Committee advances SB 172 to streamline airport lost-property rules, close aircraft-registration gap and adjust drone language

Senator Harper presented SB 172 to the House Transportation Standing Committee on Feb. 23, saying the bill addresses three separate issues: a statutory process and notification timelines for returning items left in aircraft or at airports; a cleanup to capture aircraft headquartered in Utah that were omitted from last year’s registration changes; and clarifications to when law enforcement may operate drones over certain properties.

During committee questioning, Representative Thurston asked how unclaimed cash would be handled. Paul Nielsen of the Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office, who works with the Department of Airports, told the committee that ‘‘cash would be left at the airport just as if cash were left in a city park’’ and therefore goes to the locality where the property was found. Nielsen said current state law ‘‘only recognizes law enforcement agency as a repository for loss and unclaimed property’’ under the chapter referenced in the hearing and that Salt Lake City plans to modify local ordinances to implement the bill’s rules. He added that unclaimed cash would likely be put back into the Department of Airports operating budget.

The committee also asked about federal rules for items found inside the TSA-secure area. Nielsen said TSA will continue to handle items left in security trays and that the bill does not change federal processes: ‘‘TSA will still bring those things that people leave in the trays…regularly up to the lost and found office,’’ he said. On firearms, Nielsen and the sponsor clarified that firearms discovered during screening are turned over to law enforcement and ‘‘do not meet the definition of lost or mislaid property at an airport’’; those firearms would be handled by the Salt Lake City Police Department under existing procedures.

Dave Hammond, president of the Utah General Aviation Association and representing the Utah Aviation Coalition, told the committee the bill ‘‘cleans this up’’ and fixes a mistake made in 2024 that left a few aircraft in a regulatory gap; he urged a favorable, unanimous recommendation.

Vice Chair Cal Roberts moved that the committee favorably recommend SB 172. With summations waived, the committee passed SB 172 unanimously.

The committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation and returned it to the next steps of the legislative process.