Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes an applicant to request an advisory opinion about a municipality's change of water rights.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a “change applicant” to request an advisory opinion from the state engineer or the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman about a change to a municipality's water right  (Sec. 2).

• Defines a “change applicant” as any entity that seeks to make a permanent or temporary change to a water right, including (Sec. 5):
• A holder of an approved but unperfected application to appropriate water;
• A record owner of a perfected water right;
• An individual who has written authorization to file a change on another individual’s behalf; or
• A shareholder in a water company.

• Defines a change to a water right as any change to the point of diversion, place of use, period of use, or nature of use of a water right (Sec. 5). 

• Authorizes the state engineer to approve a permanent or temporary change application where an interference with another water right has been demonstrated (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes a state engineer to review the beneficial use of water to determine the quantity of water available for a change in a water right (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text