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H.B. 419

Signed into Law

Environmental Legal Action Amendments

View on le.utah.gov
H.B. 419Signed into Law

Environmental Legal Action Amendments

House
Senate
Governor

What This Bill Does

This bill modifies provisions relating to bond requirements in environmental legal actions.

Key Provisions

This bill:

  • expands the definition of environmental action to include judicial review of certain permits issued by the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining; and
  • makes technical and conforming changes.

Plain-Language Summary

AI-generated summary. We recommend consulting the bill text for important decisions.

Under existing Utah law, anyone who sues to challenge a government-issued permit and seeks to temporarily block that permit while the case proceeds must first post a financial bond — essentially a deposit held as security — to cover potential damages if they lose the lawsuit. This requirement already applies to permits issued by the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. This bill removes a previous exemption and brings permits issued by the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining under those same bond rules, meaning lawsuits challenging coal mining and other oil, gas, and mining permits now trigger the same upfront financial requirement. Groups such as environmental organizations or community members who challenge Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining permits face a higher financial barrier to temporarily halting a permitted project while their case is heard in court.