MINUTES OF THE
HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • 2:00 p.m. • 120 Senate Building


Members Present:
Rep. Walt Brooks, Chair
Rep. Rex P. Shipp, Vice Chair
Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion
Rep. Scott H. Chew
Rep. Tim Jimenez
Rep. Steven J. Lund
Rep. Doug Owens
Rep. Thomas W. Peterson
Rep. Casey Snider
Rep. Keven J. Stratton
Rep. Christine F. Watkins

Members Absent:
Rep. Bridger Bolinder
Rep. Michael L. Kohler
Speaker Mike Schultz

Staff Present:
Charley Hart, Policy Analyst
Tisha Gibby, Committee Secretary

Note: A copy of related materials and an audio recording of the meeting can be found at www.le.utah.gov.
Chair Shipp called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m.
MOTION:Rep. Watkins moved to approve the January 18, 2024 minutes.The motion passed with a vote of 7-0-7.
Yeas - 7Nays- 0Abs- 7
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. C. Snider
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. K. Stratton
1.H.B. 275 Water Amendments (Snider, C.)
Rep. Snider presented the bill.
Wade Garrett, Vice President of Public Affairs, Utah Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of the bill.
Joel Williams, Deputy Director, Utah Division of Water Resources, spoke to the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Lund moved to replace H.B. 275 with 1st Substitute H.B. 275.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. C. Snider
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
MOTION:Rep. Watkins moved to pass 1st Substitute H.B. 275 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. C. Snider
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
2.S.B. 20 Agricultural and Wildlife Damage Prevention Board Amendments (Sandall, S.)
Sen. Scott Sandall presented the bill.
Terry Camp, Vice President of Public Policy, Utah Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of the bill.
Leann Hunting, Director, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Stratton moved to pass S.B. 20 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
3.1st Sub. S.B. 57 Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act (Sandall, S.)
Sen. Sandall presented the bill.
Nicholeen Peck, President, Worldwide Organization for Women, spoke in favor of the bill.
Chase Thomas, Executive Director, Alliance for a Better Utah, spoke against the bill.
Teena Horlacher, Chair, Davis County Conservatives, spoke to the bill.
Redge Johnson, Director, Utah Public Lands, spoke in favor of the bill.
Whit Cook, Legislative Director, Utah Eagle Forum, spoke to the bill.
Maryann Christensen, Utah Legislative Watch, spoke in favor of the bill.
Kael Weston, citizen, spoke against the bill.
Kaelin Stanley, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, spoke against the bill.
Robert Brown, citizen, spoke in favor of the bill.
Leah Hansen, citizen, spoke in favor of the bill.
Kathy Adams, citizen, spoke against the bill.
Blue Herbst, citizen, spoke against the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Stratton moved to replace 1st Substitute S.B. 57 with 2nd Substitute S.B. 57.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
MOTION:Rep. Stratton moved to pass 2nd Substitute S.B. 57 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 8-2-4.
Yeas - 8Nays- 2Abs- 4
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
4.H.B. 52 Industrial Hemp Amendments (Dailey-Provost, J.)
Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost presented the bill with the assistance of Brandon Forsyth, Director, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Dani Palmer, Utah Eagle Forum, spoke to the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Watkins moved to amend H.B. 52 with Amendment #1.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Amendment 1
H.B. 52
1 .        Page 1, Lines 8 through 11 :  Page 1, Lines 8 through 11
8         { Committee Note:
9                 The Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee
10         recommended this bill.
11                                                 Legislative Vote:14 voting for0 voting against5 absent }

2 .        Page 7, Lines 197 through 200 :  Page 7, Lines 197 through 200
197                 (3) { The } Beginning January 1, 2025, the department shall provide to the State Tax Commission:
198                 (a) a regularly updated list of every retailer permittee that sells a cannabinoid product;
199                 (b) any information obtained by the department regarding a person who is not a retailer
200         permittee and is selling a cannabinoid product; and

3 .        Page 69, Lines 2120 through 2122 :  Page 69, Lines 2120 through 2122
2120                 (3) { Money } Subject to appropriation, money in the account may be used for the following:
2121                 (a) enforcement of Title 4, Chapter 41, Hemp and Cannabinoid Act by the Department
2122         of Agriculture and Food;

4 .        Page 74, Lines 2269 through 2277 :  Page 74, Lines 2269 through 2277
2269                 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on January 1, 2025.
2270                 (2) { The the actions affecting the following sections take effect on May 1, 2024 } If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, the actions affecting the following sections take effect upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto override :
2271                 (a) Section 4-41-102;
2272                 (b) Section 4-41-103.1
(c) Section 4-41-103.4;
2273                   { (c) } (d) Section 4-41-105;
2274                   { (d) } (e) Section 4-41-106;
2275                   { (e) } (f) Section 26A-1-114;
2276                   { (f) } (g) Section 58-37-2; and
2277                   { (g) } (h) Section 58-37-3.6.

Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
MOTION:Rep. Watkins moved to pass H.B. 52 out favorably as amended.The motion passed with a vote of 9-1-4.
Yeas - 9Nays- 1Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
5.H.B. 206 Columbia Interstate Compact Amendments (Peterson, T.)
Rep. Peterson presented the bill.
Teresa Wilhelmsen, State Engineer and Director of Utah Division of Water Rights, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Bennion moved to pass H.B. 206 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-5.
Yeas - 9Nays- 0Abs- 5
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
6.H.B. 295 Produced Water Amendments (Lund, S.)
6 HB0295 Produced Water Amendments
Rep. Lund presented the bill with the assistance of Rikki Hrenko-Browning, President, Utah Petroleum Association.
Wade Garrett, Utah Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of the bill.
Alan Walker, Operations Director, Energy and Geoscience Institute, University of Utah, spoke in favor of the bill.
Teresa Wilhelmsen, State Engineer and Director of Utah Division of Water Rights, spoke in favor of the bill.
Bart Kettle, Deputy Director, Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, spoke in favor of the bill and explained the bill's fiscal note.
Warren Peterson, Utah Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION:Rep. Chew moved to pass H.B. 295 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
MOTION:Rep. Peterson moved to adjourn.The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-4.
Yeas - 10Nays- 0Abs- 4
Rep. G. Bennion
Rep. W. Brooks
Rep. S. Chew
Rep. T. Jimenez
Rep. S. Lund
Rep. D. Owens
Rep. T. Peterson
Rep. R. Shipp
Rep. K. Stratton
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. B. Bolinder
Rep. M. Kohler
Rep. M. Schultz
Rep. C. Snider
Chair Shipp adjourned the meeting at 4:17 p.m.