Utah House advances river-access measure, bond package and hospital funding; bittering-agent coolant bill also passes

The Utah House on Wednesday passed a cluster of bills that reshaped property access rules, moved forward a trimmed bond package that includes added design funding for the State Hospital, and approved a hospital-assessment mechanism intended to preserve federal Medicaid dollars.

Supporters and opponents clashed most sharply over second-substitute House Bill 141, the recreational-use-of-public-water measure that enshrines a limited right to float and delays the new statutory right to establish an adverse-use easement in court for one year so a task force or study can be pursued. Sponsor Representative McKiff said the bill "limits liability of public and private land owners toward a person entering the owner's land as a trespasser or for recreational purposes whether by permission or by operation of the act," and asked members to concur. Opponents argued the change weakens earlier protections; Representative Fauch warned that "the Landowner Liability Act now only applies to trespassers," urging caution. The House passed the measure on final passage, 43 yes and 28 no.

The House also approved the 2010 general-obligation bond authorization (SB280) after adopting an amendment to add $2 million…