§ 59-21-1. Disposition of federal mineral lease money -- Priority to political subdivisions impacted by mineral development -- Disposition of mineral bonus payments -- Appropriation of money attributable to royalties from extraction of minerals on federal land located within boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

(1) Except as provided in Subsections (2) through (4), all money received from the United States under the provisions of the Mineral Lands Leasing Act, 30 U.S.C. Sec. 181 et seq., shall:

(a) be deposited in the Mineral Lease Account of the General Fund; and

(b) be appropriated by the Legislature giving priority to those subdivisions of the state socially or economically impacted by development of minerals leased under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act, for:

(i) planning;

(ii) construction and maintenance of public facilities; and

(iii) provision of public services.

(2) Seventy percent of money received from federal mineral lease bonus payments shall be deposited into the Permanent Community Impact Fund and shall be used as provided in Title 35A, Chapter 8, Part 3, Community Impact Alleviation.

(3) Thirty percent of money received from federal mineral lease bonus payments shall be deposited in the Mineral Bonus Account created by Subsection 59-21-2(1) and appropriated as provided in that subsection.

(4)

(a) For purposes of this Subsection (4):

(i) the "boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" means the boundaries:

(A) established by Presidential Proclamation No. 6920, 61 Fed. Reg. 50,223 (1996); and

(B) modified by:

(I) Pub. L. No. 105-335, 112 Stat. 3139; and

(II) Pub. L. No. 105-355, 112 Stat. 3247; and

(ii) a special service district, school district, or federal land is considered to be located within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument if a portion of the special service district, school district, or federal land is located within the boundaries described in Subsection (4)(a)(i).

(b) Beginning on July 1, 1999, the Legislature shall appropriate, as provided in Subsections (4)(c) through (g), money received from the United States that is attributable to royalties from the extraction of minerals on federal land that, on September 18, 1996, was located within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

(c) The Legislature shall annually appropriate 40% of the money described in Subsection (4)(b) to the Department of Transportation to be distributed by the Department of Transportation to special service districts that are:

(i) established by counties under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act;

(ii) socially or economically impacted by the development of minerals under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act; and

(iii) located within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

(d) The Department of Transportation shall distribute the money described in Subsection (4)(c) in amounts proportionate to the amount of federal mineral lease money generated by the county in which a special service district is located.

(e) The Legislature shall annually appropriate 40% of the money described in Subsection (4)(b) to the State Board of Education to be distributed equally to school districts that are:

(i) socially or economically impacted by the development of minerals under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act; and

(ii) located within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

(f) The Legislature shall annually appropriate 2.25% of the money described in Subsection (4)(b) to the Utah Geological Survey to facilitate the development of energy and mineral resources in counties that are:

(i) socially or economically impacted by the development of minerals under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act; and

(ii) located within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

(g) Seventeen and three-fourths percent of the money described in Subsection (4)(b) shall be deposited annually into the State School Fund established by Utah Constitution Article X, Section 5.

Amended by Chapter 212, 2012 General Session