The Utah House of Representatives on Feb. 18 approved ninth substitute House Bill 122, described on the floor as a package of National Guard and military amendments to protect compatible use areas around state military installations and to give administrative authority for certain military-related programs to the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs.

Representative Burton, sponsor of the substitute, told the House the legislation seeks to protect boundaries around installations such as Hill Air Force Base, Camp Williams, Dugway and Tooele Army Depot by using compatible use agreements and easements so local landowners preserve uses compatible with military operations. "We actually have foreign nationals buying land around our military bases. This is concerning to us," Burton said on the House floor.

Burton said the bill also moves administration of some programs (previously in Title 63M, Military Base Easements Act) to Title 71A under the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs and adds governance language to administer federal GI benefit programs and related functions.

Representative Ivory asked whether the bill's protective measures are strictly military-related rather than conservation-focused; Burton replied the language was narrowed to adjacent areas around bases and the Sentinel landscape language had been removed from the substitute.

Representative Peterson emphasized urbanization as the chief threat to the state's nine military facilities, saying preserving boundaries is necessary to preserve training missions. Burton said the bill aims to save taxpayer dollars by keeping bases operational in their current locations.

The House adopted the ninth substitute and recorded final passage, with the clerk announcing the bill passed the House with 70 yes votes; it will be sent to the Senate for its consideration.