Committee to carry forward bill clarifying Land Trust Protection and Advocacy Office duties and reporting

Sen. Jake Owens on Wednesday asked the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee to consider language strengthening the Land Trust Protection and Advocacy Office (advocacy office) and agreed to carry the draft as a committee bill for further drafting and review.

The bill before the committee responds to an Office of the Legislative Auditor General (OLAG) audit and a year-long study group that recommended clearer governance, reporting and monitoring expectations for institutional beneficiaries of the state trust system. Kim Christie, director of the Land Trust Protection and Advocacy Office, told the committee, "the combined funds... have now reached the the plateau and just passed $4,000,000,000 watermark." Liz Mumford, program manager, described the office's role in representing beneficiaries that do not have in-house expertise.

The draft would (a) update the office title and statutory structure, (b) assign uniform planning, reporting and accountability requirements for institutional beneficiaries, (c) clarify the office's authority to monitor and review beneficiary use of distributions, and (d) clarify rulemaking responsibilities between the treasurer and the advocacy council. Staff said the changes implement OLAG audit recommendations and were developed through a study group with institutional and legal subgroups and review by beneficiaries, Sitla, and SITFO.

Supporters told the committee the changes would preserve trust value for beneficiaries and allow Sitla and SITFO to focus on their core missions: land revenue generation and investment management. Utah PTA testified in support, saying the amendments "strengthen oversight and accountability" and urged lawmakers to maximize trust impact for public-school beneficiaries.

Committee members requested more time to review the statutory language; sponsors acceded and asked the body to carry the draft as a committee bill so members can continue to work with staff and stakeholders during the interim. The committee agreed to that plan and directed sponsors to circulate updated language before the next meeting.