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House passes bill letting counties route Forest Service receipts to special districts for fire-related services
Summary
The House approved the first substitute to Senate Bill 1,001, allowing the state treasurer to allocate Title III Forest Service receipt funds to county-created special service districts for fire-related services; sponsors said the change prevents reductions in PILT payments and frees county general funds.
The Utah House on the floor passed the first substitute to Senate Bill 1,001, a measure intended to let the state treasurer apportion Title III Forest Service receipt funds to special service districts created by counties for fire-related projects.
Representative Noel, who explained the bill, said the change would allow those Forest Service receipt funds to be used for local services such as ambulance and search-and-rescue support, Firewise community programs and other community initiatives. "What this would do, it would allow for the monies to go into a special service district," Noel said, explaining that routing the money this way prevents the funds from being counted against counties' payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) and thereby frees general fund monies for schools and other county needs.
The sponsor framed the bill as a tool to draw down Title III funds for fire-related services without reducing federal PILT distributions to counties. The House waived summation and approved the first substitute by a recorded vote of 72 yes and 0 no; the paper will be signed by the Speaker and returned for enrollment.
The language discussed on the floor allocates Forest Service receipt funds to special service districts rather than directly to county general funds; sponsors said counties would then be able to direct general fund savings toward local priorities such as education and other county services.
