1     
SEVERANCE TAX REVENUE AMENDMENTS

2     
2023 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

5     
House Sponsor: Steven J. Lund

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies provisions related to the deposit of severance tax revenue into state
10     agency accounts.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     clarifies the timing for the deposit of severance tax revenue into state agency
14     accounts.
15     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16          None
17     Other Special Clauses:
18          This bill provides retrospective operation.
19     Utah Code Sections Affected:
20     AMENDS:
21          51-9-306, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 401
22     

23     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24          Section 1. Section 51-9-306 is amended to read:
25          51-9-306. Deposit of certain severance tax revenue for specified state agencies.
26          (1) As used in this section:
27          (a) "Aggregate annual revenue" means the aggregate annual revenue collected in a

28     fiscal year from the taxes imposed under Title 59, Chapter 5, Severance Tax on Oil, Gas, and
29     Mining, after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Sections 51-9-305,
30     59-5-116, and 59-5-119.
31          (b) "Aggregate annual mining revenue" means the aggregate annual revenue collected
32     in a fiscal year from taxes imposed under Title 59, Chapter 5, Part 2, Mining Severance Tax,
33     after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Section 51-9-305.
34          (c) "Aggregate annual oil and gas revenue" means the aggregate annual revenue
35     collected in a fiscal year from the taxes imposed under Title 59, Chapter 5, Part 1, Oil and Gas
36     Severance Tax, after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Sections
37     51-9-305, 59-5-116, and 59-5-119.
38          (d) "Average aggregate annual revenue" means the three-year rolling average of the
39     aggregate annual revenue collected in a fiscal year from the taxes imposed under Title 59,
40     Chapter 5, Severance Tax on Oil, Gas, and Mining:
41          (i) after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Sections 51-9-305,
42     59-5-116, and 59-5-119; and
43          (ii) ending in the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year of a deposit required
44     by this section.
45          (e) "Average aggregate annual mining revenue" means the three-year rolling average of
46     the aggregate annual revenue collected in a fiscal year from the taxes imposed under Title 59,
47     Chapter 5, Part 2, Mining Severance Tax:
48          (i) after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Section 51-9-305; and
49          (ii) ending in the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year of a deposit required
50     by this section.
51          (f) "Average aggregate annual oil and gas revenue" means the three-year rolling
52     average of the aggregate annual revenue collected in a fiscal year from the taxes imposed under
53     Title 59, Chapter 5, Part 1, Oil and Gas Severance Tax:
54          (i) after subtracting the amounts required to be distributed under Sections 51-9-305,
55     59-5-116, and 59-5-119; and
56          (ii) ending in the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year of a deposit required
57     by this section.
58          (2) After making the deposits of oil and gas severance tax revenue as required under

59     Sections 59-5-116 and 59-5-119 and making the credits under Section 51-9-305, for a fiscal
60     year beginning on or after July 1, 2021, the State Tax Commission shall annually make the
61     following deposits:
62          (a) to the Division of Air Quality Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in
63     Section 19-2a-106, the following average aggregate annual revenue:
64          (i) 2.75% of the first $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue;
65          (ii) 1% of the next $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue; and
66          (iii) .5% of the average aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
67          (b) to the Division of Water Quality Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created
68     in Section 19-5-126, the following average aggregate annual revenue:
69          (i) .4% of the first $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue;
70          (ii) .15% of the next $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue; and
71          (iii) .08% of the average aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
72          (c) to the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in Section
73     40-6-23, the following:
74          (i) (A) 11.5% of the first $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual mining revenue;
75          (B) 3% of the next $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual mining revenue; and
76          (C) 1% of the average aggregate annual mining revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
77     and
78          (ii) (A) 18% of the first $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual oil and gas
79     revenue;
80          (B) 3% of the next $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual oil and gas revenue;
81     and
82          (C) 1% of the average aggregate annual oil and gas revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
83     and
84          (d) to the Utah Geological Survey Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in
85     Section 79-3-403, the following average aggregate annual revenue:
86          (i) 2.5% of the first $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue;
87          (ii) 1% of the next $50,000,000 of the average aggregate annual revenue; and
88          (iii) .5% of the average aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000.
89          (3) If the money collected in a fiscal year from the taxes imposed under Title 59,

90     Chapter 5, Severance Tax on Oil, Gas, and Mining, is insufficient to make the deposits
91     required by Subsection (2), the State Tax Commission shall deposit money collected in the
92     fiscal year as follows:
93          (a) to the Division of Air Quality Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in
94     Section 19-2a-106, the following revenue:
95          (i) 2.75% of the first $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue;
96          (ii) 1% of the next $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue; and
97          (iii) .5% of the aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
98          (b) to the Division of Water Quality Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created
99     in Section 19-5-126, the following revenue:
100          (i) .4% of the first $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue;
101          (ii) .15% of the next $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue; and
102          (iii) .08% of the aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000;
103          (c) to the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in Section
104     40-6-23, the following:
105          (i) (A) 11.5% of the first $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual mining revenue;
106          (B) 3% of the next $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual mining revenue; and
107          (C) 1% of the aggregate annual mining revenue that exceeds $100,000,000; and
108          (ii) (A) 18% of the first $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual oil and gas revenue;
109          (B) 3% of the next $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual oil and gas revenue; and
110          (C) 1% of the aggregate annual oil and gas revenue that exceeds $100,000,000; and
111          (d) to the Utah Geological Survey Oil, Gas, and Mining Restricted Account, created in
112     Section 79-3-403, the following revenue:
113          (i) 2.5% of the first $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue;
114          (ii) 1% of the next $50,000,000 of the aggregate annual revenue; and
115          (iii) .5% of the aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000.
116          (4) The severance tax revenues deposited under this section into restricted accounts for
117     the state agencies specified in Subsection (2) and appropriated from the restricted accounts
118     offset and supplant General Fund appropriations used to pay the costs of programs or projects
119     administered by the state agencies that are primarily related to oil, gas, and mining.
120          Section 2. Retrospective operation.

121          This bill provides retrospective operation to July 1, 2021.