House passes bill to protect proprietary research records in contracts

The Utah House of Representatives voted to approve Senate Bill 179, a measure designed to protect certain commercially sensitive information in research contracts from public disclosure, the House recorded.

Representative Hunsaker, explaining the measure on the House floor, said Utah’s two major research universities together bring in "approximately a half a billion dollars" in contracts and grants each year and that some potential private partners are withholding work because they fear required public‑records disclosures would reveal trade secrets. "If a little bit becomes public, then it all becomes public," Hunsaker said, summarizing industry concerns about current records‑access language.

The bill directs a specific classification and protection for confidential information tied to commercial and industrial research agreements. Hunsaker pointed to text on page 19 of the bill that would define the confidential category and allow limited protection for proprietary material so that businesses will not decline to locate or contract with Utah institutions because of disclosure worries.

Voting on SB 179 was opened and closed in the House; the clerk recorded 63 "aye" votes and no "no" votes. The bill passed this body and will be returned to the Senate for the president's signature.

The measure, as presented, does not list line‑by‑line exceptions in the House discussion; supporters said the change is narrowly aimed at contract‑level proprietary information and that journalists and other stakeholders were consulted in drafting the language. The next formal step is the Senate signature and any subsequent enactment procedures.