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House approves $500,000 one-time transfer to rural rehabilitation fund to help small agricultural businesses, 69-0
Summary
Representative Steiler said the House approved a one-time $500,000 transfer from the Agricultural Resource Development Fund to the Utah Rural Rehabilitation Fund to support small agricultural and rural businesses; the bill passed 69-0 and will return to the Senate.
The Utah House on March 4, 2003 approved Senate Bill 173, a Department of Agriculture amendment that transfers $500,000 from the Agricultural Resource Development Fund to the Utah Rural Rehabilitation Fund to support small agricultural businesses and promote rural economic development.
Representative Steiler told the chamber the transfer is a one-time fiscal-year action. He described typical uses of the two funds: the Agricultural Resource Development Fund supports low-interest loans for water-conservancy measures and infrastructure (lining canals, land leveling, conservation measures), while the Utah Rural Rehabilitation Fund—being bolstered by this transfer—makes fully secured loans to help young farmers, start-ups, or producers recovering from a crop failure. "There is approximately four times more money in the ARDL fund than there is in the rural rehabilitation fund," Steiler said, and he emphasized the measure was intended to be targeted and limited.
Members asked why the bill had not had a committee hearing and sought additional detail on fund uses and balances; supporters said experts and program administrators had informed the proposal and that the transfer would help start economic activity in rural areas without impairing the larger ARDL fund. After debate, the House voted to pass the measure; the clerk recorded 69 yes votes and 0 no votes. The bill will be returned to the Senate for the President’s signature.
