SB1172

THE CONTEXT: The Groundwater Management Code (Code) was enacted in 1980 and established the statutory framework to regulate and control the use of groundwater. Determining who may pump groundwater and how much they may pump is a vital part of groundwater management.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require an applicant for a building permit for new construction of a residential single-family home and an applicant for a land division to identify ownership interests in the property, exempt an applicant from identify ownership interest in the property if, at the time of applying for the permit, the applicant provides a copy of the subdivision final plat that indicates an assured water supply and is approved by the municipality where the parcels, lots or fractional interests of the proposed new construction exist, and add outlined questions that an applicant, applying to split a parcel of land, must answer regarding ownership and representation of property that is in the same tax parcel map or subdivision as the lots, parcels or fractional interests that are the subject of the application.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to make the licensing pathway more workable while retaining a defined state standard. It would require an applicant for a building permit for new construction of a residential single-family home and an applicant for a land division to identify ownership interests in the property, and would also exempt an applicant from identify ownership interest in the property if, at the time of applying for the permit, the applicant provides a copy of the subdivision final plat that indicates an assured water supply and is approved by the municipality where the parcels, lots or fractional interests of the proposed new construction exist, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.