Gov. Cox ceremonially signs bills focused on smart growth

SALT LAKE CITY (April 18, 2023) — As our state grows, we must provide more housing opportunities, build more trails and recreational options, and invest more in strategic infrastructure for the future of Utah. Today we ceremonially signed bills that do just that. Here’s some highlights: 

SB 240 First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program: 

• Establishes the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, which provides up to $20,000 in assistance to qualifying first-time homebuyers. Homes purchased must be new construction that has not been previously occupied and must not have a purchase price more than $450,000. The Utah Housing Corporation (UHC) is tasked with developing the program, with oversight from DWS.

HB 364 Housing Affordability Amendments:

• Creates the Housing Support Grant Program in the Office of Homeless Services which supports deeply affordable housing efforts for households with no more than 30% of the  area median income. The bill also amends the Utah low-income housing tax credit program annual amount from $1 million to $10 million.

HB 499 Homeless Services Amendments: 

• Establishes the winter task force where governments from each county create a winter response plan each year. This bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue “code blue alerts,” which allows homeless shelters to increase their capacity when the temperatures drop..

HB 231 Low Income Housing Property Tax Exemption: 

• Allows private property owners to qualify as a property tax exempt nonprofit if the project is used to provide permanent supportive housing and receives federal, state, or local funding to provide support services and rental subsidies.

HB 406 Land Use Development and Management Act Modifications: 

• This bill modifies the process by which a boundary commission considers competing petitions for annexation of unincorporated private property, clarifies the circumstances under which a municipality may adopt temporary land use restrictions, and modifies the way private parties and municipalities may use development agreements.

SB 174 Local Land Use and Development Revisions: 

• Amends the requirements for internal accessory dwelling units including garages. The bill also enacts a new process for subdivision review and approval. 

HB 301 Transportation Tax Amendments: 

• Decreases gas taxes by 2 cents/gallon (and increases them over time through 2028), increases vehicle registration fees by $7, and imposes a 12.5% tax on EV charging stations. 

HB 44 Transportation Corridor Funding Amendments: 

• Allows the Department of Transportation to use corridor preservation funds to cover staff costs to administer the fund. It also allows the department to preserve funds further into the future, allowing them to purchase land planned 40 years ahead, as opposed to the existing 30 year-limitation.

SB 27 Transportation Revisions: 

• Creates new safety protections for snowplow drivers like prohibiting an individual from passing a snowplow on the side where the plan is deployed, prohibits an individual from passing three or more snow plows that are plowing side by side, and prohibits an individual from passing a snowplow displaying yellow flashing lights.

SB 185: Transportation Amendments: 

• Creates the Active Transportation Investment Fund (ATIF) to be used to develop active transportation infrastructure – including a statewide trail network – and deposits 5% of TIF revenues into the ATIF annually (capped at $45 million annually). 

More ceremonial bill signing events to come!

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