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House approves SB 33 to set Capitol room fees, sponsor frames it as free‑speech access
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 33, which sets fees and rules for public use of Capitol meeting spaces and designates many rooms free for registered nonprofit use; sponsors said the package balances free‑speech access with revenue needs and includes a $37,000 lease and a $30,000 fiscal note.
The Utah House on Jan. 28 approved Senate Bill 33, amending how the Capitol Preservation Board sets fees and manages use of meeting rooms. Sponsors said the bill will allow many nonprofit groups to use rooms at no charge during the legislative session while setting hourly rates for other uses and formalizing registration and scheduling rules.
Sponsor (SB33) told the chamber the board worked with groups using the Capitol and secured a year‑long lease for about $37,000 for full‑time space that offsets some of the session costs. The sponsor said registered nonprofits may use many rooms at no charge for short meetings but cannot establish full‑time offices. The bill also sets a $50 hourly rental for nonprofits and $100 for for‑profit organizations, a distinction a member questioned during floor debate.
Representative Anderson asked whether the fee differential between nonprofits and for‑profit entities was intentional; the sponsor said the Board had met with both types of users and adopted a structure intended to protect free‑speech access for nonprofits while preserving flexibility.
The bill drew attention to its fiscal impact. Opponents raised a fiscal‑note concern of about $30,000 for the session; sponsors said the net effect, accounting for the new lease revenue and fee structure, was close to break‑even or slightly positive. Under a motion to reconsider, members limited debate and voted on the measure. The House approved SB 33, 71–2. The bill will be signed by the Speaker and returned to the Senate for the President’s signature.
The House debate focused on two strains of argument: protecting public access to the Capitol during the session and ensuring the action complied with the House’s fiscal rules. Sponsors repeatedly framed the change as expanding public access for meetings while keeping the capitol’s operations solvent.
SB 33 was transmitted to the Senate after the House vote; under the rules discussed on the floor, an immediate‑effective‑date request required 50 votes but the bill was approved with the necessary margin.
