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Committee clears bill letting state parks keep interest on accounts, spreading fiscal impact
Summary
House Bill 115 would let state parks retain interest earned on their accounts; sponsors said a past policy change omitted that ability, and the bill phases the fiscal impact over four years at about $150,000 per year.
The Utah Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Standing Committee passed House Bill 115, which would allow state parks to retain interest earned on their accounts and spread an implementation fiscal note over four years, the committee heard.
Representative Brooks, sponsor of HB 115, told the committee the change corrects an omission from a 2012 policy shift that moved state parks away from direct appropriations toward fee‑based operations. “One of the things we missed was allowing them to retain the interest on their account,” Brooks said, and the bill breaks the fiscal note into four annual installments so the state can absorb the cost.
Nut Graf: Supporters said allowing parks to retain interest will help park budgets, keep user fees lower and align parks’ accounting treatment with other departments that already retain interest.
Brooks said the revised fiscal approach lowers the immediate budget hit; the presenter estimated the phased cost at roughly $150,000 per year. Committee members had no substantive questions; no public testimony was offered during the committee hearing. Senator Hankins moved to pass HB 115 with a favorable recommendation and the committee approved the motion unanimously.
Ending: With committee approval, HB 115 now moves to the full Senate for further action; supporters said retained interest would be used to maintain parks and offset fee increases.
