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House OKs bill to reorganize UDOT, narrows engineer requirement and expands department authority
Summary
The House passed substitute H.B. 261, a wide‑ranging reorganization of the Utah Department of Transportation that removes a statutory requirement that regional directors be licensed engineers and formally recognizes an existing motor‑carrier advisory board; the bill passed 56‑19 and now goes to the Senate.
Representative Steven M. Bodley, sponsor of substitute H.B. 261, told the House the bill is the product of a two‑year effort to reorganize the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to improve efficiency and reduce administrative duplication. "This bill is a result of an effort that's gone on about two years in trying to reorganize that department," Bodley said, outlining changes to district boundaries, headquarters duties and the placement of the Aeronautics Division.
The substitute bill moves some duties between the transportation commission and the department, formalizes the motor carrier advisory board that previously existed under an executive order of Governor Matheson, and deletes statutory language that would have required regional directors to be licensed professional engineers. "I just don't feel that we should put it in statute," Representative Bowman said in support of an amendment deleting the engineer‑certification requirement, adding that UDOT Executive Director Craig Zwick is not an engineer and supports the change.
Supporters said removing the statutory engineer requirement opens the candidate pool to experienced managers and administrators while leaving the department free to appoint professional engineers where technical expertise is needed. Opponents warned the change shifts some technical authority away from engineering professionals and urged caution about any measures that reduce public oversight of major highway decisions.
Representatives also debated a separate set of amendments that would have required legislative review before the department could remove roads from the State Highway System and that would add county/municipal representation on the transportation commission. That package was divided and partly adopted after floor votes.
The House approved the final substitute H.B. 261 and the clerk reported the vote as 56 affirmative and 19 negative. The bill was referred to the Senate for further consideration.
