Senate amends and passes annual bond bill, reallocates campus projects

The Senate considered the first substitute of Senate Bill 2 — the annual bond bill — and adopted amendments that brought the floor proposal closer to the Capital Facilities Committee recommendation.

Senator Evans, sponsor of the bond bill, identified recommended bond allocations for higher‑education projects including $26 million for Utah State University Library (phase funded in committee), $9.5 million for Utah College of Applied Technology in Vernal, $6.6 million for Vineyard Elementary land purchase, and other capital and restoration items. Senator Hatch offered an amendment to restore committee priorities: phase‑fund the USU library project, add $9 million for Southern Utah University teacher education building (to complete that project), add $6 million to the University of Utah library retrieval project and restore Weber State projects. The Hatch amendment passed and the Senate then placed the bill under suspension of rules and voted; first substitute SB2 passed (23 ayes, 5 no, 1 absent) and was sent to the House for consideration.

Senators said the amendment package reduces pressure on the bonding threshold and honors the priorities set by the Capital Facilities Committee and the building board. The bill includes a clause allowing the Division of Facilities and Construction Management to sell the state's interest in Iron County Correctional Facilities to Iron County under specified terms.

Ending: SB2 as amended will be sent to the House; sponsors said implementation details and project phasing will be managed by the appropriate executive agencies and boards.

Quote from the floor: "I think the committee did the best job... trying to accurately reflect the wishes of the building board and the board of regents," Senator Hatch said when introducing his amendment.

Recent procedural status: Passed by the Senate and referred to the House for further action.