The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah grants municipalities first priority to take over abandoned water easements and allows local use conversions
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Nelson Abbott
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What This Bill Proposed
Utah HB 363 allows municipalities and certain political subdivisions to take control of abandoned s and establishes a formal process for converting their use after giving notice to landowners. Under the bill, local governments must wait 120 days after notifying affected landowners and face restrictions against increasing burdens or expanding the easement size if landowners object.
Property owners whose land is encumbered by abandoned water s face potential utility use conversions by local governments unless they submit a written objection within 120 days of receiving notice.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
municipalities
Municipalities receive first priority to establish control of abandoned prescriptive water easements within their boundaries.
affected landowners
Landowners whose property is encumbered by an easement receive notices regarding abandonment or use conversion and must submit written objections within 120 days to prevent changes.
political subdivisions
Political subdivisions in first or second class counties gain the ability to establish control over and convert the use of abandoned water conveyance easements.
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 happens when a holder decides to abandon a water conveyance easement?
How can a landowner object to a political subdivision converting the use of an easement on their property?
What are the restrictions on a political subdivision when converting an easement's use?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the House floor.
Procedural history
29 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ failed
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
Show 23 earlier actions
- Feb 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0363S02
- Feb 27, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0363S02
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 25, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0363S01
- Feb 25, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0363S01
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0363S02
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0363S02
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0363S01
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0363S01
- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 28, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0363
- Jan 28, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0363
- Jan 26, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 26, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0363
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0363
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 26, 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
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 50)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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