Part ofNatural Resources →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

HB 349UTAHSession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Utah establishes application and review process for state funding of water storage projects

Original title: Statewide Water Storage

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Walt Brooks and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Proposed

Official description

This bill addresses water storage within the state.

Why it matters

Local government agencies, tribes, and state entities seeking financial support for water infrastructure must follow newly established eligibility rules and reporting timelines. The legislation does not appropriate any money or obligate the Legislature to fund recommended projects.

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.

Directly affected

local sponsors

Local government agencies, tribes, and state organizations must follow a new statutory process, submit applications and feasibility studies, and meet specific criteria to be considered for state water storage funding.

Directly affected

Board of Water Resources

The board must evaluate project applications, annually review eligible projects, issue nonbinding funding recommendations, and submit an annual report to the Legislature by October 1.

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

Who is eligible to apply for state water storage funding under this bill?

A , defined as a state agency, a local government agency, a tribe, or another local organization that works with a federal agency or the state to plan, build, and maintain a dam and associated reservoir, may apply.

Does this bill automatically appropriate money for water storage projects?

No. The bill explicitly clarifies that recommendations or actions taken by the board do not obligate the state or require the Legislature to take any action or appropriate funding.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · on the Senate floor.

Procedural history

33 actions

Mar 6, 2026House
House/ filed
Mar 6, 2026House
House/ received from Senate
Mar 6, 2026Senate
Senate/ to House
Mar 6, 2026Senate
Senate/ strike enacting clause
Mar 6, 2026Senate
Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules

Show 27 earlier actions

Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate/ committee report favorable
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Mar 2, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0349S01
Mar 2, 2026SenateCommittee
Senate/ to standing committee
Mar 2, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0349S01
Mar 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0349S01
Mar 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0349S01
Mar 2, 2026Senate Rules Committee
Bill Substituted by Sponsor in Senate Rules Comm
Feb 17, 2026SenateIntroduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Feb 12, 2026Senate
Senate/ received from House
Feb 12, 2026House
House/ to Senate
Feb 12, 2026HouseFloor
House/ passed 3rd reading
Feb 12, 2026House
House/ 3rd reading
Feb 3, 2026House
House/ 2nd reading
Feb 3, 2026House
House/ committee report favorable
Feb 2, 2026House
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
House/ to standing committee
Jan 27, 2026House
House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
Jan 27, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0349
Jan 26, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0349
Jan 23, 2026HouseIntroduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Jan 23, 2026House
House/ received bill from Legislative Research
Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0349
Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0349
Jan 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
Jan 23, 2026Legislative 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.

Connected Entities

Board of Water Resources, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, Division of Water Resources

OrganizationBoard of Water Resources“Evaluates applications and makes funding recommendations for water storage.”Map →

OrganizationNatural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee“Receives the annual report from the Board of Water Resources.”Map →

OrganizationDivision of Water Resources“Prepares a list of potential dam sites for annual evaluation.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 50)
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools