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Utah House advances a raft of bills, approves military pay tax break and energy tax incentives
Summary
The Utah House on Feb. 11 moved multiple Senate and House measures, including HB117 (state tax exclusion for Guard/reserve active-duty pay), an amended SB19 creating sales-and-use tax exemptions for renewable energy equipment (excluding medical-waste incineration), HCR14 honoring Dugway installations, and HB168 creating a tax task force; most measures passed by large margins.
The Utah House of Representatives moved a broad package of bills on Feb. 11, approving tax and policy measures and forwarding most to the Senate for further action.
Representative Peterson, sponsor of House Bill 117, told the chamber the measure would exempt from state income tax the portion of pay that National Guard members and reservists earn while on full-time active duty. "This year, about 1,800 of our neighbors and our friends ... are going to be called up to active duty," Peterson said, urging the House to "send the message" of support. The House passed HB117, 72-0, and the bill was referred to the Senate; the sponsor noted a fiscal note of about $5 million to the Uniform School Fund.
Lawmakers also approved second-substitute Senate Bill 19 after floor amendment 3, which the sponsor characterized as preserving the bill’s purpose while excluding medical-waste incineration from the energy-equipment tax exemption. Representative Gowans framed SB19 as an incentive to help renewable-energy development and said the exemption was intended to keep Utah competitive with neighboring states; Representative Butters offered the amendment to carve out medical waste incinerators, and the amendment passed. The amended SB19 passed the House, 67-1, and will be returned to the Senate.
The House approved HCR14, a resolution recognizing Dugway Proving Ground, Tooele Army Depot, Deseret Chemical Depot and the Utah National Guard. Representative Eli Anderson summarized Dugway’s history and disposal work on chemical agents and the resolution passed unanimously, 68-0, and will be forwarded to the Senate.
Lawmakers also established a study body on tax policy by passing HB168, creating a task force to review the individual income tax and corporate franchise tax system, coordinate with the governor’s tax advisory group, and examine exemptions, credits, and possible structural reforms. Representative Harper described the task force as a necessary review of the state’s tax code; the House approved the legislation and will send it to the Senate.
Several other bills were considered on the consent calendar or after brief debate and passed by large margins, including SB65 (County Classification Amendments), SB70 (a narrowly tailored licensing exemption for one volunteer-run end-of-life care facility), SB82 (sunset changes to a basin revitalization fund), SB88 (manufactured-housing installation standards aligning with HUD), SB129 (default covenant language for planned-unit developments, as amended), SB132 (electrical licensing apprenticeship alignment), SB136 (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act amendments), and a package of natural-resources and administrative measures. Where members asked questions on specific bills—for example, SB70’s exemption from Department of Health licensing—sponsors said the department supported the exemption and identified the measure as limited in scope.
Next steps The measures that passed will either be signed by the Speaker and returned to the Senate for the President’s signature or be placed on the House third-reading calendar as noted on the floor. The House recessed until 1:30 p.m.
Sources: Floor statements and roll-call tallies reported on the House floor (Feb. 11 session).
