House passes substitute bill to create Capital Preservation Board for Utah Capitol

The House adopted substitute House Bill 385 on Feb. 26 to create a Capital Preservation Board charged with preserving and managing the Utah State Capitol and Capitol Hill facilities. The measure passed the House and will be transmitted to the Senate for further action.

Lieutenant Tanner moved a package of technical amendments and described them as primarily technical with one substantive provision limiting the board's control over removable furnishings that remain the property of state agencies. Tanner said the bill incorporates intent language from earlier action (House Bill 8) to ensure the Capitol Hill Arts Commission's functions are retained but as advisory rather than final decision‑making.

Proponents across the floor called the Capitol a "treasure for our state" and said maintenance and rehabilitation have been chronically underfunded. Sponsors explained funding for the board would come from existing budget lines: $2,150,600 in the general fund and $303,200 in dedicated credits previously appropriated for Capitol maintenance, plus an additional $3,000,000 of intent funds from the capital facilities bill to begin renovations. The board would inventory historically significant furnishings and preserve items identified as historically significant while leaving ordinary office furnishings under agency control.

Floor debate included a proposed amendment to include minority leaders of each chamber among board membership; that amendment required a vote on suspension of the rules but the motion to suspend failed. After debate and summation by Representative Brown, the House voted to adopt the substitute and recorded 64 yes votes and 2 no votes.

Next steps: Substitute HB 385, having passed the House, will be referred to the Senate for consideration.