Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 158 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Stratton, Keven J.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• provides for monitoring of land applications;
• requires a study of land application information;
• requires a report of the results of the study; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

3
63L-11-305
0
Sale or Lease of Federally Managed Public Land Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
House Sponsor: Ken Ivory
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses use of the federal Recreation and Public Purposes Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
provides for monitoring of land applications;
requires a study of land application information;
requires a report of the results of the study; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63L-11-305
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 313
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
63L-11-305
 is amended to read:
63L-11-305
. Facilitating the acquisition of federally managed public land.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"
Federal land
Federally managed public land
" means 
federally managed public 
land 
that the secretary is authorized to dispose of under the 
federal
federally managed 
public
 land disposal law.
(b)
"
Federal land
Federally managed public land
 disposal law" means the Recreation 
and Public Purposes Act, 43 U.S.C. Sec. 869 et seq.
(c)
"Government entity" means any state or local government entity allowed to submit a 
land application under the 
federal land
federally managed public land
 disposal law.
(d)
"Land application" means an application under the 
federal land
federally managed 
public land
 disposal law requesting the secretary to sell or lease 
federal
federally 
managed public
 land.
(e)
"Land application process" means the actions involved in the process of submitting 
and obtaining a final decision on a land application.
(f)
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior of the United States.
(2)
The office shall:
(a)
develop expertise:
(i)
in the land application process; and
(ii)
concerning the factors that tend to increase the chances that a land application 
will result in the secretary selling or leasing 
federal
federally managed public
land as requested in the land application;
(b)
work to educate government entities concerning:
(i)
the availability of 
federal
federally managed public
 land pursuant to the 
federal
federally managed public
 land disposal law; and
(ii)
the land application process;
(c)
advise and consult with a government entity that requests assistance from the office 
to formulate and submit a land application and to pursue a decision on the land 
application;
(d)
advise and consult with a government entity that requests assistance from the office 
to identify and quantify the amount of any funds needed to provide the public use 
described in a land application;
(e)
adopt a list of factors to be considered in determining the degree to which a land 
application or potential land application is in the public interest;
(f)
recommend a prioritization of land applications or potential land applications in the 
state according to the extent to which the land applications are in the public interest, 
based on the factors adopted under Subsection 
(2)(e)
;
(g)
monitor land applications submitted by government entities for federally managed 
public land located within the state, including annually contacting and collecting 
relevant data from government entities to determine whether the government entities 
have submitted land applications;
(g)
(h)
prepare and submit a written report
 of land applications
:
(i)
to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee and 
the Federalism Commission;
(ii)
(A)
annually 
by 
no later than August 31; and
(B)
at other times, if and as requested by the committee or commission; and
(iii)
(A)
on the activities of the office under this section;
(B)
on the land applications and potential land applications in the state
, including 
information based on the monitoring of land applications under Subsection 
(2)(g)
;
(C)
on the decisions of the secretary on land applications submitted by 
government entities in the state; and
(D)
on 
the quantity of land acquired under the land applications;
(h)
(i)
present a summary of information contained in the report described in 
Subsection 
(2)
(g)
(2)(h)
:
(i)
at a meeting of the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim 
Committee and at a meeting of the Federalism Commission;
(ii)
annually no later than August 31; and
(iii)
at other times, if and as requested by the committee or commission; and
(i)
(j)
report to the Executive Appropriations Committee of the Legislature, as 
frequently as the executive director considers appropriate or as requested by the 
Executive Appropriations Committee, on the need for legislative appropriations to 
provide funds for the public purposes described in land applications.
(3)
The office may:
(a)
assist a government entity or the secretary in the filing and processing of a land 
application; and
(b)
enter into an agreement with the secretary related to the office assisting in processing 
a land application.
(4)
(a)
The office shall conduct a survey of the land applications for federally managed 
public land located within the state that were submitted by a government entity from 
July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2024, to determine:
(i)
which government entities submitted a land application during that time frame;
(ii)
when a government entity submitted a land application during that time frame;
(iii)
the location and quantity of federally managed public land for which a land 
application was submitted during that time frame; and
(iv)
the status of a land application submitted during that time frame.
(b)
The office shall complete the survey required by this Subsection 
(4)
 and report the 
results of the survey to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim 
Committee and Federalism Commission by no later than August 31, 2025.
Section 2. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-14-25 1:39 PM