House approves bill to return some sand-and-gravel sales tax revenue to extraction communities

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House passed second substitute Senate Bill 75 on Feb. 16, moving to send the measure back to the Senate after a 47–19 vote.

Representative Bollinger, the bill sponsor, told the House the measure creates a mechanism to return a portion of sales-tax revenue to communities that host sand-and-gravel extraction sites and to ensure that sales tax on ready-mix concrete is attributed to the batch plant rather than a remote call center. “This bill has been really a work in progress,” Bollinger said, describing two related problems affecting local road maintenance and local revenue.

Supporters argued the bill remedies an inequity for towns with extraction operations that bear road wear from heavy truck traffic but see little sales-tax benefit. Representative Lund said sand and gravel are natural resources similar to oil and minerals and called the change “a great bill” for affected communities. Representative Stankwist and Representative Christopherson also supported the bill, stressing local road impacts and the need for materials availability to keep housing costs in check.

Opponents warned about unintended effects on other cities’ tax bases. Representative Stoddard said the measure would reduce funding for some municipalities that currently receive the sales-tax revenue and announced he would vote no for that reason.

After floor debate and a vote, the clerk announced the bill “passes the House with 47 yes votes and 19 no votes.” The bill was returned to the Senate for further consideration and will be signed by the Speaker for enrollment.

What happens next: The bill proceeds back to the Senate; any further amendments or final enrollment must be completed before it becomes law.