HB 491

Enrolled Copy  H.B. 491
1State Highway Designation Amendments
                                     2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                           STATE OF UTAH
                               Chief Sponsor: David Shallenberger
                                  Senate Sponsor: Brady Brammer
2
3  LONG TITLE
4  General Description:
5      This bill creates a process and standards for the special designation of state highways.
6  Highlighted Provisions:
7      This bill:
8      ▸ provides standards and a process for the proposal of a special designation of a highway;
9      ▸ provides limitations on multiple designations for the same individual, or multiple
10  designations on the same highway;
11      ▸ allows special designations by the Legislature to apply only to state highways;
12      ▸ limits designations to proposals to honor an individual who has been deceased for at least
13  five years;
14      ▸ creates a committee for review of the special designation proposals;
15      ▸ limits special designations to one per year; and
16      ▸ provides standards for the highway signage for a special designation.
17  Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18      None
19  Other Special Clauses:
20      None
21  Utah Code Sections Affected:
22  AMENDS:
23      52-4-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 9
24  ENACTS:
25      72-4-401, Utah Code Annotated 1953
26      72-4-402, Utah Code Annotated 1953
27
H.B. 491  Enrolled Copy
28   Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29Section 1. Section 52-4-103 is amended to read:
3052-4-103 . Definitions.
31      As used in this chapter:
32   (1) "Anchor location" means:
33(a) the physical location where the public body conducting an electronic meeting under
34Section 52-4-207 normally conducts meetings of the public body; or
35(b) a location other than the location described in Subsection (1)(a) that is reasonably as
36accessible to the public as the location described in Subsection (1)(a).
37   (2) "Capitol hill complex" means the grounds and buildings within the area bounded by 300
38North Street, Columbus Street, 500 North Street, and East Capitol Boulevard in Salt
39Lake City.
40   (3) "Electronic meeting" means a meeting that some or all public body members attend
41through an electronic video, audio, or both video and audio connection, as provided in
42Section 52-4-207.
43   (4) "Fiduciary or commercial information" means information:
44(a) related to any subject if disclosure:
45(i) would conflict with a fiduciary obligation; or
46(ii) is prohibited by insider trading provisions; or
47(b) that is commercial in nature including:
48(i) account owners or borrowers;
49(ii) demographic data;
50(iii) contracts and related payments;
51(iv) negotiations;
52(v) proposals or bids;
53(vi) investments;
54(vii) management of funds;
55(viii) fees and charges;
56(ix) plan and program design;
57(x) investment options and underlying investments offered to account owners;
58(xi) marketing and outreach efforts;
59(xii) financial plans; or
60(xiii) reviews and audits.
61   (5) "Meeting" means a gathering:
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Enrolled Copy  H.B. 491
62      (a) of a public body or specified body;
63      (b) with a quorum present; and
64      (c) that is convened:
65(i) by an individual:
66(A) with authority to convene the public body or specified body; and
67(B) following the process provided by law for convening the public body or
68specified body; and
69(ii) for the express purpose of acting as a public body or specified body to:
70(A) receive public comment about a relevant matter;
71(B) deliberate about a relevant matter; or
72(C) take action upon a relevant matter.
73  (6) "Participate" means the ability to communicate with all of the members of a public
74      body, either verbally or electronically, so that each member of the public body can hear
75      or observe the communication.
76  (7)(a) "Public body" means:
77(i) any administrative, advisory, executive, or legislative body of the state or its
78political subdivisions that:
79(A) is created by the Utah Constitution, statute, rule, ordinance, or resolution;
80(B) consists of two or more individuals;
81(C) expends, disburses, or is supported in whole or in part by tax revenue; and
82(D) is vested with the authority to make decisions regarding the public's business;
83or
84(ii) any administrative, advisory, executive, or policymaking body of an association,
85as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101, that:
86(A) consists of two or more individuals;
87(B) expends, disburses, or is supported in whole or in part by dues paid by a
88public school or whose employees participate in a benefit or program described
89in Title 49, Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act; and
90(C) is vested with authority to make decisions regarding the participation of a
91public school or student in an interscholastic activity, as that term is defined in
92Section 53G-7-1101.
93      (b) "Public body" includes:
94(i) an interlocal entity or joint or cooperative undertaking, as those terms are defined
95in Section 11-13-103, except for the Water District Water Development Council
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96created [pursuant to] in accordance with Section 11-13-228;
97(ii) a governmental nonprofit corporation as that term is defined in Section
9811-13a-102;
99(iii) the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission; and
100(iv) a project entity, as that term is defined in Section 11-13-103.
101(c) "Public body" does not include:
102(i) a political party, a political group, or a political caucus;
103(ii) a conference committee, a rules committee, a sifting committee, or an
104administrative staff committee of the Legislature;
105(iii) a school community council or charter trust land council, as that term is defined
106in Section 53G-7-1203;
107(iv) a taxed interlocal entity, as that term is defined in Section 11-13-602, if the taxed
108interlocal entity is not a project entity;
109(v) the following Legislative Management subcommittees, which are established in
110Section 36-12-8, when meeting for the purpose of selecting or evaluating a
111candidate to recommend for employment, except that the meeting in which a
112subcommittee votes to recommend that a candidate be employed shall be subject
113to the provisions of this [act] chapter:
114(A) the Research and General Counsel Subcommittee;
115(B) the Budget Subcommittee; and
116(C) the Audit Subcommittee; [or]
117(vi) the highway designation review committee created in Section 72-4-402; or
118[(vi)] (vii) a search committee that selects finalists for a position as an institution of
119higher education president under Section 53H-3-302.
120   (8) "Public statement" means a statement made in the ordinary course of business of the
121public body with the intent that all other members of the public body receive it.
122   (9) "Quorum" means a simple majority of the membership of a public body, unless
123otherwise defined by applicable law.
124   (10) "Recording" means an audio, or an audio and video, record of the proceedings of a
125meeting that can be used to review the proceedings of the meeting.
126   (11)(a) "Relevant matter" means a matter that is within the scope of the authority of a
127public body or specified body.
128(b) "Relevant matter" does not include, for a public body with both executive and
129legislative responsibilities, a managerial or operational matter.
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130  (12) "Specified body":
131      (a) means an administrative, advisory, executive, or legislative body that:
132(i) is not a public body;
133(ii) consists of three or more members; and
134(iii) includes at least one member who is:
135(A) a legislator; and
136(B) officially appointed to the body by the president of the Senate, speaker of the
137House of Representatives, or governor; and
138      (b) does not include a body listed in Subsection (7)(c)(ii), [or ](7)(c)(v), or (7)(c)(vi).
139Section 2. Section 72-4-401 is enacted to read:
140Part 4. State Highway Special Designation Process
14172-4-401 . Process for special designation of highways.
142  (1) A proposal for a special designation of a state highway by the Legislature under this
143      chapter shall follow the procedures described in this part.
144  (2) A proposal for a special designation of a highway shall comply with the following:
145      (a) applies only to a state highway;
146      (b) includes only one special designation for a specific portion of the highway;
147      (c) provides for at least a five-mile gap between each portion of a highway with a special
148designation;
149      (d) does not propose more than one special designation of a highway for the same
150individual; and
151      (e) honors:
152(i) an individual who:
153(A) exemplifies exceptional bravery in the line of duty, including as a fallen
154officer, fire fighter, emergency responder, or member of the armed forces, or
155provided extraordinary contributions to the state or a particular region of the
156state that are of lasting and significant public importance;
157(B) has significant ties to the state; and
158(C) has been deceased for at least five years before the proposal of the special
159designation; or
160(ii) a group with significant ties to the state.
161  (3)(a) Signage for the special highway designation shall comply with department
162      standards and specifications.
163      (b) Signage is limited to two signs total, with one sign installed for each direction of
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164travel on the highway.
165(c) The costs of fabrication, installation, and maintenance of the special designation
166signage shall be paid for by:
167(i) state General Fund appropriations; or
168(ii) private donations or gifts, if the donation or gift is managed in accordance with
169applicable law and department policy.
170   (4) A legislator may propose a special designation of a highway to the highway designation
171review committee created in Section 72-4-402.
172Section 3. Section 72-4-402 is enacted to read:
17372-4-402 . Committee review of proposals of special designations of highways --
174   Interim committee approval.
175   (1) There is created the highway designation review committee.
176   (2) The committee is comprised of six legislators appointed as follows:
177(a) three senators appointed by the president of the Senate; and
178(b) three representatives appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
179   (3) The committee shall include at least two members of the minority party.
180   (4) The president of the Senate shall designate one of the Senate appointees as one co-chair
181of the committee and the speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of
182the House of Representatives appointees as the other co-chair.
183   (5) The committee is not a public body and is exempt from Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and
184Public Meetings Act.
185   (6) The committee shall receive and hear proposals for special designations of state
186highways.
187   (7) The committee may approve only one proposal for the special designation of a state
188highway each year.
189   (8) If the committee approves a proposal for a special designation of a state highway, the
190legislator who proposed the special designation may seek a recommendation from the
191Transportation Interim Committee.
192   (9) The Transportation Interim Committee may approve only one proposal for the special
193designation of a state highway each year.
194Section 4. Effective Date.
195   This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
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