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House approves bill transferring Central Applied Technology College functions to Snow College
Summary
The Utah House approved Third Substitute House Bill 161 by a 61-9 vote to remove the Central Applied Technology College from the Utah College of Applied Technology and transfer its functions to Snow College; supporters said funding will follow students and UCAT will continue oversight, while others warned of funding inequities.
The Utah House voted 61-9 to approve Third Substitute House Bill 161, removing the Central Applied Technology College from the Utah College of Applied Technology and transferring its functions and responsibilities to Snow College.
Supporters said the move was driven by local demand and timing. "I'm strongly in favor of this legislation," Representative Burkhart said, noting Snow College is assigned a clear mission for applied-technology education and that the Utah Colleges of Applied Technology board would be required to monitor applied-technology education in the area. Sponsor Representative Johnson said the change would benefit students in Richfield, adding, "What we do mostly in Utah is fund all of our students kind of on an individual basis. So if the students are there, the funding should flow to them." He said intent language in the Appropriation Act will specify how the funds flow rather than placing fiscal details in statute.
Opponents and cautious supporters raised concerns about how the reallocation could affect other colleges. Representative Buckmeyer asked why funds historically associated with the Central Applied Technology College should flow to Snow College after the transfer and warned that if Snow received a larger share it could "disadvantage all of the rest of the colleges." Representative Bennion said he supported the bill but urged safeguards to avoid commingling funds or institutional creep and recommended that the system be monitored to preserve the applied-technology mission.
The Appropriation Act was cited by representatives as the vehicle where the funding flow and intent language will be recorded. Supporters said the timing — including the retirement of the current Richfield president — made the change feasible and beneficial for local students, who they said would gain access to community-college credits and student services while retaining applied-technology instruction.
The clerk announced that Third Substitute House Bill 161 received 61 yes votes and 9 no votes; the bill passed the House and will be forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
Next step: the measure will go to the Senate for further consideration.
