Budget & Taxes

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 376: Land Management Funding Amendments

HB 376 creates the Utah Forest Restoration Institute at Utah State University to improve forest and watershed health. The institute will conduct research, develop wildfire risk mitigation strategies, and coordinate with the existing Watershed Restoration Initiative to fund projects, including emergency requests after natural disasters. The bill appropriates $3.8 million from the Income Tax Fund for fiscal year 2027 to support these efforts. It requires the institute to monitor project effectiveness, review funding requests, and submit annual reports to legislative committees.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $3.8M from Income Tax Fund to fund forest/watershed programs, strengthening public service funding.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds research and projects to improve forest/watershed health, directly advancing environmental protection through conservation and natural resource management.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Forestry Public Lands Water Quality

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 247: Great Salt Lake Related Amendments

HB 247 redirects $125,000 annually from brine shrimp tax revenue to the Sovereign Lands Management Account instead of the Species Protection Account. This change affects how funds from brine shrimp harvesting are allocated, specifically directing a portion toward Great Salt Lake management projects under the Sovereign Lands Account. The bill does not create new funding but modifies existing revenue streams, with the remainder of brine shrimp tax revenue continuing to fund species protection efforts as before. It makes technical adjustments to Utah code sections governing these accounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $125k annually from brine shrimp tax to Great Salt Lake management under Sovereign Lands Account, actively funding a specific environmental program via budget reallocation while maintaining species protection funding.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRedirects $125k to Great Salt Lake management (natural resources), supporting conservation under Sovereign Lands Account while maintaining Species Protection funding.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue

signed · Utah · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 324: Utah Marriage Commission Fee Amendments

HB 324 removes a $400,000 annual cap on funds the Utah Marriage Commission receives from county marriage license fees. It affects county clerks who collect marriage license fees, as they must now send all funds above $400,000 from these fees directly to the state General Fund instead of capping them for the Commission. The bill does not change existing $10 contributions for Children's Legal Defense or domestic violence shelters, which remain unchanged. This is a technical adjustment to fee distribution rules without creating new fees or altering other provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRemoves $400k cap on marriage fee funds, directing excess to state General Fund, increasing budgetary revenue without tax changes.92% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

in committee · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 282: Transportation Earmark Amendments

HB 282 amends Utah's tax code to redirect sales and use tax revenue previously earmarked for the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 back into the state's General Fund. The bill changes Section 59-12-103 to ensure that specific tax revenues - originally designated for transportation projects - remain available for general state spending instead. This policy shift affects how the state allocates existing sales tax revenue, without creating new taxes or appropriations. The change applies to the tax base described in the amended statute, moving funds from a dedicated transportation fund to the broader General Fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects earmarked transportation tax funds to General Fund, increasing general budget flexibility without new taxes. Aligns with fiscal management under Budget & Taxes topic.85% confidence ✗ TransportationOpposes TransportationRedirects transportation earmarked tax revenue to General Fund, removing dedicated funding for transportation projects per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue Sales Tax Transportation Funding

Track

failed · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 180: School Nutrition Amendments

SB 180 redirects 10% of Utah's liquor sales revenue to the Uniform School Fund to support school meal programs. It expands eligibility for free school lunches to include students from families earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, even if they don't qualify for the National School Lunch Program. The bill requires the State Board of Education to use at least 20% of these funds specifically for free lunches for these eligible students. This policy change uses existing liquor tax revenue without new appropriations to increase access to school meals for low-income Utah students in grades K-12.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects existing liquor tax revenue to fund school meal programs, expanding access without new taxes or spending cuts to public services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRedirects liquor tax revenue to fund expanded school meals, increasing access for low-income students through dedicated funding allocation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue K-12 Education Student Health

Track

passed · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 223: Sales and Use Tax Exemptions Modifications

SB 223 modifies Utah's sales and use tax exemptions to support renewable energy infrastructure development. It extends the tax exemption for equipment used to expand existing alternative energy power plants (like solar, wind, or geothermal facilities) and adds a new exemption for equipment that increases capacity at electric energy storage facilities (such as battery systems). This directly affects businesses building or upgrading renewable energy projects by reducing their upfront costs for qualifying equipment. The bill also includes minor technical adjustments to tax code definitions but does not appropriate new state funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax exemptions for renewable energy equipment, reducing business costs via tax relief, directly advancing tax policy for fiscal support.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyExtends tax exemptions for renewable energy equipment and storage, reducing costs to advance clean energy infrastructure development.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill extends tax exemptions for renewable energy equipment (solar, wind, geothermal) and energy storage, directly promoting clean energy infrastructure development and reducing financial barriers for environmental projects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Tax Incentives Energy Storage Renewable Energy Solar

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 157: Department of Natural Resources Amendments

HB 157 amends various Utah laws related to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It changes how the DNR handles employee work periods, allows water rights records to be kept electronically or physically, and adjusts rules for water rights after contract issues. The bill removes a cap on low-interest loans for water metering, ends the Alternative Energy Development Tax Credit Act, and repeals funding rules for a watershed program. It appropriates $5 million from the General Fund for DNR operations in fiscal year 2027. The changes primarily affect DNR staff, water rights holders, and entities managing water resources in Utah.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesEnds Alternative Energy Tax Credit and repeals watershed funding, defunding program and restricting tax relief.90% confidence ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyRepeals Alternative Energy Development Tax Credit Act, removing financial incentive for renewables and weakening clean energy support.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentEnds Alternative Energy Tax Credit and repeals watershed program funding, defunding environmental initiatives per bill text.85% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Tax Credits Water Quality

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 229: Restricted Account Modifications

HB 229 modifies rules for two state restricted accounts: the Tobacco Settlement Restricted Account and the Electronic Cigarette Substance and Nicotine Product Proceeds Restricted Account. It updates how funds are allocated when legislative appropriations exceed available revenue (requiring sequential, partial funding until exhausted) and adds a sunset review requirement for electronic cigarette account provisions before their automatic repeal. The bill makes technical corrections to ensure consistency but does not appropriate new money. These changes primarily affect state agencies that manage tobacco-related funding, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Tax Commission.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUpdates allocation rules for restricted accounts, promoting fiscal responsibility through sequential funding and sunset reviews for fiscal management.85% confidence

Track

failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 298: School Design Amendments

HB 298 requires Utah's State Board of Education to create and maintain a public library of standardized school building designs for elementary, middle, high, and multi-level schools. School districts and charter schools must own and submit publicly funded designs to this library, while also using the library for new construction projects. The bill mandates life-cycle cost analysis, safety compliance, cost transparency, and competitive bidding for design fees, with designs required to meet accessibility standards and adapt to local needs. This directly affects all Utah public school districts, charter schools, and architects/engineering firms working on school construction projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates life-cycle cost analysis and cost transparency for fiscal responsibility in school construction spending85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates standardized school designs with safety, cost transparency, and infrastructure improvements for K-12 facilities, aligning with 'improves school infrastructure' indicator.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement Libraries

Track

introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 232: Medicaid Abortion Payment Amendments

Utah's HB 232 (Medicaid Abortion Payment Amendments) restricts Medicaid funding for abortion providers by prohibiting those with over $500 million in annual revenue from qualifying as eligible Medicaid providers, effective May 6, 2026. The bill directly affects abortion clinics or providers meeting the revenue threshold, excluding hospitals from this restriction. Key provisions amend Utah Code Sections 26B-3-114 and 76-7-301 to define "elective abortion" and clarify that Medicaid funds cannot cover abortions unless the mother's life is endangered, excluding cases like rape, incest, or fatal fetal defects. This is a funding restriction, not an abortion ban, as it only impacts Medicaid reimbursement for specific providers.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRestricts Medicaid funding for abortion providers meeting revenue thresholds, limiting government spending on abortion services. Explicitly defunds specific providers per Medicaid eligibility rules.90% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts Medicaid funding for abortion providers, limiting healthcare coverage and access to abortion services under Medicaid program.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Women's Health

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