A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) that would protect and preserve the University of Utah’s nearly 600-acre Research Park passed the U.S. House of Representatives by unanimous consent on Dec. 15.
“I am grateful for the bill’s bipartisan support and am thrilled it passed the House,” said Rep. Moore, who on April 10 sponsored the University of Utah Research Park Act, H.R. 2876, alongside three Republican cosponsors.
The bill, which advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration, would address legal uncertainties surrounding the university’s use of land initially conveyed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1968 under the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act.
At that time, the university requested land on the Fort Douglas Military Reservation for academic and research use, a request approved and granted by BLM.
Since then, the university has built a nationally recognized research park, housing more than 50 companies and employing nearly 14,000 Utahns, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Moore’s office.
“The University of Utah’s Research Park has been instrumental in putting Utah on the map for innovation, research, and development,” the congressman said on Monday.
However, after decades of cooperative engagement between the university and the federal government, BLM has recently questioned whether the long-standing activities at Research Park are consistent with the original land patent under the R&PP Act.
If enacted, H.R. 2876 would resolve the uncertainty by confirming that the development and operation of a university research park is a valid public purpose under the act, the summary says.
“This legislation will provide the [university] with the stability necessary to meet the needs of its students, the community, and industry,” Rep. Moore said.