Utah House advances multiple base budgets and policy bills; dozens of measures sent to Senate

The Utah House of Representatives on Jan. 29 approved a string of base-budget bills and several policy measures, clearing them for consideration in the Senate.

Representative Karen Peterson introduced HB 1, the base budget for the Utah System of Higher Education, saying the bill “appropriates $2,930,000,000 from the general fund and income tax funds for operating and capital and another $71,500,000 from the general fund for performance funding.” The House recorded HB 1’s passage with 73 yes votes, 0 no.

The House also approved HB 4 (economic and community development base budget), HB 5 (general government base budget), HB 6 (transportation and infrastructure base budget), and HB 7 (National Guard, veterans affairs and legislature base budget). Representative Roseanne Watkins said HB 4 will begin funding agencies at FY2025 levels and that federal funds are the largest source included; Representative Thurston described HB 5 as consolidating appropriations for 10 agencies and cited one-time rainy-day deposits included in the bill. Each base-budget bill was adopted by the House and will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

On policy items, the House passed second-substitute HB 69 (government records and information amendments), which its sponsor, Representative Araceli Grisius, said defines the contents of a voter-history record and creates restrictions on elected officials’ use of private voting records outside official duties. Grisius told colleagues that the bill does not change the privacy status of those records but clarifies what the statutory term covers; the measure passed 72–0 on the floor.

Representative Walter presented HB 108 (fraudulent deed amendments), describing it as a technical cleanup to prevent homeowners-association governing documents from being treated as fraudulent deeds; the House passed HB 108 unanimously. Representative Lee explained HB 62, a technical property-tax cleanup that clarifies application timing and farmland-assessment rules; HB 62 also passed on voice vote.

Representative Albrecht’s HB 72 (electricity rate amendments) passed the House after debate (67–0). Sponsor Albrecht said the bill clarifies that utilities cannot assign costs to Utah customers without showing those costs benefit Utah ratepayers and eliminates Rocky Mountain Power’s energy balancing account, a mechanism the sponsor said had allowed multi-state costs to be recovered from Utah customers.

Several bills were circled (deferred) for later floor consideration, including HB 120 (time change amendments) after a lengthy floor exchange; the House adopted a motion to circle the bill to allow additional debate at a future time.

All passed bills on today’s 3rd-reading calendar were transmitted to the Senate for its consideration. Committee assignments and substitute recommendations recorded by the Rules Committee were adopted and the House adjourned until Thursday, Jan. 30 at 11 a.m.

Votes at a glance (selected outcomes cited on the floor): HB 1 (Higher Education base) — Passed, 73–0; HB 4 (Economic & Community Development base) — Passed, 72–0; HB 5 (General Government base) — Passed, 70–0; HB 6 (Transportation base) — Passed, 71–0; HB 7 (National Guard/Veterans/Legislature base) — Passed, 72–0; HB 69 (Govt records) — Passed, 72–0; HB 72 (Electricity rate amendments) — Passed, 67–0; HB 108 (Fraudulent deed amendments) — Passed, 68–0; HB 62 (Property tax technical changes) — Passed, 71–0; HB 109 (Municipal election amendments) — Passed, 70–0.

The bills will next be considered by the Utah Senate. The House adopted the Rules Committee’s recommendations for committee referrals and substitutes before adjourning.