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Committee advances three bills: advisory sunsets extended and housing governance restructured
Summary
The Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee voted unanimously to extend sunsets for the Bears Ears Visitor Center and the Child Care Advisory Committees and to recommend a housing governance reorganization bill that consolidates administrative housing functions under GOEO.
The Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee unanimously approved three committee actions Wednesday: two sunset extensions for advisory committees and a recommendation to move a housing governance restructuring forward to the legislature.
The committee first approved minutes and then moved to extend the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee's sunset by two years after staff counsel Rhonda Bailey said the file had been open since May and local tribal-affairs staff were available for questions. Representative Jack moved the favorable recommendation and the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
The panel then considered the Child Care Advisory Committee amendments, a three-year extension (2026 to 2029). Kevin Burt of the Department of Workforce Services told the committee the advisory council provides crucial feedback from providers and recipients to improve child-care subsidy administration. After a public comment from Corey Holdaway of the Utah Child Care Association urging extension, Senator Kwan moved a favorable recommendation and the committee approved it unanimously.
Finally, the committee voted to recommend the housing amendments as a committee bill. Representative Roberts introduced legislation to consolidate about 40 housing-related programs and administration spread across multiple executive agencies under the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO). The bill would create a senate-confirmed deputy director for housing at GOEO and transfer administrative functions and some program data, but, lawmakers and sponsors emphasized, it would not change housing policy, land-use authority or existing statutory definitions.
The committee recorded no roll-call tallies in the transcript; chair announcements indicated each motion passed by unanimous voice vote. Each bill will continue through the legislative process for further review and formal numbering.
Ending: The committee moved on to receive annual reports from GOEO and other agencies after those votes; committee members thanked staff and bill sponsors for the work in preparing the proposals.
