University of Utah Research Park Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, to my colleague and friend from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), it is worth actually noting that the area focus of this bill, the location, is a stone's throw from the very cauldron that the Miracle on Ice team lit during the 2002 Winter Olympics. I congratulate the gentleman for getting that bill signed into law, the Congressional Gold Medal Act for those amazing patriots.

I actually watched that movie with my kids over the weekend and saw the patriotism start to brew, really an amazing feat. I thank my friend for that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the University of Utah Research Park Act, which passed unanimously out of the Natural Resources Committee in September.

This legislation addresses legal uncertainties surrounding the University of Utah's use of land initially conveyed to the school by the Bureau of Land Management back in 1968. At that time, the university requested land on the Fort Douglas Military Reservation for academic and research use, a request approved and granted by the BLM. Since then, the university has built a nationally recognized research park housing over 50 companies and employing nearly 14,000 Utahns.

Research Park has been instrumental in establishing Utah as a leader in innovation. Last year, I was proud to welcome my colleagues to the Ways and Means Committee to Research Park for a field hearing to show them first-hand how Utah continues to lead the way in biotech innovation.

Unfortunately, after decades of cooperative engagement between the University of Utah and the Federal Government, there have been questions as to whether the longstanding activities at Research Park are consistent with the original land patent under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. The University of Utah Research Park Act addresses these concerns and makes it clear that the school is operating within the parameters of the law.

With the assurance that the university can continue to operate the park, they will have increased ability to invest institutional resources and improve the park without the worry of additional red tape and regulatory restrictions or, worse, the area reverting back to Federal control.

My bill will provide the university with needed stability and confirm the original intent and approval of the land transfer, allowing the university to plan strategically to meet the needs of its students, the community, and industry.

I thank Chairman Westerman and my colleagues of the Utah House and Senate delegation for joining me in this effort to ensure that the University of Utah's Research Park can continue to serve as a premier research incubator.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2876. Go Utes.

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