Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SB0139 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	Enrolled Copy S.B. 139
	1	+	02-24 11:06 3rd Sub. (Ivory) S.B. 139
	2	+	Ronald M. Winterton proposes the following substitute bill:
2	3		1
3	4		Mineral Rights Amendments
4	5		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	6		STATE OF UTAH
6	7		Chief Sponsor: Ronald M. Winterton
7	8		House Sponsor: Kay J. Christofferson
8	9		2
9	10
10	11		3
11	12		LONG TITLE
12	13		4
13	14		General Description:
14	15		5
15	16		This bill modifies provisions relating to information provided on the Office of the Property
16	17		6
17	18		Rights Ombudsman's website about eminent domain and mineral rights.
18	19		7
19	20		Highlighted Provisions:
20	21		8
21	22		This bill:
22	23		9
23	24		▸ requires that information about eminent domain and mineral rights be provided on the
24	25		10
25	26		Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman's website.
26	27		11
27	28		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
28	29		12
29	30		None
30	31		13
31	32		Other Special Clauses:
32	33		14
33	34		None
34	35		15
35	36		Utah Code Sections Affected:
36	37		16
37	38		AMENDS:
38	39		17
39	40		13-43-203, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 215
40	41		18
41	42
42	43		19
43	44		Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
44	45		20
45	46		Section 1. Section 13-43-203 is amended to read:
46	47		21
47	48		13-43-203 . Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman -- Duties.
48	49		22
49	50		(1) The Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman shall:
50	51		23
51	52		(a) develop and maintain expertise in and understanding of takings, eminent domain, and
52	53		24
53	54		land use law;
54	55		25
55	56		(b) clearly identify the specific information that is prepared for distribution to property
56	57		26
57	58		owners whose land is being acquired under the provisions of Section 78B-6-505;
58	59		27
59	60		(c) assist state agencies and local governments in developing the guidelines required by
60	61		28
61		-	Title 63L, Chapter 4, Constitutional Takings Issues Act; ~~S.B. 139 Enrolled Copy~~
	62	+	Title 63L, Chapter 4, Constitutional Takings Issues Act;
62	63		29
63	64		(d) at the request of a state agency or local government, assist the state agency or local
	65	+	3rd Sub. S.B. 139 3rd Sub. (Ivory) S.B. 139 02-24 11:06
64	66		30
65	67		government, in analyzing actions with potential takings implications or other land use
66	68		31
67	69		issues;
68	70		32
69	71		(e) advise real property owners who:
70	72		33
71	73		(i) have a legitimate potential or actual takings claim against a state or local
72	74		34
73	75		government entity or have questions about takings, eminent domain, and land use
74	76		35
75	77		law; or
76	78		36
77	79		(ii) own a parcel of property that is landlocked, as to the owner's rights and options
78	80		37
79	81		with respect to obtaining access to a public street;
80	82		38
81	83		(f) identify state or local government actions that have potential takings implications
82	84		39
83	85		and, if appropriate, advise those state or local government entities about those
84	86		40
85	87		implications;
86	88		41
87	89		(g) provide information to private citizens, civic groups, government entities, and other
88	90		42
89	91		interested parties about takings, eminent domain, and land use law and their rights,
90	92		43
91	93		including a right to just compensation, and responsibilities under the takings, eminent
92	94		44
93	95		domain, or land use laws through seminars and publications, and by other appropriate
94	96		45
95	97		means;
96	98		46
97	99		(h)(i) [provide the information described in Section 78B-6-505 on the Office of the
98	100		47
99	101		Property Rights Ombudsman's website in a form that is easily accessible; and]
100	102		48
101	103		provide, in a form that is easily accessible, the following information on the
102	104		49
103	105		Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman's website:
104	106		50
105	107		(A) the information described in Section 78B-6-505;
106	108		51
107		-	(B) an explanation of the term, "fee simple title";
	109	+	(B) Ĥ→ [a definition and] an ←Ĥ explanation of the term, "fee
	110	+	51a
	111	+	simple title";
108	112		52
109	113		(C) an explanation of the implications for a property owner when fee simple title
110	114		53
111	115		is taken through eminent domain;
112	116		54
113		-	(D) an explanation that eminent domain may include taking a recorded interest
	117	+	(D) Ĥ→ [a notification] an explanation ←Ĥ that eminent domain
	118	+	54a
	119	+	may include taking a recorded interest held
114	120		55
115		-	~~held~~ in real property, including a mineral right;
	121	+	in real property, including a mineral right;
116	122		56
117		-	(E) an explanation that a property owner may be compensated for a recorded
	123	+	(E) Ĥ→ [a notification] an explanation ←Ĥ that a property
	124	+	56a
	125	+	owner may be compensated for a recorded
118	126		57
119	127		interest in real property, including a mineral right; and
120	128		58
121		-	(F) an explanation that a property owner can request a separate valuation for a
	129	+	(F) Ĥ→ [a notification] an explanation ←Ĥ that a property
	130	+	58a
	131	+	owner can request a separate valuation for a
122	132		59
123	133		recorded interest in real property; and
	134	+	- 2 - 02-24 11:06 3rd Sub. (Ivory) S.B. 139
124	135		60
125	136		(ii) ensure that the information described in Subsection (1)(h)(i) is current; and
126	137		61
127	138		(i)(i) provide education and training regarding:
128	139		62
129	140		(A) the drafting and application of land use laws and regulations; and
130		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 139
131	141		63
132	142		(B) land use dispute resolution; and
133	143		64
134	144		(ii) use any money transmitted in accordance with Subsection 15A-1-209(5) to pay
135	145		65
136	146		for any expenses required to provide the education and training described in
137	147		66
138	148		Subsection (1)(i)(i), including grants to a land use training organization that:
139	149		67
140	150		(A) the Land Use and Eminent Domain Advisory Board, created in Section
141	151		68
142	152		13-43-202, selects and proposes; and
143	153		69
144	154		(B) the property rights ombudsman and the executive director of the Department
145	155		70
146	156		of Commerce jointly approve.
147	157		71
148	158		(2)(a) Neither the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman nor its individual attorneys
149	159		72
150	160		may represent private parties, state agencies, local governments, or any other
151	161		73
152	162		individual or entity in a legal action that arises from or relates to a matter addressed
153	163		74
154	164		in this chapter.
155	165		75
156	166		(b) An action by an attorney employed by the Office of the Property Rights
157	167		76
158	168		Ombudsman, by a neutral third party acting as mediator or arbitrator under Section
159	169		77
160	170		13-43-204, or by a neutral third party rendering an advisory opinion under Section
161	171		78
162	172		13-43-205 or 13-43-206, taken within the scope of the duties set forth in this chapter,
163	173		79
164	174		does not create an attorney-client relationship between the Office of the Property
165	175		80
166	176		Rights Ombudsman, or the office's attorneys or appointees, and an individual or
167	177		81
168	178		entity.
169	179		82
170	180		(3) No member of the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman nor a neutral third party
171	181		83
172	182		rendering an advisory opinion under Section 13-43-205 or 13-43-206, may be compelled
173	183		84
174	184		to testify in a civil action filed concerning the subject matter of any review, mediation,
175	185		85
176	186		or arbitration by, or arranged through, the office.
177	187		86
178	188		(4)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), evidence of a review by the Office of the
179	189		87
180	190		Property Rights Ombudsman and the opinions, writings, findings, and determinations
181	191		88
182	192		of the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman are not admissible as evidence in a
183	193		89
184	194		judicial action.
185	195		90
186	196		(b) Subsection (4)(a) does not apply to:
187	197		91
188	198		(i) actions brought under authority of Title 78A, Chapter 8, Small Claims Courts;
189	199		92
190	200		(ii) a judicial confirmation or review of the arbitration itself as authorized in Title
191	201		93
192	202		78B, Chapter 11, Utah Uniform Arbitration Act;
	203	+	- 3 - 3rd Sub. (Ivory) S.B. 139 02-24 11:06
193	204		94
194	205		(iii) actions for de novo review of an arbitration award or issue brought under the
195	206		95
196	207		authority of Subsection 13-43-204(3)(a)(i); or
197	208		96
198	209		(iv) advisory opinions provided for in Sections 13-43-205 and 13-43-206.
199		-	- 3 - S.B. 139 Enrolled Copy
200	210		97
201	211		Section 2. Effective Date.
202	212		98
203	213		This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
204	214		- 4 -