Public Safety Funding Amendments

70
53-8-214
72-2-124
0
Public Safety Funding Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Wayne A. Harper
House Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions related to funding for public safety employees.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
provides for legislative appropriations into the Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted
Account;
modifies the permissible uses of money in the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 to
include the operation of a state highway, including enforcement of state motor vehicle
and traffic laws, if the state highway was constructed, reconstructed, or renovated using
money from the fund; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates
$2,000,000
in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027,
including:
($3,000,000)
from General Fund; and
$5,000,000
from various sources as detailed in this bill.
This bill appropriates
$3,000,000
in restricted fund and account transfers for fiscal year 2027,
all of which is from the General Fund.
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53-8-214
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 271
72-2-124
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 15
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
53-8-214
is amended to read:
53-8-214
. Creation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account.
(1)
There is created a restricted account within the General Fund known as the Motor
Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account.
(2)
The account includes:
(a)
deposits made to the restricted account from registration fees as described in
Subsection
41-1a-1201(7)
;
(b)
deposits into the account as described in Section
41-1a-1211
;
(c)
donations or deposits made to the account;
and
(d)
appropriations from the Legislature; and
(d)
(e)
any interest earned on the account.
(3)
Upon appropriation, the division may use funds in the account to improve motor vehicle
safety, mitigate impacts, and enforce safety provisions, including the following:
(a)
hiring new Highway Patrol troopers;
(b)
payment of overtime for Highway Patrol troopers; and
(c)
acquisition of equipment to improve motor vehicle safety impacts and enforcement.
(4)
The division shall annually report to the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee
to justify expenditures and use of funds in the account.
Section 2. Section
72-2-124
is amended to read:
72-2-124
. Transportation Investment Fund of 2005.
(1)
There is created a capital projects fund entitled the Transportation Investment Fund of
2005.
(2)
The fund consists of money generated from the following sources:
(a)
any voluntary contributions received for the maintenance, construction,
reconstruction, or renovation of state and federal highways;
(b)
appropriations made to the fund by the Legislature;
(c)
registration fees designated under Section
41-1a-1201
;
(d)
the sales and use tax revenues deposited into the fund in accordance with Section
59-12-103
;
(e)
revenues transferred to the fund in accordance with Section
72-2-106
;
(f)
revenues transferred into the fund in accordance with Subsection
72-2-121(4)(l)
; and
(g)
revenue from bond proceeds described in Section
63B-34-201
.
(3)
(a)
The fund shall earn interest.
(b)
All interest earned on fund money shall be deposited into the fund.
(4)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(4)(b)
, the executive director may only use fund
money to pay:
(i)
the costs of maintenance, construction, reconstruction, or renovation to state and
federal highways prioritized by the Transportation Commission through the
prioritization process for new transportation capacity projects adopted under
Section
72-1-304
;
(ii)
the costs of maintenance, construction, reconstruction, or renovation to the
highway projects described in Subsections
63B-18-401(2)
,
(3)
, and
(4)
;
(iii)
subject to Subsection
(9)
, costs of corridor preservation, as that term is defined in
Section
72-5-401
;
(iv)
principal, interest, and issuance costs of bonds authorized by Section
63B-18-401

minus the costs paid from the County of the First Class Highway Projects Fund in
accordance with Subsection
72-2-121(4)(e)
;
(v)
for a fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2013, to transfer to the 2010 Salt
Lake County Revenue Bond Sinking Fund created by Section
72-2-121.3
the
amount certified by Salt Lake County in accordance with Subsection
72-2-121.3(4)(c)
as necessary to pay the debt service on $30,000,000 of the
revenue bonds issued by Salt Lake County;
(vi)
principal, interest, and issuance costs of bonds authorized by Section
63B-16-101

for projects prioritized in accordance with Section
72-2-125
;
(vii)
for fiscal year 2015-16 only, to transfer $25,000,000 to the County of the First
Class Highway Projects Fund created in Section
72-2-121
to be used for the
purposes described in Section
72-2-121
;
(viii)
if a political subdivision provides a contribution equal to or greater than 40% of
the costs needed for construction, reconstruction, or renovation of paved
pedestrian or paved nonmotorized transportation for projects that:
(A)
mitigate traffic congestion on the state highway system;
(B)
are part of an active transportation plan approved by the department; and
(C)
are prioritized by the commission through the prioritization process for new
transportation capacity projects adopted under Section
72-1-304
;
(ix)
$705,000,000 for the costs of right-of-way acquisition, construction,
reconstruction, or renovation of or improvement to the following projects:
(A)
the connector road between Main Street and 1600 North in the city of
Vineyard;
(B)
Geneva Road from University Parkway to 1800 South;
(C)
the SR-97 interchange at 5600 South on I-15;
(D)
subject to Subsection
(4)(c)
(4)(d)
, two lanes on U-111 from Herriman
Parkway to South Jordan Parkway;
(E)
widening I-15 between mileposts 10 and 13 and the interchange at milepost 11;
(F)
improvements to 1600 North in Orem from 1200 West to State Street;
(G)
widening I-15 between mileposts 6 and 8;
(H)
widening 1600 South from Main Street in the city of Spanish Fork to SR-51;
(I)
widening US 6 from Sheep Creek to Mill Fork between mileposts 195 and 197
in Spanish Fork Canyon;
(J)
I-15 northbound between mileposts 43 and 56;
(K)
a passing lane on SR-132 between mileposts 41.1 and 43.7 between mileposts
43 and 45.1;
(L)
east Zion SR-9 improvements;
(M)
Toquerville Parkway;
(N)
an environmental study on Foothill Boulevard in the city of Saratoga Springs;
(O)
using funds allocated in this Subsection
(4)(a)(ix)
, and other sources of funds,
for construction of an interchange on Bangerter Highway at 13400 South; and
(P)
an environmental impact study for Kimball Junction in Summit County;
(x)
$28,000,000 as pass-through funds, to be distributed as necessary to pay project
costs based upon a statement of cash flow that the local jurisdiction where the
project is located provides to the department demonstrating the need for money
for the project, for the following projects in the following amounts:
(A)
$5,000,000 for Payson Main Street repair and replacement;
(B)
$8,000,000 for a Bluffdale 14600 South railroad bypass;
(C)
$5,000,000 for improvements to 4700 South in Taylorsville; and
(D)
$10,000,000 for improvements to the west side frontage roads adjacent to U.S.
40 between mile markers 7 and 10;
(xi)
$13,000,000 as pass-through funds to Spanish Fork for the costs of right-of-way
acquisition, construction, reconstruction, or renovation to connect Fingerhut Road
over the railroad and to U.S. Highway 6;
(xii)
for a fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, only, as pass-through funds from
revenue deposited into the fund in accordance with Section
59-12-103
, for the
following projects:
(A)
$3,000,000 for the department to perform an environmental study for the I-15
Salem and Benjamin project; and
(B)
$2,000,000, as pass-through funds, to Kane County for the Coral Pink Sand
Dunes Road project; and
(xiii)
for a fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, up to $300,000,000 for the costs of
right-of-way acquisition and construction for improvements on SR-89 in a county
of the first class.
(b)
The executive director may use fund money to exchange for an equal or greater
amount of federal transportation funds to be used as provided in Subsection
(4)(a)
.
(c)
Subject to legislative appropriation, money in the fund may be used for the operation
of a state highway, including enforcement of state motor vehicle and traffic laws, if
the state highway was constructed, reconstructed, or renovated using money from the
fund.
(c)
(d)
(i)
Construction related to the project described in Subsection
(4)(a)(ix)(D)

may not commence until a right-of-way not owned by a federal agency that is
required for the realignment and extension of U-111, as described in the
department's 2023 environmental study related to the project, is dedicated to the
department.
(ii)
Notwithstanding Subsection
(4)(c)(i)
(4)(d)(i)
, if a right-of-way is not dedicated
for the project as described in Subsection
(4)(c)(i)
(4)(d)(i)
on or before October
1, 2024, the department may proceed with the project, except that the project will
be limited to two lanes on U-111 from Herriman Parkway to 11800 South.
(5)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(5)(b)
, if the department receives a notice of
ineligibility for a municipality as described in Subsection
10-21-202(8)
, the executive
director may not program fund money to a project prioritized by the commission
under Section
72-1-304
, including fund money from the Transit Transportation
Investment Fund, within the boundaries of the municipality until the department
receives notification from the Housing and Community Development Division within
the Department of Workforce Services that ineligibility under this Subsection
(5)
no
longer applies to the municipality.
(b)
Within the boundaries of a municipality described in Subsection
(5)(a)
, the executive
director:
(i)
may program fund money in accordance with Subsection
(4)(a)
for a
limited-access facility or interchange connecting limited-access facilities;
(ii)
may not program fund money for the construction, reconstruction, or renovation
of an interchange on a limited-access facility;
(iii)
may program Transit Transportation Investment Fund money for a
multi-community fixed guideway public transportation project; and
(iv)
may not program Transit Transportation Investment Fund money for the
construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a station that is part of a fixed
guideway public transportation project.
(c)
Subsections
(5)(a)
and
(b)
do not apply to a project programmed by the executive
director before July 1, 2022, for projects prioritized by the commission under Section
72-1-304
.
(6)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(6)(b)
, if the department receives a notice of
ineligibility for a county as described in Subsection
17-80-202(8)
, the executive
director may not program fund money to a project prioritized by the commission
under Section
72-1-304
, including fund money from the Transit Transportation
Investment Fund, within the boundaries of the unincorporated area of the county until
the department receives notification from the Housing and Community Development
Division within the Department of Workforce Services that ineligibility under this
Subsection
(6)
no longer applies to the county.
(b)
Within the boundaries of the unincorporated area of a county described in Subsection
(6)(a)
, the executive director:
(i)
may program fund money in accordance with Subsection
(4)(a)
for a
limited-access facility to a project prioritized by the commission under Section
72-1-304
;
(ii)
may not program fund money for the construction, reconstruction, or renovation
of an interchange on a limited-access facility;
(iii)
may program Transit Transportation Investment Fund money for a
multi-community fixed guideway public transportation project; and
(iv)
may not program Transit Transportation Investment Fund money for the
construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a station that is part of a fixed
guideway public transportation project.
(c)
Subsections
(6)(a)
and (b) do not apply to a project programmed by the executive
director before July 1, 2022, for projects prioritized by the commission under Section
72-1-304
.
(7)
(a)
Before bonds authorized by Section
63B-18-401
or
63B-27-101
may be issued in
any fiscal year, the department and the commission shall appear before the Executive
Appropriations Committee of the Legislature and present the amount of bond
proceeds that the department needs to provide funding for the projects identified in
Subsections
63B-18-401(2)
,
(3)
, and
(4)
or Subsection
63B-27-101(2)
for the current
or next fiscal year.
(b)
The Executive Appropriations Committee of the Legislature shall review and
comment on the amount of bond proceeds needed to fund the projects.
(8)
The Division of Finance shall, from money deposited into the fund, transfer the amount
of funds necessary to pay principal, interest, and issuance costs of bonds authorized by
Section
63B-18-401
or
63B-27-101
in the current fiscal year to the appropriate debt
service or sinking fund.
(9)
The executive director may only use money in the fund for corridor preservation as
described in Subsection
(4)(a)(iii)
:
(a)
if the project has been prioritized by the commission, including the use of fund
money for corridor preservation; or
(b)
for a project that has not been prioritized by the commission, if the commission:
(i)
approves the use of fund money for the corridor preservation; and
(ii)
finds that the use of fund money for corridor preservation will not result in any
delay to a project that has been prioritized by the commission.
(10)
(a)
There is created in the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 the Transit
Transportation Investment Fund.
(b)
The fund shall be funded by:
(i)
contributions deposited into the fund in accordance with Section
59-12-103
;
(ii)
appropriations into the account by the Legislature;
(iii)
deposits of sales and use tax increment related to a housing and transit
reinvestment zone as described in Section
63N-3-610
;
(iv)
transfers of local option sales and use tax revenue as described in Subsection
59-12-2220(11)(b)
or
(c)
;
(v)
private contributions; and
(vi)
donations or grants from public or private entities.
(c)
(i)
The fund shall earn interest.
(ii)
All interest earned on fund money shall be deposited into the fund.
(d)
Subject to Subsection
(10)(e)
, the commission may prioritize money from the fund:
(i)
for public transit capital development of new capacity projects and fixed guideway
capital development projects to be used as prioritized by the commission through
the prioritization process adopted under Section
72-1-304
;
(ii)
to the department for oversight of a fixed guideway capital development project
for which the department has responsibility; or
(iii)
up to $500,000 per year, to be used for a public transit study.
(e)
(i)
Subject to Subsections
(10)(g)
,
(h)
, and
(i)
, the commission may only prioritize
money from the fund for a public transit capital development project or pedestrian
or nonmotorized transportation project that provides connection to the public
transit system if the public transit district or political subdivision provides funds of
equal to or greater than 30% of the costs needed for the project.
(ii)
A public transit district or political subdivision may use money derived from a
loan granted in accordance with Part 2, State Infrastructure Bank Fund, to provide
all or part of the 30% requirement described in Subsection
(10)(e)(i)
if:
(A)
the loan is approved by the commission as required in Part 2, State
Infrastructure Bank Fund; and
(B)
the proposed capital project has been prioritized by the commission pursuant
to Section
72-1-303
.
(f)
Before July 1, 2022, the department and a large public transit district shall enter into
an agreement for a large public transit district to pay the department $5,000,000 per
year for 15 years to be used to facilitate the purchase of zero emissions or low
emissions rail engines and trainsets for regional public transit rail systems.
(g)
For any revenue transferred into the fund in accordance with Subsection
59-12-2220(11)(b)
:
(i)
the commission may prioritize money from the fund for public transit projects,
operations, or maintenance within the county of the first class; and
(ii)
Subsection
(10)(e)
does not apply.
(h)
For any revenue transferred into the fund in accordance with Subsection
59-12-2220(11)(c)
:
(i)
the commission may prioritize public transit projects, operations, or maintenance
in the county from which the revenue was generated; and
(ii)
Subsection
(10)(e)
does not apply.
(i)
The requirement to provide funds equal to or greater than 30% of the costs needed for
the project described in Subsection
(10)(e)
does not apply to a public transit capital
development project or pedestrian or nonmotorized transportation project that the
department proposes.
(j)
In accordance with Part 4, Public Transit Innovation Grants, the commission may
prioritize money from the fund for public transit innovation grants, as defined in
Section
72-2-401
, for public transit capital development projects requested by a
political subdivision within a public transit district.
(11)
(a)
There is created in the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 the Cottonwood
Canyons Transportation Investment Fund.
(b)
The fund shall be funded by:
(i)
money deposited into the fund in accordance with Section
59-12-103
;
(ii)
appropriations into the account by the Legislature;
(iii)
private contributions; and
(iv)
donations or grants from public or private entities.
(c)
(i)
The fund shall earn interest.
(ii)
All interest earned on fund money shall be deposited into the fund.
(d)
The Legislature may appropriate money from the fund for public transit or
transportation projects in the Cottonwood Canyons of Salt Lake County.
(e)
The department may use up to 2% of the revenue deposited into the account under
Subsection
59-12-103(4)(f)
to contract with local governments as necessary for
public safety enforcement related to the Cottonwood Canyons of Salt Lake County.
(f)
Beginning with fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, the department shall use any
sales and use tax growth over sales and use tax collections during the 2025 fiscal year
to fund projects to provide ingress and egress for a public transit hub, including
construction of the public transit hub, in the Big Cottonwood Canyon area.
(12)
(a)
There is created in the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 the Active
Transportation Investment Fund.
(b)
The fund shall be funded by:
(i)
money deposited into the fund in accordance with Section
59-12-103
;
(ii)
appropriations into the account by the Legislature; and
(iii)
donations or grants from public or private entities.
(c)
(i)
The fund shall earn interest.
(ii)
All interest earned on fund money shall be deposited into the fund.
(d)
The executive director may only use fund money to pay the costs needed for:
(i)
the planning, design, construction, maintenance, reconstruction, or renovation of
paved pedestrian or paved nonmotorized trail projects that:
(A)
are prioritized by the commission through the prioritization process for new
transportation capacity projects adopted under Section
72-1-304
;
(B)
serve a regional purpose; and
(C)
are part of an active transportation plan approved by the department or the
plan described in Subsection
(12)(d)(ii)
;
(ii)
the development of a plan for a statewide network of paved pedestrian or paved
nonmotorized trails that serve a regional purpose; and
(iii)
the administration of the fund, including staff and overhead costs.
(13)
(a)
As used in this Subsection
(13)
, "commuter rail" means the same as that term is
defined in Section
63N-3-602
.
(b)
There is created in the Transit Transportation Investment Fund the Commuter Rail
Subaccount.
(c)
The subaccount shall be funded by:
(i)
contributions deposited into the subaccount in accordance with Section
59-12-103
;
(ii)
appropriations into the subaccount by the Legislature;
(iii)
private contributions; and
(iv)
donations or grants from public or private entities.
(d)
(i)
The subaccount shall earn interest.
(ii)
All interest earned on money in the subaccount shall be deposited into the
subaccount.
(e)
As prioritized by the commission through the prioritization process adopted under
Section
72-1-304
or as directed by the Legislature, the department may only use
money from the subaccount for projects that improve the state's commuter rail
infrastructure, including the building or improvement of grade-separated crossings
between commuter rail lines and public highways.
(f)
Appropriations made in accordance with this section are nonlapsing in accordance
with Section
63J-1-602.1
.
Section 3.
FY 2027 Appropriations.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2027.
Subsection 3(a).
Operating and Capital Budgets
Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
ITEM 1
Department of Public Safety - Programs
Operations
From Transportation Investment Fund of 2005
2,000,000
From Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account
3,000,000
Highway Patrol - Field Operations
5,000,000
The Legislature intends that the appropriations
under this item be used to hire new Highway Patrol
troopers for the enforcement of state motor vehicle and
traffic laws.
HIGHER EDUCATION
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
ITEM 2
Utah Valley University - Special Projects
From General Fund
(3,000,000)
Fire and Rescue Training
(3,000,000)
Subsection 3(b).
Restricted Fund and Account Transfers
The Legislature authorizes the State Division of Finance to transfer the following
amounts between the following funds or accounts as indicated. Expenditures and outlays from
the funds to which the money is transferred must be authorized by an appropriation.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ITEM 3
General Fund Restricted - Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account
From General Fund
3,000,000
Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account
3,000,000
Section 4.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
July 1, 2026
.
3-6-26 6:11 PM