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Senate approves bill authorizing UDOT to consider toll roads; amendment adopted
Summary
The Senate adopted an amendment to House Bill 266 and passed legislation authorizing the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to establish tollways and lanes subject to legislative oversight; floor debate emphasized legal and policy questions about authorizing tolls as a tool to address a multi-billion-dollar road backlog.
Senators debated House Bill 266 on March 3, which would provide the Utah Department of Transportation and the Transportation Commission authority to establish, operate or approve tollways on state highways. Senator Wadham offered and explained an amendment designed to address earlier appropriations concerns and to clarify that the authority is permissive rather than mandatory.
Senator Holmgren spoke against the amendment on process grounds, saying the appropriations bill had effectively funded a project without prior legal authority: "Technically, I would say we passed... the bill illegally when we funded our appropriations bill," he warned, urging colleagues to consider legal exposure. Supporters argued the bill provides a needed tool to bridge a multi-billion-dollar gap between transportation needs and available resources.
The amendment was put to the body, counted (standing count) and ruled to pass; the final roll call recorded 25 ayes, 3 nays and 1 absent in favor of advancing HB266 on third reading. The bill directs the Transportation Commission as the authority to designate tollways and requires legislative oversight and ratification of toll designations.
Next steps: With passage on the floor, HB266 moves forward for final processing; legislators flagged the need for continued oversight and clearer policy guidance on where and when tolling would be used.
