Topics

Transportation
Housing and Homelessness
Other
Appropriations

2023 Legislative Summary

Finding a term to summarize the 2024 legislative session was harder than in past years. Some called it a “socks and underwear” session due to the tight budget. Others called it a “big” session because of the record breaking passage of 591 bills and a large $29.4 billion dollar budget. No matter what you called it, the 2024 session resulted in the passage of significant bills and appropriations for infrastructure ($1.2B), affordable housing projects ($300M), homelessness ($60M), an income tax reduction ($167M), and sports stadiums for MLB and NHL teams (~$2B). Below are some of the key transportation and land use bills and appropriations we tracked that impact the MAG region.

Thank you to our member cities and counties, Legislators and staff, State agencies and staff, and to our partners at UDOT, ULCT, UTA, UAC, WFRC, UT Valley Chamber of Commerce, and GOPB for an amazing partnership! Many thanks to Miranda Jones Cox at WFRC who’s created a terrifically resourceful 2024 legislative summary.

TRANSPORTATION

PASSED

HB430 Local Government Transportation Services Amendments. Rep Pierucci | Sen Cullimore

Allows a municipality/ies to propose a Public Transit Innovation Grant Pilot; Requires UDOT/Transportation Commission to administer the grant program; Transit Innovation Grants can be funded with a portion of the 4th Quarter local option sales tax for transportation in Utah, Salt Lake, Davis and Weber Counties, and the 5th 5th local option sales tax for transportation in Salt Lake Co, and the State’s Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF); Requires UTA to provide a report to local governments of revenues and service. Refer to the WFRC Bill Summary for more details.

HB449 Pedestrian Safety and Facilities Act. Rep Abbott | Sen Riebe

Makes changes to include a bicyclist in the provisions of the Pedestrian Safety and Facilities Act (expands definition of "pedestrian" to include bicycle); Adds additional safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists.

HB488 Transportation Funding Amendments. Rep Spendlove | Sen Cullimore

Provides additional ongoing funding to the Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF) for commuter rail improvements; Allows Salt Lake Co to use their share of the “5th 5th” local option sales tax for public safety in addition to transportation; Provides funding for specific projects in Salt Lake Co (from the County of the First Class Highway Projects Fund); Provides funding for specific projects out of the Rail Restricted Account in Utah Co: $10M for Vineyard 12th Overpass Project and $1M for Orem Center Street Railroad Crossing; Creates the County of the First Class (Salt Lake County) Infrastructure Bank Fund (CFCIBF) and modifies the distribution of funds from the “5th 5th” local option sales tax in Salt Lake Co; Allows 3rd-6th class counties to impose a 0.30% Local Option Sales Tax (59-12-2216) for transportation and/or public safety purposes; Adjusts funding going to the Cottonwood Canyons Transportation Investment Fund (CCTIF); Adds several state transportation infrastructure accounts to funds with nonlapsing authority. Refer to the WFRC Bill Summary for more details.

SB51 Road Construction Bid Limit Amendments. Sen Winterton | Rep Watkins

Increases bid limit for class B and C road construction projects to allow local governments more flexibility in granting construction projects; Adjusts the inflation factor on the bid limit to tie increases to the National Highway Construction Cost Index instead of the Consumer Price Index; Removes a cap on the annual increase due to inflation; Amends provisions related to bid requirements for construction self-performed by a county/municipality; Requires construction materials used by a county/municipality for self-performed construction are tested to ensure that the materials meet certain quality standards.

SB179 Transportation Amendments. Sen Harper | Rep Christofferson

Removes TTIF local match requirement for transit project proposed by UDOT; Requires a person challenging a dedication of a public highway through continuous use to first notify the relevant highway authority before filing suit; and makes other changes including technical throughout various sections to clean up cross references and removes outdated language.

SB208 Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone Amendments. Sen Harper | Rep Whyte

Enhances and clarifies housing affordability requirements for an HTRZ; Makes various changes or clarifications to station/area eligibility of an HTRZ; Adds the promotion and encouragement of owner-occupied housing to the objectives of an HTRZ; Adds an additional member of the HTRZ committee designated by the Senate President and Speaker of the House, and an additional school district member; Modifies tax and economic policy elements of HTRZs. Thanks to WFRC for this Bill Summary.

DID NOT PASS

HB65 Active Transportation and Canal Trail Amendments. Rep Lesser | Sen Harper

Requires a canal owner to notify counties, cities, UDOT, and MPOs of their intent to abandon or transfer title of a canal in the event those entities would like to purchase or take ownership of the canal for a canal trail; Gives municipalities and UDOT the right of first refusal to purchase the canal; Requires the state to inventory certain canals; requires UDOT to provide municipalities with a canal trail toolkit; Enables the Transportation Commission to consider canal trails for corridor preservation and part of Utah Trail Network.

HB367 Local Government Fee Amendments (“TUF” bill). Rep Peterson | Sen. Harper

Places parameters around a municipality’s ability to impose a transportation utility fee (TUF) which include studying the need, levels of service, fee specificity, public notification, voting requirements, and review.

SB87 Motor Vehicle Rental Tax Amendments. Sen Wilson

Increases the motor vehicle rental tax from 2.5% to 5%. The tax is deposited into the Marta Dilree Corridor Preservation Account, and brought in roughly $9M in funding in 2022; Bill doubles the revenues.

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

PASSED

HB298 Homelessness Services Amendments. Rep Clancy | Sen Cullimore

Renames the Utah Homelessness Council to Utah Homeless Services Board and changes the size and membership; Changes size, membership, and duties of the executive committee; Establishes additional data that Office of Homeless Services shall report to public and Legislature; Requires state and local homeless councils to establish goals; Establishes Shelter Cities Advisory Board and responsibilities; Modifies winter response plan for 1&2 class counties; Changes limitations for code blue event.

HB421 Homelessness and Vulnerable Populations Amendments. Rep Eliason | Sen Cullimore

Modifies provisions related to the oversight and provision of services for individuals experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations: Prohibits a municipality from receiving mitigation funds unless they enforce certain prohibitions and demonstrate improvement in reducing certain conduct; Exempts certain counties from winter response plan requirements if a county develops a year-round plan for addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness; Increases the temperature for a code blue alert to take effect; Allows a municipality to implement emergency measures to assist individuals experiencing homelessness during dangerous weather conditions.

HB465 Housing Affordability Revisions. Rep Whyte | Sen Fillmore

According to the Deseret News, this bill “aligns state resources, policies and tools around affordable home ownership and housing affordability with the desired outcome of increasing the supply of homeowner-occupied houses,” Rep Whyte said. 

Modifies the requirements for a moderate income housing report - report must state the number of entitled dwelling units that have not received a building permit as of the submission date the progress report; Authorizes redevelopment agencies/community development agencies to use funding to pay for or contribute to the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of income targeted housing (housing that is owned and occupied by a family whose annual income is at or below 120% median annual income for family within the county where housing is located), under certain circumstances; An agency shall spend, encumber, or allot the money contributed to the housing fund within six years from the day on which the agency first receives the money; Authorizes up to 6% of the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund to be used to offset administrative expenses; Makes changes to DWS funding agreements; Modifies the Utah low-income housing tax credit; Encourages the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority to, if appropriate, utilize land use authority to increase the supply of housing in the state.

HB572 State Treasurer Investment Amendments. Rep Spendlove | Sen Ipson

Allows the state treasurer to administer a new Utah Homes Investment Program, which would use $300M from the state’s Transportation Investment Fund to help offer low-interest loans to developers building affordable homes and for the infrastructure within the housing development project.

SB168 Affordable Building Amendments. Sen Fillmore | Rep Whyte

Adopts a statewide building code for modular building units; Adds modular housing rep to membership of the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund Board; Modifies provisions related to reinvestment fee covenants or transfer fee covenants, and First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program; Authorizes a municipality or county to create a home ownership promotion zone of 10 acres or less and describes the purposes and requirements of a home ownership promotion zone; Allows a home ownership promotion zone to capture tax increment for up to 15 consecutive years to finance the objectives of the home ownership promotion zone; Authorizes the creation of a home ownership promotion zone to be included in a municipality or county's moderate income housing plan.

SB268 First Home Investment Zone (“FHIZ”) Act. Sen Harper | Rep Musselman

Allows a municipality to create a First Home Investment Zones to provide affordable, owner-occupied housing, encourage mixed use development, encourage strategic and efficient land use planning, improve access to opportunities, and increase opportunities for home ownership; Allows FHIZ to capture tax increment to finance the objectives FHIZ; Provides certain requirements regarding housing density, affordability, development size, and other characteristics of a FHIZ; Requires HTRZ committee to review and approve proposals; Allows a FHIZ to count toward requirements for moderate income housing plans. Check out these WFRC resources: WFRC SB268 Summary & WFRC comparison chart of HTRZ and FHIZ provisions.

DID NOT PASS

HB306 Residential Housing Amendments. Rep Ward

Prohibits an municipality in 1-3rd class counties with 15K+ from denying a residential lot if the lot is at least 5,400 sq ft; Prohibits impact fees on starter homes unless the impact fee is for roads, sewer, or fire; Defines starter home as a detached, single-family home that a builder sells to the first homeowner and is deed restricted for 5+ years.

OTHER

PASSED

HB13 Infrastructure Financing Districts. Rep Dunnigan | Sen Cullimore

Utah News Dispatch summarized the bill by stating that it allows developers of approved housing developments to create “infrastructure financing districts” that could bond to pay for infrastructure improvements, like roads, but the debt would need to be paid off before selling the homes.

HB90 Outdoor Recreation Grants Amendments. Rep Stenquist | Sen Winterton

Redefines outdoor recreation infrastructure to now include an unpaved trail, trailhead infrastructure, signage, or crossing infrastructure for recreation (motorized or non motorized), a campground or day-use recreation site, water recreation infrastructure (pier, dock, boat ramp), outdoor recreation facilities that are accessible to visitors with disabilities; Authorizes Outdoor Adventure Infrastructure Restricted Account to include bringing new construction or upgrades of outdoor recreation infrastructure into environmental compliance, for strategic planning related to the development of outdoor recreation infrastructure, or facilitating avalanche safety forecasting to protect the public in relation to outdoor recreation infrastructure.

HB125 Procurement Code Amendments. Rep Loubet | Sen Wilson

Modifies Utah Procurement Code definitions; Exempts an interlocal entity (AOGs) from the procurement code if the interlocal entity adopts a set of procurement rules or policies that meet 22 certain requirements to include establishing a procurement code officer, identify thresholds, establish an appeals process, etc.; Establishes and provides procurement requirements and procedures for DHHS.

HB335 State Grant Process Amendments. Rep Peterson |Sen Stevenson

Requires that a grant recipient provide a proposed budget and agree to deliverables, reporting, audit, and clawback requirements before receiving any grant funds; Addresses the disbursement schedule for grant funds; Provides for review after a specified time of a grant funded by an ongoing appropriation; Provides requirements specific to direct award grants and competitive grants.

HB476 Municipal Land Use Regulation Modifications. Rep Whyte | Sen Fillmore

To clarify state code and place certain requirements on cities to accept and complete applications for residential development to create more certainty for home builders. Modifies the petition signature requirements to annex an area to a municipality; Modifies county and municipal land use provisions; Requires a county or municipality to accept and process a complete land use application under specified conditions; Modifies provisions relating to development agreements; Modifies the limitation of a provision on building design elements; Authorizes a county or municipality to require a seller to notify a buyer of water wise landscaping requirements; Enacts language for residential rear setback limitations; Modifies provisions for the review of subdivision applications and improvement plans, landscaping, completion assurance bond, enforcement of county and municipal land use regulations.

HCR11 CR Recognizing the Importance of Cross-issue Growth Impacts. Rep Bolinder | Sen Cullimore

Concurrent Resolution Recognizing the Importance of Cross-Issue Growth Impacts - encourages private, public, and community partners to consider all growth issues when making policy or funding decisions.

SB86 Local Government Bonds Amendments. Sen Fillmore | Rep Brammer

Prohibits a local political subdivision from issuing a lease revenue bond if a specified threshold is exceeded, with an exception; and requires a local government entity intending to issue certain lease revenue bonds to comply with specified notice and public hearing requirements before issuing the lease revenue bond.

DID NOT PASS

HB135 County Land Use Amendments. Rep Birkeland

Removes the requirement that Summit County submit a proposal to create a housing and transit reinvestment zone as a strategy for increasing moderate income housing.

HB195 Land Use Planning Amendments. Rep Owens

Requires municipalities and counties to consider development impacts on wildlife in the process of considering and adopting general plans and land use regulations.

HB232 Outdoor Recreation Impacts Fund. Rep Stenquist

Creates the Outdoor Recreation Impacts Fund, and funds the bill with 40% of state sales tax collected from outdoor retailers in the state. The fund can then be used for statewide avalanche forecasting or in 4th, 5th, and 6th class counties to offset the impacts of recreation and tourism such as solid waste disposal, search/rescue activities, emergency medical services, etc.

HB235 Eminent Domain Amendments. Rep Stenquist

Provides that the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a public use for which eminent domain may be used.

HB279 Air Quality Amendments. Rep Clancy

Makes a number of changes to air quality regulations within the state; Requires that applicable air quality emissions, including fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide be reduced by 50% in the Wasatch Front area by 2033 compared to a 2017 baseline; Requires state agencies (including DEQ, GOEO, DNR, UDOT, and the PSC) to develop an emissions reduction plan for how their agency can contribute to achieving a reduction and shall report back to the legislature by Jan 2025; Addresses possible revocation of a vehicle registration for avoiding emissions testing.

APPROPRIATIONS

• $775M one-time and $330M ongoing to the Transportation Investment Fund to pay debt service - frees up funds for programmed TIF projects. From General Fund to TIF (SB3)
• Annual transfer of an amount equal to 1% of the state sales tax revenues from TIF to TTIF - for commuter rail infrastructure, including the building or improvement of grade-separated crossings between commuter rail lines and public highways. From TIF to TTIF ~$45M in FY25 (HB488)
• $50M one-time for Point of the Mountain Transit Stop for FrontRunner Commuter Rail station at The Point. From General Fund to TTIF
• $10M Vineyard 12th Overpass project. From Rail Restricted Account (HB488)
• $662,700 ongoing and $74.3 one time Huntsman Cancer Ins. Vineyard Cancer Research
• $1M Orem Center Street Railroad Crossing project. From Rail Restricted Account (HB488)
• $16M Sharp-Tintic Railroad Realignment Utah County. From TTIF (HB3)
• $5M Provo Airport Terminal Expansion (HB2)
• $2.4M Nutrition for Vulnerable Seniors/Meals on Wheels to Area Agencies on Aging (HB2/3)