HR 2876S 1453119th CongressIntroduced

University of Utah Research Park Act

Introduced: Apr 10, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1] (R-Utah)

EducationInfrastructure

Chamber Versions:

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.R. 2876, titled the University of Utah Research Park Act, would formally confirm that certain non-Federal land in Salt Lake City, Utah, can be used by the University of Utah as a University research park and for related university purposes. The bill relies on an Interior Department approval letter dated December 10, 1970 (and any later modifications approved before enactment) to validate these uses as public purposes under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (RPP Act) of June 14, 1926. In addition to the core research park use, the bill allows other University uses that align with that purpose, including development of student housing and a transit hub, as valid public purposes under the same act. The land at issue comprises about 593.54 acres conveyed to the University under the RPP Act, specifically described as patent 43-99-0012 (dated October 18, 1968), covering certain tracts and excluding a few parcels. In short, the bill codifies and clarifies existing land uses for the University’s research park and related university activities, ensuring they remain authorized public purposes under federal law. It does not appear to authorize new land transfers or funding, but rather formalizes the status and permissible uses of the land per prior Interior approvals.

Key Points

1Confirms the University of Utah’s use of non-Federal land in Salt Lake City as a University research park and related purposes, consistent with the 1970 Interior Department approval and any subsequent modifications.
2Specifies the land description as about 593.54 acres conveyed under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, by patent 43-99-0012 (Oct. 18, 1968), including tracts D (with certain parcels excluded), G, and J.
3Allows additional uses compatible with the research park mission, including development of student housing and a transit hub, as valid public purposes under the RPP Act.
4Frames these uses as public purposes under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and subject to the terms and conditions in the Interior letter and approvals.
5The bill is introductory in the 119th Congress (introduced April 10, 2025), referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, with no explicit appropriation or new land transfer authority beyond confirming existing uses.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: University of Utah and its students, researchers, and faculty, along with the Salt Lake City community near the university, through continued access to land for a research park, housing, and a transit hub.Secondary group/area affected: U.S. Department of the Interior (oversight of the land under the RPP Act) and local or regional planners coordinating public infrastructure (housing, transit) associated with the project.Additional impacts: Potential implications for local economic development and land-use planning, alignment with public-interest objectives under the RPP Act, and clarification of long-term land-use permissions without new federal funding or land transfers. The bill preserves existing conditions and uses but does not authorize new funding; it relies on preexisting Interior approvals for the project’s framework.

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