Utahns in Congress are seeing some success during the U.S. House of Representatives’ lame-duck session.

On Tuesday, the House passed two bills sponsored by Rep. Celeste Maloy and two bills sponsored by Rep. John Curtis, both Republicans.

From transferring several plots of federal land to state control, to putting more federal dollars behind water quality projects in the Colorado River, here’s a breakdown of what the bills do.

Curtis bill increase federal funds for water quality projects in the Colorado River

The House on Tuesday passed Curtis’ Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act, which will put more federal funds behind efforts to reduce salinity in the lower Colorado River basin.

If the bill passes the Senate, the federal government will shoulder the burden of expenses for projects related to reducing salinity. Federal dollars would amount to at least 70% of funds spent on salinity mitigation and in some cases, 100% of operation and maintenance costs.

​​Most of the salinity in the river basin comes from existing rock formations. Precipitation breaks down the salts, carrying them into streams and eventually the Colorado River. Higher salinity levels limit what crops farmers can grow, reduces crop yields, damages riparian areas and harms the aquatic ecosystem of the river.

Congress passed the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act in 1974, which directed the U.S. Department of Interior to create a salinity control program for the entire Colorado River basin. For example, in one stretch of Colorado’s Dolores River along the Utah border, rock formations deposit about 150,000 tons of salt into the basin each year. A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project works to take that salt and inject it underground.

But with Colorado River flows declining and salinity increasing, Curtis said the act needed a facelift so the federal government could chip in more for projects spearheaded by local water conservancy districts and use local or state funds.

“The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the West, and its health is crucial for our communities, our economy, and our environment,” Curtis said in a statement. “The Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act builds on decades of collaborative efforts to reduce salinity levels, which have greatly improved water quality across the Basin.”

Maloy bill would put federal land parcels under Utah control

Also passed on Tuesday was a bill sponsored by Maloy, titled The Utah State Parks Adjustment Act. The bill would put several parcels of federally controlled land in and around three Utah State Parks under Utah control.

The bill would convey three parcels of land (currently under the purview of the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service) to Utah to be included as part of Antelope Island State Park, Wasatch Mountain State Park, and Fremont Indian State Park. It would require Utah to use the lands for public purposes, including parks, campgrounds, recreation and permitted livestock grazing.

All of these parcels are either in holdings or located directly next to existing Utah State Park boundaries, according to Maloy’s office, which included maps of the proposed land transfers in a news release.

“Utah State Parks, managed by Utahns with a deep knowledge of the land, are well cared for and maintained,” Maloy said in a prepared statement. “However, having federal lands interspersed throughout these parks has made effective management more challenging. I’m pleased to see the House pass the Utah State Parks Adjustment Act, returning these land parcels to state control.”

The Senate has yet to consider the legislation, though Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has introduced a companion bill. He issued a statement Tuesday calling the House’s passage of Maloy’s bill “an encouraging win for all Utahns” that “demonstrates what we can accomplish when local voices are at the forefront.”

“I look forward to advancing this bill in the Senate to return these parcels to state control, streamline land management, and empower Utahns to steward the lands they know and love,” Lee said.

Linking critical minerals to health care

Another bill sponsored by Curtis passed the House on Tuesday — the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act, which amends the Energy Act of 2020.

Now, the Secretary of the Interior will be required to consult the Secretary of Health and Human Services when designating critical minerals, elements, substances and materials.

The federal government defines a critical mineral as something that has “a high risk of supply chain disruption” and “serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy.”

Now, with the Department of Health and Human Services looped into these designations, Curtis says the country’s health care system will be better suited to avoid potential disruptions.

“By including the Department of Health and Human Services in decisions about critical minerals, we can make sure essential medical technologies — like MRIs — are never at risk of shortages,” he said in a statement.

House passes Maloy bill that would allow federal court to be held in Moab, Monticello

The House on Tuesday also passed a bill sponsored by Maloy and Curtis, HR 8666, which would authorize more federal case locations in Moab and Monticello, rural areas in southeastern Utah.

Today, the Central Division of the District of Utah within the U.S. District Court has existing court locations including in Ogden, Salt Lake City, Provo and St. George.

“Residents of Southeast Utah called to federal jury duty are regularly excused due to hardship because the travel requirement is so unwieldy,” the Judicial Conference of the United States wrote in a July letter expressing support for the bill. “The addition of Moab and Monticello as places of holding court will provide the district flexibility to fashion solutions to service its remote areas, including the option to adopt a jury plan that would make jury service less burdensome for residents.”

The changes proposed by the bill would also come at no cost, according to the Judicial Conference, noting “the district has agreements with state/county courthouses in Moab and Monticello for the use of their facilities at no cost.”

“Without this bill authorizing court proceedings in Moab and Monticello, southeastern Utahns must drive several hours to appear before a federal judge or serve jury duty,” Maloy said in a prepared statement. “I’m glad the House passed this bill allowing the Central Division of the District of Utah to hold court in these rural areas, which would save Utahns time and money.”

Curtis also issued a prepared statement, saying it’s “essential” that “Utahns have equal access to justice.”

“This bill addresses the challenges that southeastern Utah residents face, harkening back to the values of our pioneer ancestors who laid the foundation of our great state,” Curtis said. “Just as they built communities, we must ensure that the justice system serves all Utahns, no matter where they live. With this bill’s passage, we can ensure that rural Utahns have fair opportunities for a speedy trial and can fulfill their civic duties without undue burden.”

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.