H.B. 67 Enrolled

             1     

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION JURISDICTION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Marc K. Roberts

             5     
Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions of Title 11, Chapter 51, Local Jurisdiction Related to
             10      Federally Managed Land Act.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines terms;
             14          .    authorizes a chief executive officer of a political subdivision or county sheriff to
             15      exercise jurisdiction over a federally managed national monument or recreation area
             16      in the state that is encompassed by or adjacent to the political subdivision;
             17          .    provides that the attorney general shall take certain actions if a legal action is filed
             18      by the United States or a federal representative against a chief executive officer, a
             19      county sheriff, or an employee or agent of the chief executive officer or county
             20      sheriff; and
             21          .    makes technical corrections.
             22      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             23          None
             24      Other Special Clauses:
             25          None
             26      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             27      AMENDS:
             28           11-51-102 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 342
             29           11-51-103 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 342


             30      ENACTS:
             31           11-51-104 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 11-51-102 is amended to read:
             35           11-51-102. Definitions.
             36          As used in this chapter:
             37          (1) "Chief executive officer" means:
             38          (a) for a municipality:
             39          (i) the mayor, if the municipality is operating under a form of municipal government
             40      other than the council-manager form of government; or
             41          (ii) the city manager, if the municipality is operating under the council-manager form
             42      of government; or
             43          (b) for a county:
             44          (i) the chair of the county commission, if the county is operating under the county
             45      commission or expanded county commission form of government;
             46          (ii) the county executive officer, if the county is operating under the county-executive
             47      council form of government; or
             48          (iii) the county manager, if the county is operating under the council-manager form of
             49      government.
             50          (2) "County sheriff" means an individual elected to the office of county sheriff in the
             51      state who meets the qualifications described in Section 17-22-1.5 .
             52          (3) "Federal agency" means the United States Bureau of Land Management [or], the
             53      United States Forest Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the National Park
             54      Service.
             55          (4) "Federally managed land" means land that is managed by the United States Bureau
             56      of Land Management [or], the United States Forest Service, or the National Park Service.
             57          (5) "National monument" means a national monument designated or declared in


             58      accordance with the Antiquities Act of 1906, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 431 et seq.
             59          (6) "National recreation area" means a recreation area designated by an act of
             60      Congress.
             61          [(5)] (7) "Political subdivision" means a municipality or county.
             62          Section 2. Section 11-51-103 is amended to read:
             63           11-51-103. Local jurisdiction related to federally managed land -- Written notice
             64      -- Mitigation action.
             65          (1) (a) The authority of a chief executive officer of a political subdivision or county
             66      sheriff to exercise jurisdiction [over] on federally managed land, a national monument, or a
             67      national recreation area in the state that is [encompassed by or adjacent to the] wholly or
             68      partially situated within a political subdivision includes the following:
             69          [(1)] (i) if the action or inaction of a federal agency related to federally managed land, a
             70      national monument, or a national recreation area threatens to adversely [affects or constitutes
             71      an imminent threat to] affect the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the political
             72      subdivision, the chief executive officer or county sheriff may, after consulting with the attorney
             73      general, provide written notice to the federal agency, which notice shall:
             74          [(a)] (ii) be delivered to the federal agency by hand or by certified mail and a copy
             75      provided by certified mail to the governor, the [state] attorney general, and the state's
             76      congressional delegation;
             77          [(b)] (iii) include a detailed explanation of how the action or inaction of the federal
             78      agency related to federally managed land, a national monument, or a national recreation area
             79      threatens to adversely [affects or constitutes an imminent threat to] affect the health, safety, or
             80      welfare of the people of the political subdivision;
             81          [(c)] (iv) include a detailed description of the action the federal agency should take to
             82      mitigate the risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the political subdivision; and
             83          [(d)] (v) provide a specific date by which time the federal agency should respond to the
             84      notice; and
             85          [(2)] (b) if after receiving notice as described in Subsection (1)(a)(ii), the federal


             86      agency does not respond by the date requested in the notice, or otherwise indicates that it is
             87      unwilling to take action to mitigate the risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the
             88      political subdivision described in the notice[,]:
             89          (i) the chief executive officer or county sheriff [may take action to mitigate the risk to
             90      the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the political subdivision.] shall consult with the
             91      county attorney and attorney general; and
             92          (ii) the attorney general shall send within 20 days of consulting with the chief
             93      executive officer or county sheriff a written notice to the federal agency stating what legal
             94      steps, if any, the attorney general will take to protect the people of the political subdivision
             95      from the threat to their health, safety, or welfare.
             96          (2) (a) If an action or inaction of a federal agency related to federally managed land, a
             97      national monument, or a national recreation area constitutes an imminent threat to the health,
             98      safety, or welfare of the people of the political subdivision, the chief executive officer or
             99      county sheriff may, after consulting with the attorney general, provide written notice to the
             100      federal agency.
             101          (b) The chief executive officer or county sheriff shall:
             102          (i) deliver the notice described in Subsection (2)(a) to the federal agency in person or
             103      by certified mail;
             104          (ii) provide a copy of the notice by certified mail to the governor, the attorney general,
             105      and the state's congressional delegation; and
             106          (iii) include in the notice:
             107          (A) a detailed explanation of how the federal agency's action or inaction constitutes an
             108      imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the political subdivision;
             109          (B) a detailed description of the action that the federal agency should take to eliminate
             110      the imminent threat; and
             111          (C) provide a specific date by which the federal agency should respond to the notice,
             112      either with action or by written communication.
             113          (3) If a federal agency does not respond, either with action or in written


             114      communication, to a notice described in Subsection (2)(b) by the date described in Subsection
             115      (2)(b)(iii)(C), or otherwise indicates that the agency is unwilling to take action, the chief
             116      executive officer or county sheriff may, after additional consultation with the county attorney
             117      and attorney general, take action and exercise necessary jurisdictional authority to mitigate the
             118      risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the political subdivision.
             119          Section 3. Section 11-51-104 is enacted to read:
             120          11-51-104. Attorney general duties.
             121          (1) If the United States or a federal representative brings a legal action or a proceeding
             122      against a chief executive officer, a county sheriff, or an employee or agent of a chief executive
             123      officer or county sheriff for taking action to exercise the jurisdictional authority described in
             124      this chapter, and that action is taken to mitigate an imminent threat to the health, safety, or
             125      welfare of the people of a political subdivision in accordance with Section 11-51-103 , the
             126      attorney general shall:
             127          (a) review the legal action brought by the United States or federal representative;
             128          (b) investigate the matter, including conducting interviews of the chief executive
             129      officer, county sheriff, or employees or agents of the political subdivision; and
             130          (c) decide in the attorney general's discretion whether to provide a defense for a person
             131      named as a defendant in the legal action.
             132          (2) If the attorney general determines to provide or not provide a defense to a person
             133      named as a defendant in a legal action described in Subsection (1), that determination does not
             134      imply:
             135          (a) a position or opinion by the attorney general as to the merits of the legal action; and
             136          (b) a duty or agreement by the state to pay a monetary judgment for the United States
             137      or federal representative that may be obtained against a person named in the legal action.
             138          (3) Subsections (1) and (2) may not be interpreted to prohibit a county from:
             139          (a) reviewing a legal action described in Subsection (1);
             140          (b) investigating the matter, including conducting interviews;
             141          (c) providing a defense for a person named as a defendant in the legal action; or


             142          (d) assisting the attorney general with a duty described in this section.


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