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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah replaces large public transit district board with transit commission, shifts executive director appointment to governor, and mandates Transit Transportation Investment Fund sales tax deposits starting in 2028
Last action · March 26, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Wayne Harper and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah restructures large public transit district governance by replacing the board of trustees with a appointed jointly by the governor and legislative leaders, while making the executive director a governor-appointed position requiring Senate confirmation. The measure repeals the local advisory council, requires annual financial reporting to legislative subcommittees, and directs the State Tax Commission to deposit a portion of new sales tax growth into the starting in 2028.
Changes governance structures, appointment authorities, and financial reporting obligations for large public transit districts while establishing long-term sales tax revenue allocations toward state transit infrastructure.
- Large public transit districts in Utah, such as the Utah Transit Authority, historically operated under a board of trustees structure with local advisory council input. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Large public transit districts
The governance structure is replaced by a transit commission, appointment authority for the executive director shifts to the governor, and financial reporting requirements are established.
State Tax Commission
The agency is required to annually deposit specific portions of new sales and use tax growth revenue into the Transit Transportation Investment Fund starting in fiscal year 2028.
Transit commissioners
New appointed officials serve four-year terms without compensation or benefits other than per diem and local travel expenses.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who appoints the executive director of a large public transit district under this bill?
What happens to the existing board of trustees for large public transit districts?
When does the sales tax deposit into the Transit Transportation Investment Fund begin?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
57 actions- Mar 26, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 51 earlier actions
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0197S01
- Mar 6, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0197S01
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Feb 28, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0197S01
- Feb 28, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0197S01
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0197S01
- Feb 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0197S01
- Feb 25, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 23, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Jan 30, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 28, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 28, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 28, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0197
- Jan 28, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0197
- Jan 26, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 26, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0197
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0197
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Local Board Governance to State-Appointed Commission
The legislation removes the traditional board of trustees structure for large public transit districts and establishes a transit commission with members appointed by legislative leaders and the governor.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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