groupid="71" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">sulfur hexafluoride;</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-23" dnum="_-o:e-e" numlevel="1" lineno="34" slineno="1-11" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1006" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(e)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="101" groupid="75" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">hydrofluorocarbons;</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-24" dnum="_-o:f-e" numlevel="1" lineno="35" slineno="1-12" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1007" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(f)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="106" groupid="79" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">perfluorocarbons; or</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-25" dnum="_-o:g-e" numlevel="1" lineno="36" slineno="1-13" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1008" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(g)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="111" groupid="83" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">nitrogen trifluoride.</amend></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-2" dnum="2-o" numlevel="1" lineno="37" slineno="1-14" level="1" space="false"><display>(2)</display><subsection ssid="1-9" dnum="_-o:a-e" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2" placement="sameline"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1010" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="both">(a)</amend></display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="18" groupid="14" style="2" owner="admin" level="1" deltag="both">A person residing or doing business in this state may not be held liable for <ln numlevel="1" lineno="38" slineno="1-15"/>damage or injury to another arising out of any actual or potential effect on climate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="39" slineno="1-16"/>caused by contributions to emissions of greenhouse gases unless it can be proved by <ln numlevel="1" lineno="40" slineno="1-17"/>clear and convincing evidence that the person has:</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="26" groupid="18" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">A person is not civilly or <ln numlevel="1" lineno="41" slineno="1-18"/>criminally liable, and may not be subject to any judicial remedy under any principle <ln numlevel="1" lineno="42" slineno="1-19"/>of law or equity, for damage or injury from any actual or potential effect on climate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="43" slineno="1-20"/>caused wholly or partly by greenhouse gas emissions, unless a court finds by clear <ln numlevel="1" lineno="44" slineno="1-21"/>and convincing evidence that the person has:</amend><subsection ssid="1-null-3" dnum="a-o:i-e" numlevel="1" lineno="45" slineno="1-22" level="3" tab="1"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1011" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(a)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1012" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(i)</amend></display>violated an enforceable statutory limitation or restriction against emissions of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="46" slineno="1-23"/>a specific greenhouse gas originating within this state; or</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-4" dnum="b-o:ii-e" numlevel="1" lineno="47" slineno="1-24" level="3" tab="1"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1012" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(b)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1013" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(ii)</amend></display>violated the express terms of a valid, enforceable operating, air, or other <ln numlevel="1" lineno="48" slineno="1-25"/>permit issued by a state or federal regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over the <amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="28" groupid="20" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="both"><ln numlevel="1" lineno="49" slineno="1-26"/>person's </amend>greenhouse gas emissions<amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="29" groupid="21" style="2" owner="admin" level="1" deltag="both"> of the person or business</amend><amendoutend style="2"/>.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-10" dnum="_-o:b-e" numlevel="1" lineno="50" slineno="1-27" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="admin" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1013" style="1" owner="e" level="1" amendtag="start">(b)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="16" groupid="12" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="end">Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="78B-4-515(2)(a)">(2)(a)</xref> applies regardless of the cause of action or type of relief sought, <ln numlevel="1" lineno="51" slineno="1-28"/>whether legal or equitable.</amend></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-5" dnum="3-o" numlevel="1" lineno="52" slineno="1-29" level="1"><display>(3)</display>The person bringing the action shall:<subsection ssid="1-null-6" dnum="a-o" numlevel="1" lineno="53" slineno="1-30" level="2"><display>(a)</display>specify each greenhouse gas emitted by the defendant which is asserted to give rise <ln numlevel="1" lineno="54" slineno="1-31"/>to the cause of action; and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-7" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="55" slineno="1-32" level="2"><display>(b)</display>show by clear and convincing evidence that unavoidable and identifiable damage or <ln numlevel="1" lineno="56" slineno="1-33"/>injury has resulted or will result as a direct cause of the defendant's violation of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="57" slineno="1-34"/>statutory and permitting limits.</subsection></subsection></section></bsec><bsec buid="2" type="uncod" untype="effdate" src="uncod" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" langlock="true" numlevel="1" lineno="58" slineno="2-1" sn="2"><section type="uncod" untype="effdate" display="false" src="uncod"><secline lineno="58">Section 2.  <bold>Effective Date.</bold></secline><sectionText lineno="59"><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1" groupid="1" style="1" owner="admin" level="1" amendtag="both">This bill takes effect on <effdate uid="code" date="5/6/2026">May 6, 2026</effdate>.</amend></sectionText></section></bsec></bdy><foot><rev><tm>2-24-26 9:52 PM</tm></rev></foot></leg>