HJR 30 Utah House · 2026 General Session

House Joint Resolution to Approve the Transfer of Land

This bill approves a settlement agreement transferring 22,311 acres of state-owned land to the United States government along the Great Salt Lake. The transfer resolves a long-standing ownership dispute between Utah and the federal government and includes a requirement that the state receive at least $60 million in payment for the land. The agreement ensures the state retains all mineral rights within the lake and establishes a process for future transfers of 500 or more acres to require legislative approval. Public access to the transferred land will be managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2026 Last action Mar 17, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute #1 → Enrolled · 6 edits · Mar 7, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was significantly simplified to remove specific legal case references and detailed financial terms, shifting the focus from a complex lawsuit settlement to a general approval of a negotiated agreement. The acreage count was unified to 22,311 acres, and the text now emphasizes resolving ownership disputes rather than detailing the specific litigation history. This change streamlines the resolution for final passage while retaining the core authority to transfer state lands to the federal government.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was narrowed by removing specific references to a pending lawsuit and the Fish and Wildlife Service, broadening the language to a general 'negotiated settlement' and 'federal law'.

DEFINITION

Removed specific references to a pending lawsuit (State of Utah v. United States) and the specific legal case number.

Changed the acreage count in the summary and main text from 3,760 disputed acres to 22,311 acres, aligning the text with the total settlement lands.

Removed the specific clause requiring the state to have a 'first right to purchase' if the federal government disposes of the lands in the future.

Changed the description of the land from 'settlement lands' to 'acquired lands' in several instances to reflect the transfer nature more broadly.

REQUIREMENT

Simplified the payment terms from a specific '$60,000,000' minimum to 'agreed upon consideration', removing the explicit financial constraint from the resolution text.

Broadened the requirement for public access from specific federal statutes to a general 'consistent with federal law and regulation'.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 7, 2026 · House Mar 7, 2026

How they voted

25–1

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 29

Mar 7, 2026

D Democratic6

5 Yea 1

83% Yea

N Forward1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican22

19 Yea 1 Nay 2

86% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling

lower

Mar 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House

lower

Mar 7, 2026

Introduced

Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

upper

Mar 7, 2026

Upper · Passed

House/ passed 3rd reading

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor