HB0494S01 (Substitute)
Transfer of Water Interests
Introduction
Feb 5
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 23
House Floor Vote
Feb 26
Senate Rules
Mar 4
Senate Committee
Mar 3
Senate 2nd Reading
Mar 6
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
This bill addresses water rights, shares in water companies, and their relationship to land conveyances.
This bill:
AI-generated summary. We recommend consulting the bill text for important decisions.
Utah law already distinguishes between owning a water right directly and owning shares in a water company — a cooperative organization that holds the actual water right and delivers water to its shareholders. This bill clarifies several rules around that distinction: it explicitly states that water company shares are not water rights and are not automatically tied to ("appurtenant to") land, that ownership of those shares is tracked by the water company's own records rather than the state engineer's records, and that shares must be transferred following commercial securities law. It also adds that when a water company designates a specific piece of land for water delivery, that designation cannot be used as the basis for transferring or changing title to the water right itself, and that anyone who receives a transferred share takes on responsibility for any unpaid fees associated with it.
Current version: HB0494S01 (Substitute)
Introduction
Feb 5
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 23
House Floor Vote
Feb 26
Senate Rules
Mar 4
Senate Committee
Mar 3
Senate 2nd Reading
Mar 6
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
IntroductionFeb 5
House Rules
House CommitteeFeb 23
House Floor VoteFeb 26
Senate RulesMar 4
Senate CommitteeMar 3
Senate 2nd ReadingMar 6
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
This bill addresses water rights, shares in water companies, and their relationship to land conveyances.
This bill:
AI-generated summary. We recommend consulting the bill text for important decisions.
Utah law already distinguishes between owning a water right directly and owning shares in a water company — a cooperative organization that holds the actual water right and delivers water to its shareholders. This bill clarifies several rules around that distinction: it explicitly states that water company shares are not water rights and are not automatically tied to ("appurtenant to") land, that ownership of those shares is tracked by the water company's own records rather than the state engineer's records, and that shares must be transferred following commercial securities law. It also adds that when a water company designates a specific piece of land for water delivery, that designation cannot be used as the basis for transferring or changing title to the water right itself, and that anyone who receives a transferred share takes on responsibility for any unpaid fees associated with it.
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
House/ filed
House file for bills not passed
House/ received from Senate
Clerk of the House
Senate/ to House
Clerk of the House
Senate/ strike enacting clause
Senate Secretary
Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Last updated Mar 26, 2026, 9:42 PM