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House moves forward on PRADA authority to solicit proposals for Draper prison site
Summary
Lawmakers adopted a sixth substitute to expand the prison-relocation authority's role in soliciting proposals and tightened conflict-of-interest rules. Members debated whether the bill authorizes relocation or merely advances feasibility work; the House approved the substitute and passed the bill 51'0.
The House on March 13 adopted the sixth substitute to Senate Bill 72, changing the composition of the prison relocation and development authority (PRADA), tightening conflict-of-interest provisions and authorizing PRADA to issue requests for proposals for the Draper prison property.
Representative Wilson, sponsor of the House substitute, said the change "does not authorize the relocation of the state prison" and instead enables PRADA to advance the feasibility and planning process. "We're authorizing PRADA to move one step further down the process," he said, describing a timeline for requests for proposals and reporting back to legislative management.
Representative Noel and others pressed to prohibit proposals that include private operation of a new prison. Noel offered an amendment to bar bids that contemplated private operation; supporters of the amendment cited evidence of worse outcomes in some private facilities and argued for human-dignity and oversight concerns. The motion to bar private-operation proposals initially failed in voice vote, then was put to division and recorded; multiple amendments were debated and some were adopted to require transparency and public hearings.
The House discussed potential economic development on the 700-acre Draper site and whether projected revenue and job numbers were reasonable. Supporters said the site is uniquely located and the process should proceed; critics urged caution and additional study given the scale and long-term implications for communities and corrections programming.
After amendments and extended debate, the sixth substitute and the bill as amended passed the House 51–20 and will be transmitted to the Senate.
