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SB 46UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Utah SB 46 sets water-wise landscaping rules and canopy requirements for state facilities

Original title: Water Wise Landscaping Amendments

Last action · March 24, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Keven Stratton and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Does

This bill updates water-wise landscaping requirements for state government facilities built or reconstructed on or after May 6, 2026, restricting non- and requiring canopy coverage. State agencies must also follow specific irrigation restrictions, water use reporting schedules, and annual maintenance evaluations.

Why it matters

State agencies managing public buildings must redesign outdoor grounds to limit turf and expand water-wise plants and canopy cover, altering how state properties maintain grounds and consume water resources.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

State agencies

State agencies must comply with new landscaping restrictions, canopy minimums, irrigation schedules, and water use reporting.

Directly affected

Division of Water Resources

The division must post water use information online, establish uniform measurement rules, and review exemption requests.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of grounds must be covered by canopy or functional turf on new state facilities?

For state facilities built or reconstructed on or after May 6, 2026, canopy or must cover at least 50% of the grounds, subject to local municipal or county ordinances.

When are state agencies prohibited from using overhead spray irrigation?

State agencies are prohibited from using overhead spray irrigation between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. unless allowed by the Division of Water Resources.

What else do you want to know?

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

33 actions

Mar 24, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
Governor Signed
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate/ to Governor
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
Feb 19, 2026Senate
Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing
Feb 19, 2026Senate Secretary
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
Feb 13, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared

Show 27 earlier actions

Feb 13, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
Feb 12, 2026Senate
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
Feb 12, 2026Senate
Senate/ received from House
Feb 11, 2026House
House/ to Senate
Feb 11, 2026House
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
Feb 11, 2026HouseFloor
House/ passed 3rd reading
Feb 11, 2026House
House/ 3rd reading
Feb 6, 2026House
House/ 2nd reading
Feb 6, 2026House
House/ committee report favorable
Feb 5, 2026House
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Feb 2, 2026House
House Comm - Not Considered
Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
House/ to standing committee
Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Jan 27, 2026House
House/ received from Senate
Jan 27, 2026Senate
Senate/ to House
Jan 21, 2026SenateFloor
Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
Jan 21, 2026Senate
Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
Jan 20, 2026Senate
Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Jan 12, 2026Senate
Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
Jan 8, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0046
Jan 8, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0046
Jan 7, 2026Senate
Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research
Dec 22, 2025Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0046
Dec 22, 2025Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0046
Dec 22, 2025Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
Dec 22, 2025Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Updated Effective Date for Landscaping Standards

The bill updates the compliance baseline date from May 4, 2022, to May 6, 2026, and introduces stricter canopy requirements.

Division of Water Resources

Connected Entities

Division of Water Resources, Utah State University Extension

OrganizationDivision of Water Resources“Division tasked with exempting facilities, publishing water use, and establishin”Map →

OrganizationUtah State University Extension“Entity designated for designating low water use plants.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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