House committee gives favorable reports to multiple tax-exemption and nonprofit bills
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Summary
A House committee gave favorable reports by voice vote to a package of bills Thursday, including agricultural utility exemptions, nonprofit sales-tax exemptions and a renewal of historic tax credits; fiscal notes were small for most measures and one companion senate bill was carried at the chair’s call.
A House committee on Thursday reported several bills favorably by voice vote, advancing a set of tax-exemption measures and a renewal of a historic tax-credit program.
The committee approved an agricultural measure, House Bill 244, which removes natural gas and electricity used in commercial greenhouses, pivot irrigation systems and poultry houses from utility growth receipts and utility service-use taxes. Representative Crawford, sponsor of HB 244, said the change is intended to give “a little help for our farming community.” An amendment excluding cannabis and hemp producers from the exemption was adopted before the bill was reported favorably.
Other measures given favorable reports included bills to extend tax exemptions for nonprofit auxiliaries (HB 411), add a regional Goodwill organization to an existing sales-tax exemption (HB 423), and provide sales-tax exemptions for an entity described as offering affordable housing and pre-K services (HB 422). Several of these items moved through on substitute language that lets local governments exercise discretion or clarifies applicability.
The committee also advanced the House version of Senate Bill 16 (called in as a companion), which would provide a sales- and materials-tax exemption for the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Representative Getley said the organization’s chapters have delivered 15,230 beds and have 2,301 children on their waiting list; the sponsor cited a fiscal note estimating an impact to the Education Trust Fund of about $32,000 annually for 2027–29 and roughly $42,000 annually if municipalities participate in local exemptions.
Representative Pringle presented HB 452 to renew the existing historic tax-credit program for five years. Committee staff clarified that the annual cap would increase from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 and a technical amendment was adopted to fix dates and sunset language; the bill was subsequently reported favorably as amended.
Actions were handled by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript. Where a fiscal note was available, sponsors presented it to the committee; most measures were described as having limited immediate fiscal impact. The committee chair carried SB 16 at the chair’s call to align the Senate-origin revenue change with the House process. The committee adjourned following additional presentations and discussion.