H.B. 12 Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Amendments

What this bill does

H.B. 12 would expand the state's outdoor recreation grant program so state parks can use those grant funds for trail facilities and adaptive mobility equipment, such as devices that help people with disabilities get around. The material says the bill would be a refile of last year's bill and that it was requested by state parks.

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Every vote

• 74 yes, 0 no, 1 absentFinal House vote · Jan 20, 2026Who voted how
• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee: vote to approve it · Jan 27, 2026Who voted how
• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee: Consent Calendar Recommendation · Jan 27, 2026Who voted how
• 27 yes, 0 no, 2 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 3, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Jan 20, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Meeting Clerk1:24:34

     Madam Meeting Clerk House Bill 12, outdoor recreation accessibility amendments by Representative Welton.

  2. Speaker (presiding)1:24:44

     Representative Welton.

  3. Rep. Doug Welton1:24:48

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, this is a bill that we passed, uh, unanimously out of this body last session, and it went through Senate Committee House committees, and we just ran out of time. Um, what this bill does is we live in one of the, the most beautiful places in the world. Uh, be Utah Full is a great moniker. Uh, but the sad reality is, is many of our families are not able to access our state parks fully because they have disabilities. And what this bill does, and, and, and this was kind of eye-opening to me, it's not just the student, sorry, I say students, I'm just coming out of, uh, classroom mode. I was in classroom the other day. Uh, many of our young folks, or our families have family members who are, uh, disabled. They're unable to move around, uh, and, and access the beauty of our state. And, uh, but they're able to do this with some, some, um, relatively simple adaptive use mobility devices, but they're hard to access. And, uh, what happens a lot is we have families that will go to a, a beautiful place and, uh, mom or dad stays back with the disabled, uh, uh, child. Either they don't go or they sit in the car where everybody else goes out on a hike and they're not able to participate. So what this does is it allows, it actually expands the, um, the language in the Corp grant where, uh, state parks can, um, re request grants and for part of their grants, they can actually include, uh, adaptive use services, trails and, and equipment. And so that's all it does. It's gonna open it up to, uh, families. It's gonna strengthen our families so they can all enjoy the beautiful, uh, state of Utah.

  4. Speaker (presiding)1:26:24

     Thank you, Representative Welton discussion to the bill. See none. Back to you, Representative Welton for summation.

  5. Rep. Doug Welton1:26:34

     I'll waive. Thank you. Summation has been waived.

  6. Speaker (presiding)1:26:36

     Voting will now be open on HB 12. Seeing all President having voted voting is now closed. HB 12 passes this body with 74 yes votes zero, no votes will be sent to the Senate for its consideration.

  7. Reading Clerk1:27:59speaker not certain

     Madam Reading Clerk

• Jan 27, 2026 Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (20 turns)

  1. Committee chair59:15

     Three, Three third item on the agenda for, uh, outdoor Recreation accessibility amendments. Uh, Senator Brammer, Representative Welton. Thank you. Perfect timing. Welcome to our committee. The time is yours.

  2. Rep. Doug Welton59:28

     Thank you. Uh, glad to be here today. Uh, I'll be quick. This bill is essentially a refile from last year that this committee passed out favorably. Um, for those in the audience who aren't aware, this would allow, um, our state parks to have, uh, access through the UCOR grant for the construction of trail facilities and improvements, uh, equipment for mobility and adaptive users. This allows, uh, all utahns or more utahns to have access to the beauty of Utah. And, uh, and it's not just the adaptive user, but it's the, quite often it's the, the parent or other family members that don't get to go out, uh, because they're, they're staying back with their, their family member who's unable to access our parks. And so this is a, a pretty simple bill and, uh, no cost to it, and it will help our families out.

  3. Committee chair1:00:17

     Excellent. Does that conclude your presentation? It does. Thank you. I'll bring it to committee for any then clarifying questions.

  4. Unknown speaker1:00:23speaker not certain

     Um, just, just one clarification representative. So right now, this, what you're doing is just giving them access to that grant. It's not that they couldn't do it right now, but they don't have access to that nuclear grant, is that correct?

  5. Rep. Doug Welton1:00:35

     Correct, yes. When we worked with state parks, they felt that we needed this language in order to be able to use it for these

  6. Unknown speaker1:00:42speaker not certain

     Reasons. Thank you. That's helpful. Okay.

  7. Committee chair1:00:45

     Um, don't see any questions. So we'll go to the public if there's anyone who is there to speak to this bill. Raise your hand. Nobody online. Not online. Barbara, bring it back to the committee then for further discussion or action. Senator Hinkins. Uh,

  8. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:01:01

     Thank you Mr. Chairman. I would make a motion that we pass out house bill, uh, 12 with favorable recommendation.

  9. Committee chair1:01:07

     Thank you. The motion's in order. Is there any discussion to the motion to pass favorably pass out house bill 12 saying nine. I'll come back to for summation.

  10. Unknown speaker1:01:18speaker not certain

      Oh, waive. Thank you. Waive. Senator? Waive. Waive.

  11. Committee chair1:01:20

      I'll place the motion. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? If any, say nay.

  12. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:01:26

      Mr. Chairman, since there is no opposition, I was wondering if this sponsor would like to put on consent.

  13. Rep. Doug Welton1:01:31

      I would be Open to that. Yep.

  14. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:01:33

      I would make that motion. And we put it on consent.

  15. Committee chair1:01:36

      Thank you, Senator, to the committee. The motion is that we placed house Bill 12 on the Senate consent.

  16. Unknown speaker1:01:42speaker not certain

      Um, let me think about this. Is that wouldn't slow it down by chance? No. At this point there's, we're only having One hour session, so I mean, it'll come up quicker.

  17. Committee chair1:01:50

      Good point. I just wanted to make sure we did it right for you. Thank you. Okay. I'll place the motion. All in favor of, uh, placing house Bill 12 on the Senate consent calendar. Say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? If any. All right. We'll put that on consent. Congratulations. Thank you.

  18. Rep. Doug Welton1:02:05

      Appreciate it. Thank you.

  19. Unknown speaker1:02:08speaker not certain

      You owe me. Remember that

  20. Committee chair1:02:09

      Representative Jack and not here at the moment. So, representative Albrook,

• Feb 3, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Senate President (presiding)21:55

     Senator Owens.

  2. Sen. Derrin R. Owens21:57

     Thank you. Thank you Mr. President. This, uh, simple bill that, uh, makes a a, a great adjustment though. Um, this came from the Natural Resources Agriculture Environment Interim Committee recommended the bill. And what we have is a, a fund that is, uh, are we are able to use within state parks and other, uh, for building trails or infrastructure. Uh, it's called the infrastructure grant. And what this bill will do is just add language that construction of a trail facility, improvement of a trail or facility, uh, or acquisition of equipment that improves access for disabled or adaptive users. And that that's what it is. Just making it, that that fund could be used for that purpose as well as the other purposes. But that I'd be open to questions. Thank you. And again, there this, the,

  3. Senate President (presiding)22:52

     these bills received no debate. There aren't consent. So go ahead and need a motion.

  4. Sen. Derrin R. Owens22:56

     Okay then. President, I had moved that house. Bill 12 passed.

  5. Senate President (presiding)23:00

     Thank you. Uh, house Bill 12 has been read three times. The question is, shall it pass? Roll call vote.

  6. Senate clerk (roll call)23:05

     Senator Vickers. Baldy Aye. Lein Aye. Bramer. Aye. Bus Cullimore. Aye. As Camilla Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover Harper Kins Aye. Ipson Aye. Johnson Wan McKay Mikel Milner Milner Musman Owens Aye. Pitcher Lum Rebi Sandal Stevenson Stratton Aye. Vickers Weer Aye. Wilson. Aye. Winterton President Adams

  7. Senate President (presiding)23:57

     Aye. House Bill 12, having received 27 a votes, zero nay votes, two being absent, passes this body and will be signed by the President and returned to the house for the signature of the speaker.