As we get set to start the final week of this year’s legislative session, there are a few things to update on land use bills as late last Friday.

HB98, the inspections and housing design limitations bill, was substituted and then passed by the House, so it now goes over to the Senate for action.  The substituted version mainly makes some changes to the process of determining the amount of liability insurance private inspectors and plan checkers must carry.

SB217 – Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone Act was also substituted on Friday afternoon and passed by the Senate, so it now goes to the House for action.  Here’s the comparison with the original bill.  Here’s a summary of what the substituted bill is, from the Wasatch Front Regional Council.

Also on Friday, HB401 – Fee Amendments was heard in committee with a lot of discussion and comments by both sides of the issue.  In the end, the committee did not appear to be convinced that the measure was needed, nor that it would be part of the solution to housing affordability, and voted to hold the bill.  That will likely kill the bill for this session.

As indicated in a previous update, SB164 – Utah Housing Affordability Amendments has a substitute bill out, but not yet adopted.  That will likely take place when the bill is heard in committee on Tuesday at 8:00 am.  Take a look at the comparison, which as was noted earlier, has a number of changes to the financial programs and to the section on inclusionary zoning and requirements.

HB409 – Municipal and County Land Use and Development Revisions, the Land Use Task Force bill, is up for hearing in committee hearing Monday afternoon at 4:00 pm.

With things down to crunch time and the last day for committee meetings being Tuesday, there are several bills of interest that are scheduled for hearings.  In addition to the one noted above, other are:

SB221 – Short-Term Rental Amendments, Monday at 8:00 am

SB240 – County Recreational Area Amendments (Mountainous Planning District changes), Monday at 8:10 am

HB115 – Municipal Boundary Modifications, Monday at 8:10 am

SB113 – Transportation Amendments, Monday at 8:45 am

SB65 – Community Reinvestment Agency Amendments, Monday at 4:00 pm

Finally, here’s an interesting story about a recent development project that contains many of the elements that are driving some of the legislative issues that are the subjects of some of this year’s bills, like municipal incorporation, referenda, and housing affordability.  Take a look.  https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/02/28/how-tiny-utah-community/

Wilf Sommerkorn

Co-Chair, APA Utah Legislative Committee