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<leg xml:space="preserve" billnum="HB0222" sponsor="Carl R. Albrecht" designation="HB" otherSponsor="" otherHouse="Senate" sess="2026GS" fileno="2026FL0944" date="1/9/2026 16:01:997" printDate="01-09 16:30" subVer="0" minVer="0" 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: </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">clarifies the limitation on liability of a person for damage or injury caused by greenhouse <ln numlevel="1" lineno="10" slineno="0-10"/>gas emissions;</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="11" slineno="0-11" level="1">removes the requirement that a person reside or do business in this state to qualify for <ln numlevel="1" lineno="12" slineno="0-12"/>limited liability for damage or injury caused by greenhouse gas emissions; and</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="13" slineno="0-13" level="1">makes technical and conforming changes.</hl></hp><moni numlevel="1" lineno="14" slineno="0-14" display="none">Money Appropriated in this Bill:</moni><moniNone lineno="15">None</moniNone><oc numlevel="1" lineno="16" slineno="0-16">Other Special Clauses:</oc><ocNone lineno="17">None</ocNone><sa numlevel="1" lineno="18" slineno="0-18">Utah Code Sections Affected:<saamd numlevel="1" lineno="19" slineno="0-19"><snhead>AMENDS:</snhead><sn num="78B-4-515" src="code" uid="C78B-4-S515_2026050620260506" buid="1" sort="78B04 05150020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="20" slineno="0-20"><bold>78B-4-515</bold>, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 340</sn></saamd></sa></lt><enacthead lineno="21"/><enact numlevel="1" lineno="22" slineno="0-22">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="23" slineno="1-1" sn="1"><section number="78B-4-515" numlevel="1" lineno="24" slineno="1-2" type="amend"><secline lineno="23">Section 1. Section <bold>78B-4-515</bold> is amended to read:</secline><catline lineno="24"><bold>78B-4-515<parens/>. Limitation on liability for greenhouse gases.</bold></catline><subsection ssid="1-null-1" dnum="1-o" numlevel="1" lineno="25" slineno="1-3" level="1" placement="noreturn"><display>(1)</display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="37" groupid="29" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both">"Greenhouse gas"</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="36" groupid="28" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">As used in this section, "greenhouse gas"</amend> means water vapor, carbon <ln numlevel="1" lineno="26" slineno="1-4"/>dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, <amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="32" groupid="24" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both">and</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="31" groupid="23" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">or</amend> chlorofluorocarbons.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-2" dnum="2-o" numlevel="1" lineno="27" slineno="1-5" level="1" space="false"><display>(2)</display><subsection ssid="1-9" dnum="_-o:a-i" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="1" level="2" placement="sameline"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1002" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both">(a)</amend></display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="18" groupid="14" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both">A person residing or doing business in this state may not be held liable for <ln numlevel="1" lineno="28" slineno="1-6"/>damage or injury to another arising out of any actual or potential effect on climate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="29" slineno="1-7"/>caused by contributions to emissions of greenhouse gases unless it can be proved by <ln numlevel="1" lineno="30" slineno="1-8"/>clear and convincing evidence that the person has:</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="26" groupid="18" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">A person is not civilly or <ln numlevel="1" lineno="31" slineno="1-9"/>criminally liable, and may not be subject to any judicial remedy under any principle <ln numlevel="1" lineno="32" slineno="1-10"/>of law or equity, for damage or injury from any actual or potential effect on climate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="33" slineno="1-11"/>caused wholly or partly by greenhouse gas emissions, unless a court finds by clear <ln numlevel="1" lineno="34" slineno="1-12"/>and convincing evidence that the person has:</amend><subsection ssid="1-null-3" dnum="a-o:i-i" numlevel="1" lineno="35" slineno="1-13" level="3" tab="1"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1003" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(a)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1004" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(i)</amend></display>violated an enforceable statutory limitation or restriction against emissions of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="36" slineno="1-14"/>a specific greenhouse gas originating within this state; or</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-4" dnum="b-o:ii-i" numlevel="1" lineno="37" slineno="1-15" level="3" tab="1"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1004" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(b)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1005" style="1" owner="i" 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="38" slineno="1-16"/>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="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both"><ln numlevel="1" lineno="39" slineno="1-17"/>person's </amend>greenhouse gas emissions<amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="29" groupid="21" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both"> of the person or business</amend><amendoutend style="2"/>.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-10" dnum="_-o:b-i" numlevel="1" lineno="40" slineno="1-18" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1005" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="start">(b)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="16" groupid="12" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" 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="41" slineno="1-19"/>whether legal or equitable.</amend></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-5" dnum="3-o" numlevel="1" lineno="42" slineno="1-20" level="1"><display>(3)</display>The person bringing the action shall:<subsection ssid="1-null-6" dnum="a-o" numlevel="1" lineno="43" slineno="1-21" level="2"><display>(a)</display>specify each greenhouse gas emitted by the defendant which is asserted to give rise <ln numlevel="1" lineno="44" slineno="1-22"/>to the cause of action; and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-7" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="45" slineno="1-23" level="2"><display>(b)</display>show by clear and convincing evidence that unavoidable and identifiable damage or <ln numlevel="1" lineno="46" slineno="1-24"/>injury has resulted or will result as a direct cause of the defendant's violation of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="47" slineno="1-25"/>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="48" slineno="2-1" sn="2"><section type="uncod" untype="effdate" display="false" src="uncod"><secline lineno="48">Section 2.  <bold>Effective Date.</bold></secline><sectionText lineno="49"><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1" groupid="1" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" 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>1-9-26 4:30 PM</tm></rev></foot></leg>