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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah accelerates critical minerals mining, creates Critical Minerals Council, and establishes State Reinvestment Restricted Account
Last action · March 26, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Ann Millner and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
This legislation fast-tracks state permits for s projects, modifies mining exploration tax credits, and creates the Critical Minerals Council and the State Reinvestment Restricted Account funded by severance tax revenues. The bill appropriates $400,000 in FY 2026 and $11.4 million in FY 2027, taking effect on May 6, 2026, with provisions retroactively applicable to January 1, 2026.
Mining companies and local governments face new regulatory pathways, tax credit rules, and distributions tied specifically to designated s across the state.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
mining and extraction operators
Mining operators are subject to new permitting processes, exploration tax credit modifications, and requirements to operate within designated critical minerals zones to receive local financial incentives.
state and local taxing entities
Taxing entities participate in property tax differential revenue determinations and agreements when critical minerals zones overlap with project areas.
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 is the purpose of the Critical Minerals Council?
How are critical minerals zones established?
Where does the funding for the State Reinvestment Restricted Account come from?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
82 actions- Mar 26, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 76 earlier actions
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026House SpeakerSenate Conference Committee - Final Passage
- Mar 6, 2026Conference CommitteeSenate Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Conference CommitteeHouse Conference Committee - Final Passage
- Mar 6, 2026Conference CommitteeHouse Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt
- Mar 6, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0254S04
- Mar 6, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0254S04
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeConference Committee Report
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeBill Substituted by Conference Committee
- Mar 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0254S04
- Mar 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0254S04
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeSenate Conference Committee Appointed
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeHouse Conference Committee Appointed
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ refused to recede from House amendment
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ refuse to concur with House amendments
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ substituted
- Mar 5, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0254S03
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ uncircled
- Mar 5, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0254S03
- Mar 5, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0254S02
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0254S03
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0254S03
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ circled
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0254S02
- Mar 3, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0254
- Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0254S02
- Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0254S02
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 26, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 24, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 21, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0254S01
- Feb 20, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0254S01
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0254S01
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0254S01
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 10, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0254
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 6, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0254
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0254
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill 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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Consolidation of Critical Minerals Oversight
The state is shifting toward a centralized, cross-agency coordination model led by a new Critical Minerals Council to fast-track permitting and direct state revenues into infrastructure and development accounts.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy35Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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