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Senate committee backs study panel, $1 million appropriation to explore Utah spaceport potential
Summary
The Senate Transportation committee voted unanimously to send 1st Substitute Senate Bill 62 — creating a Spaceport Exploration Committee and appropriating $1,000,000 from the Industrial Assistance Fund to GOEO — to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.
Senator Stevenson, sponsor of the bill, told the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Standing Committee that the 1st substitute to Senate Bill 62 increases the appropriation for a spaceport exploration committee to $1,000,000 and directs how the money would be distributed.
The committee voted unanimously to adopt the substitute and to send the bill to the Senate floor with a favorable recommendation.
Senator Stevenson said the substitute "appropriates $1,000,000 instead of" the earlier amount and later explained, "We take $1,000,000 but we're not taking the money out of the General fund. The money would come out of the industrial assistance fund to fund this committee. It would go to GOEO and then be dispersed from GOEO." He framed the bill as a feasibility study to determine "where do we really fit in this" alongside larger spaceport states such as Texas, California and Florida.
Senator Wayne Harper, chair of the committee and a senator representing Taylorsville and West Jordan in Salt Lake County, opened the item and recognized the bill sponsor for presentation. Senator Anne Milner, who represents parts of Weber, Davis and Morgan, moved the motions both to adopt the substitute and to recommend the bill to the floor; both motions passed by voice vote.
Committee members noted Utah assets that inform the study’s premise: Hill Air Force Base and the Utah Test and Training Range were cited as military and testing assets that could pair with private-sector activity, and several witnesses and legislators emphasized growing commercial interest in launches and related aerospace jobs. Senator Milner said Utah earlier competed for spaceport work decades ago and that current technology and industry interest make the present timing appropriate.
A member of the public who identified himself as Cal West spoke online during public comment. West, speaking in a personal capacity, thanked Senator Stevenson for the bill and asked that the committee integrate public-school outreach into the committee’s work; he referenced the Challenger teacher Christa McAuliffe when urging engagement with students and educators.
The bill text as presented creates an exploratory committee to research the feasibility of establishing a spaceport in Utah, names initial committee members in the bill text, and allows that committee to add members over time. The substitute specifies that the $1,000,000 appropriation will be sourced from the Industrial Assistance Fund and routed through the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO).
The committee recorded no roll-call vote; the actions to adopt the substitute and to recommend the bill to the Senate both passed by unanimous voice vote.
If approved by the Senate and enacted, the measure would fund the exploratory committee and the feasibility work described in the bill.
