To confirm the use of certain non-Federal land in Salt Lake City, Utah, for public purposes, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Mike Lee
R-UT | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Lee (for himself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill confirms that the University of Utah can legally use about 593 acres of federal land near Salt Lake City for a research park, student housing, and a transit hub. The land was originally given to the university in 1968 under a law that allows federal land to be used for "recreation and public purposes." Over the years, the university expanded beyond just research facilities to include student housing and transit, and this bill makes clear that these additional uses are legal and consistent with the original law.
Who Benefits and How
The University of Utah benefits by eliminating legal uncertainty about whether they can continue operating student housing and a transit hub on this land. The approximately 593 acres have been used as a research park since 1970, but there may have been questions about whether newer uses (like student housing) comply with the 1926 Recreation and Public Purposes Act. With this bill, the university can continue developing these facilities without fear of legal challenges. Technology companies, research institutions, and other tenants in the research park also benefit from continued operations. Students benefit from confirmed access to housing on or near the research park campus.
Who Bears the Burden and How
No one bears a direct burden from this bill. It is a clarification of existing land use that has been ongoing since 1968, not a change that creates new costs or restrictions. The bill simply confirms that current uses are legal rather than creating new programs or regulations.
Key Provisions
- Confirms that the University of Utah'''s use of 593.54 acres as a research park is a valid public purpose under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act of 1926
- Validates the university'''s 1970 approval from the Department of Interior and all subsequent modifications
- Explicitly confirms that student housing and a transit hub are valid uses consistent with a university research park
- Applies to specific tracts of land (D, G, and J) conveyed by federal patent 43-99-0012 in 1968
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Confirms that the University of Utah's use of approximately 593.54 acres of federal land as a research park, including for student housing and transit hub, is consistent with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act of 1926
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Retroactive legislative confirmation to resolve legal uncertainty about whether research park uses (especially student housing and transit hub) comply with the 1926 Recreation and Public Purposes Act"
Likely Beneficiaries
- University of Utah
- University research park tenants
- Students (via housing)
- Research institutions and tech companies in the park
Likely Burden Bearers
- None - this is a clarification that imposes no new burdens
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_university"
- → University of Utah
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Use as University research park approved by Secretary of Interior letter dated December 10, 1970, and subsequent Department of Interior modifications prior to enactment
Approximately 593.54 acres conveyed to University of Utah under Recreation and Public Purposes Act by patent 43-99-0012 dated October 18, 1968, specifically tracts D (excluding parcels 1-5), G, and J, T. 1 S., R. 1 E., Salt Lake Meridian
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology