House Amends SB2005 to Allow Separate Agreements and Require Legislative Report if HuntsmanCommitment Is Removed

Salt Lake City — The Utah House of Representatives amended Senate Bill 2005 on Sept. 26, 2001, to change how revenue bonds for capital facilities tied to the Huntsman Cancer Institute are structured and to add a legislative reporting requirement if a percentage repayment provision is removed from statute.

Lawmakers heard that current law identifies a 60% repayment share for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and 40% for the University of Utah. An explanatory speaker said the bill restructures contracts so there will be two agreementsone between the state and the University of Utah and a second between the University of Utah and the Huntsman Cancer Instituteto avoid creating tax-status complications for the non-profit while preserving the 60% funding commitment by Huntsman.

Representative Tyler, who moved Amendment 1 (dated 09/26/2001 at 11:10 a.m.), told colleagues the governors director of planning and budget asked for flexibility but did not expect a change to the 60% Huntsman obligation. "I've spoken with the sponsor of the bill, about this. She's in agreement that it's appropriate for the legislature to get a report back if there's a requirement of 60% of it removed from the statute," Tyler said.

The amendment requires that if the 60% requirement is removed from statute, a report be returned to the Legislative Fiscal Analyst Office; that report is to be reviewed by the Higher Education Appropriations Committee and the Capital Facilities and Appropriations Subcommittee. Representative Adair questioned the need for the additional reporting requirement, saying he did not see a substantive problem and thought the requirement might be unnecessary.

The presiding officer announced the amendment passed and that the bill would be amended. Voting on the amended Senate Bill 2005 was then opened on the floor; the transcript records the vote being called but does not provide a completed roll-call tally or final disposition in the recorded segments.

Separately, the House recalled Senate Bill 2003 from the Senate to permit a House amendment; the recall was described on the floor as procedural so that members could propose changes. Republican members were directed to caucus in the usual place. The House recessed shortly thereafter.

What happens next: The amendment's report-back requirement creates a formal review step involving the Legislative Fiscal Analyst Office and two appropriations committees. The floor record in the provided transcript ends before a final recorded vote tally for SB2005 appears.