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

Utah's nuisance laws are largely judge-made — built up over decades through court decisions called "common law." This bill eliminates that common law foundation for both private and public nuisance lawsuits in Utah, replacing it with a new statutory framework that defines what counts as a nuisance, who can sue, and what remedies are available. Under the new system, private individuals can still sue neighbors or property owners for a private nuisance — things like drug houses, gambling, prostitution, unsafe buildings, or drifting tobacco or drug fumes — but only if they own or hold a legal interest in property that is actually harmed. For public nuisance claims (conditions that harm the broader community, like blocking public waterways or endangering public safety), only government entities or private parties suffering a distinctly unique injury — not just the same harm everyone else experiences — can bring a civil lawsuit, and even then, courts can only order the nuisance stopped or award money specifically to fix it, not punitive damages. The bill carves out one notable exception to the elimination of common law nuisance suits: the attorney general may still bring a common law nuisance action if there is substantial, ongoing harm to a significant number of Utahns, and must report to the legislature on any such actions every four years.