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House approves SB113 to reallocate existing natural-resources funds to speed water-rights adjudication
Summary
First Substitute SB113 passed the House 62–3; sponsors said the bill reallocates existing Division of Natural Resources funds to accelerate adjudication of long-standing water-right claims in basins such as Utah Lake–Jordan River, reducing backlog without requesting new appropriations.
Representative Grover, the House sponsor, told members First Substitute SB113 allows internal reallocation of existing Division of Natural Resources funds to add capacity for adjudicating water-rights claims. "Over the last few years, they've been pretty diligent about focusing on adjudicating these water rights," Grover said, and the bill would shift internal percentages to increase funding directed to water-rights adjudication.
Grover said the change involves no new money and is intended to shorten the current adjudication timeline — which he described as previously spanning decades in some basins — to roughly 10 years in targeted watersheds such as Utah Lake–Jordan River. He explained the internal reallocation moves an existing split (previously 94%/6% between resources and rights) toward an 85%/15% distribution to prioritize adjudication work.
After no further discussion, the House recorded a vote. The reading clerk announced First Substitute SB113 had received 62 yay votes and 3 nay votes; the bill will be signed by the speaker pro tem and returned to the Senate for the president’s signature.
Next steps: SB113 proceeds back to the Senate for final action; sponsors said implementation relies on internal agency budget management rather than new appropriations.
