Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Private Partnerships topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House creates PPP facilitator, passes SB133 with conflict disclosure requirements
Summary
The House adopted a second-substitute of Senate Bill 133 to create a facilitator in the Governors Office of Economic Development to guide public-private partnership proposals, require conflict-of-interest forms, and include a repeal date of 01/01/2024; the measure passed 68-1.
The Utah House on March 10 passed Senate Bill 133, which directs the Governor's Office of Economic Development to create a facilitator to guide public-private partnership (PPP) proposals and requires that facilitator to submit conflict-of-interest disclosures. Representative Ferri, the floor sponsor, said the facilitator is intended to streamline the process for private entities to submit proposals and that the role includes a scheduled repeal date of Jan. 1, 2024, and the ability to recommend future legislation.
Ferri described PPPs as an existing tool for projects like toll roads and hospitals and said the current code was unclear about how to process unsolicited private proposals. "So these public private partnerships can be used for a variety of projects," Ferri said. Members asked whether correctional facilities could partner with private companies to provide paid work opportunities for inmates; Ferri said the bill creates a facilitator but does not itself expand what is statutorily allowed.
After Q&A and floor discussion, the House passed the second substitute of SB133 68-1. The bill sponsor urged colleagues to support the measure as a means to encourage private investment for large public projects that the state could not otherwise finance.
