Description

• provides that, for real property governed by a governing document, a governing document may not prohibit or restrict an owner's installation of a solar energy
  system under certain circumstances;
• provides that a declaration may restrict the size, location, or manner of placement of a solar energy system under certain circumstances;
• provides that an association may, by association rule, restrict an owner's installation of a solar energy system under certain circumstances;

Sponsors

• Sen. Fillmore
• Rep. Gibson

Status

• 2/3 Senate Rules
• 2/6 SSTTPT Not Considered
• 2/17 SSTTPT Substitute to #2
• 2/17 SSTTPT Favorable Recommendation 7-0-0
• 3/1 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed. 23-2-4
• 3/1 Senate to House

Scheduled Hearings

• 2/6 3:00 Senate Building rm 215. SSTTPT AGENDA
• 2/13 2:00 Senate Building rm 215. SSTTPT Agenda

Description

• Allows a local county that imposes a local emissions-compliance fee to use revenues generated from the fee to promote programs to maintain national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
• Local governments charge a compliance fee, paid at vehicle registration ($1-$3) to establish air quality and emissions programs and enforce/maintain them. The money in this “fund” is growing without a real need to improve or expand the current programs in place. This bill allows local governments to create additional programs with this compliance fee and increase the fee at their discretion to enhance air quality within their community as long as it is used to promote programs that are aimed to maintain the NAAQS. Can’t spend the money designated for air quality on something else.

Sponsors

• Rep. Wilde, Logan

Status

• 1/26 House Transportation Favorable Recommendation 10-0-2
• 2/6 House 3rd Reading. Passed 75-0-0 
• 2/8 to STPUT 
• 2/15 STPUT Favorable Recommendation 5-0-2
• 2/23 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed 24-0-5
• 2/23 To Governor for Signature

Scheduled Hearings

• 2/15 8:00am. Senate bldg. rm 215. SSTTPT. AGENDA

History

1/26 House Transportation 10-0-2,

2/6 House vote 75-0-0 after Rep Ivory inserted 'local, state and' before 'national ambient...' on line 157

Description

• Extends the program to remove mercury switches when a vehicle is scrapped for ten years.

Sponsors

• Rep. Lee Perry, R - District 29

Status

• 1/23 - House Passed. To Senate
• 1/26 - Senate to Standing Committee
• 1/30 - To Governor for signature

Scheduled Hearings

• 1/30 2:12 Rotunda rm. 415 SSTNAE Agenda

History

Committee bill, skipped House Committee reading.

Description

• Third Substitute removes the Air Quality Board, Water Quality Board, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Public Service Commission, and the Commission on Service and Volunteerism from the original bill list of 29 boards and commissions to remove the political party affiliation diversity requirement. 
• Sen. Dayton is expected to propose a 4th substitute which would put back the above mentioned boards removed by the third substitute. 
• The bill has passed, with all original 28 boards and commissions affected, including the Air Quality Board, Water Quality Board, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Public Service Commission. The Commission on Service and Volunteerism was removed at the request of the Governor's office. 

Position

OPPOSE. 

Sponsors

• Rep. Norm Thurston, R - Provo
• Sen. Margaret Dayton

Status

• 1/24 Favorable rec. 6-3-1
• 1/26 House/Circled
• 2/4 3rd Substitue Passed House Floor. AUDIO
• 2/10 Senate Gov. Ops. Favorable recommendation, 5-3-0
• 2/16 Senate 3rd Calendar Circled
• 2/17 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed. 22-7-0
• 2/17 House Concurrence. Passed. 44-31-0

Scheduled Hearings

• Tuesday Jan. 24, 2:00. House Government Operations Committee
• 2/10 3:00 Captiol Building rm. 415. SSTGOP AGENDA

Description

• Restricts the authority of a county to exempt a motor vehicle from an emissions test.
• Requires any county which has a current emissions testing program to test diesel vehicles under 14,000 pounds. 

Sponsors

• Rep. Patrice Arent, D - Millcreek
• Sen. Curtis Bramble

Position

SUPPORT. 

Diesel vehicles that fall out of compliance are 7-8 times more polluting than a comparable gasoline vehicle. This bill would require that all non-attainment counties require light and medium duty diesel vehicles and trucks under 14,000 pounds to undergo emissions inspections, including a visual inspection to look for modifications and tampering of emissions control systems. 

• Testing and repairing diesels in Utah County would reduce emissions by 170 tons per year
• $3,500 per ton counting $20 test fee/vehicle and repair costs
• At the last SIP round, the area source rule cost per ton reduced was $280 - 6500/ton
• Cost per ton reduced by industrial sources averaged $25,000

Status

• 1/23 to House Rules
• 2/3 House Transportation. Favorable recommendation, unanimous. 10-0-2
• 2/17 House 3rd Reading. Circled
• 2/24 House 3rd Reading. Passed. 39-29-7
• 2/24 House to Senate
• 3/2 Senate Bus & Labor. Favorable recommendation. 5-0-3

Scheduled Hearings

• 2/3 2:00. State Capitol rm 450. House Transportation. AGENDA
• 3/2 8:00. Senate Building rm 215. Senate Business & Labor. AGENDA

Description

• This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor urges the state to secure
  a portion of the settlement from the approximately $32 million allocated to the state from the Volkswagen settlement funds to begin replacing dirty diesel school buses with clean fuel school buses.
• Urges qualified school districts to bring a plan and a 100% match to obtain a portion of the funds, resulting in an initiative to replace all Utah dirty diesel school buses with one of the numerous clean fuel school bus alternatives.

Sponsors

• Rep. Stephen Handy, R - Layton

Status

• 1/26 House to Standing Committee
• 1/30 HSTPUT Favorable Recommendation
• 2/8 House Floor, passed 3rd reading
• 2/10 Fiscal Note Available
• 2/17 Senate Nat. Resources Favorable Recommendation
• 2/23 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed 23-1-5
• 2/23 To Governor for Signature

Upcoming Hearings

• 1/30 2:00. Rotunda rm. 450 HSTPUT Agenda

Description

• Establishes fines for failing to operate vapor recovery on gasoline cargo tanks. 
• This bill appeared in 2016 session. 

Sponsors

• Rep. Steve Eliason, R - Sandy

Status

• 1/23 House to Standing Committee
• 2/7 House to Senate
• 2/9 Senate Rules to Senate Nat. Resources
• 2/13 Senate Nat. Resources Favorable Recommendation
• 2/15 Senate Passed 2nd Reading 26-0-3
• 2/16 Senate Passed 3rd Reading 28-0-1
• 2/17 House Signed by Speaker. Sent for Enrolling

Upcoming Hearings

• 1/30 2:00. Capitol Building rm. 445 HSTBUS Agenda
• 2/13 2:22. Capitol Building rm. 415 SSTNAE Agenda

History

1/30 Favorable recommendation

2/7 House vote 52-21-1. Little discussion on floor.

Description

• Codifies into state law a rule that prohibits the Division of Air Quality from regulating the burning of solid fuel if the purpose of the burning is "cooking food". 

Position

OPPOSE. Contact Governor Herbert and tell him to VETO HB 65.

Our Veto Request

Dear Governor Herbert,

The Breathe Utah Board of Directors and Staff respectfully ask that you carefully consider the option of vetoing HB 65 -- Air Conservation Act Amendments.

The original intent of HB 65 (“the amendment”) was to create an exemption for home cooks to prepare food with any solid fuel device--barbecue, smoker, wood-fired oven, etc.--without regulation. There is currently no actual or proposed rule for these devices. Under current burn restriction rules, “cooking” is unregulated only because it does not fall under the definition of “comfort heating”, which is specifically regulated. This legislation was drafted and brought forward to preemptively protect home cooking activities. Regardless of that original, simple, though still controversial aim, the bill’s ultimate language has expanded the potential exemption to a full and poorly defined array of commercial and non-commercial burning activities.

There are two aspects to the original bill that expand its impact well beyond its intent. First, the language used in the amendment is ambiguous and broad: there is no clear definition of what constitutes “cooking food”. Therefore, a fire burning even in the thick of a no-burn restriction is subject to the user’s definition, and only a claim that marshmallows were present would be needed to invoke the exemption. Second, the lack of a “non-commercial” designation for the exemption opens it to removing existing restrictions on restaurants. We were pleased when Representative Ward made an amendment on the House floor to limit the exemption to “non-commercial”. However, this language was removed once on the Senate floor, broadening the scope to “cooking food” in general. The Division currently regulates commercial food businesses and in doing so reduces emissions significantly. Removal of all commercial food regulations, entirely possible under the amendment, would cause significant and measurable increases in pollution.

There was a persistent misconception among legislators that the Division of Air Quality supported the amendment. We witnessed two incidents in which debate was closed after this erroneous statement was brought forth. The amendment undermines DAQ function in a number of ways, and as you are certainly aware, is not considered harmless by DAQ staff.

This bill codifies into state law a rule that will prevent the experts at the Division of Air Quality from performing its primary purpose. At this sensitive moment as we work together for attainment, such legislation, is ill advised.

Thank you, Governor, for your deep and continuing commitment to improving Utah’s air quality. Please contact us with any questions as you consider HB 65.

Sponsors

• Rep. Mike Shultz
• Sen. Stuart Adams

Status

• 1/5/2017 House received fiscal note 
• 1/23/2017 to House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
• 1/26/2017 Favorable rec. 9-1-3, Nay: Rep. Briscoe
• 2/9 Senate Natural Resources, favorable recommendation Nay: Sen. Iwamoto
• 2/16 Passed 3rd reading Senate Calendar 25-3-1; Nays: Iwamoto, Debakis, Escamilla
• 2/17 House Concurs 50-20-5.
• 2/17 House to Senate for signature

Upcoming Hearings

• Thursday, 1/26. 2:00 House Nat. Resources. State Capitol Building rm. 445. Agenda Audio
• Thursday, 2/9 3:16 Senate Nat. Resources. State Capitol Building rm. 415 AGENDA

Description

• Corrects errors in the Ultra Low NOx Water Heater Rule.
• Changes in radon mitigation; follows the recommendations of the Uniform Building Code Commission.

Sponsors

• Rep. Mike Shultz, R - District 12 Salt Lake City
• Sen. Curtis Bramble, R - Provo

Status

• 1/24 to House Business and Labor
• 2/8 to Senate Business and Labor. Favorable recommendation 6-0-2
• 2/16 Senate 3rd Reading passed; 26-0-3
• 2/16 Senate to House for concurrence
• 2/16 House for Enrolling

Upcoming Hearings

• 1/30 2:00. Capitol Building rm. 445 HSTBUS Agenda
• 2/13 8:00am . Senate Building rm. 215 SSTBUS Agenda

History

2/7 House Floor  73-0-2

Description

• Sunsets the residential rooftop solar tax credit.  

Sponsors

• Rep. Jeremy Peterson, R - Ogden

Status

• 1/17/2017 Fiscal note sent to sponsor.
• 1/23/2017 House to standing committee
• 1/31 House R&T substitute passed. Solar Advocates report 2 of 3 requested changes made. The annual credit reduction lower [$400 vs $500] and annual caps removed. Continue to request an annual impacts assessment before further reduction. 8-2-2 Nays=Briscoe, King
• 2/13 House 3rd Reading 60-14-1
• 2/17 SR&T Favorable Recommendation. 5-0-3
• 2/23 Senate 2nd Reading. Passed 21-4-4
• 2/23 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed 22-2-5
• 2/23 To Governor for Signature

Scheduled Hearings

• 1/27 2:00. House Tax and Rev. Agenda
• 1/31 4:00. State Capitol Buildiing rm 445. House Tax & Rev. AGENDA