H.B. 3 Appropriations Adjustments

What this bill does

H.B. 3 is the state's main spending bill for the coming year, setting a total budget of about $31.6 billion from all sources, with increases for public and higher education, social services, and criminal justice. It also sets aside $125 million for a new prison housing pod in Gunnison and makes tax changes, including lowering the income tax rate from 4.5% to 4.45% and one-time gas tax reductions.

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Every vote

• 71 yes, 1 no, 3 absentFinal House vote · Mar 6, 2026Who voted how
• 28 yes, 0 no, 1 absentFinal Senate vote · Mar 6, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Mar 6, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (12 turns)

  1. Sen. Jerry W Stevenson2:00:13

     finds the physical impact of our policy bills as well as some of the last minute funding items. It appropriates a little more than 800 million from various sources. It brings our total budget from all sources to 31.6 billion for fiscal year 2027, slightly less than our, uh, revised budget for, uh, fiscal year 2026. That includes 12.4 billion from the general and income tax funds. And 4.8, uh, 4.8% increase from the last year. This bill combined with our appropriations acts, uh, uh, redirected the, uh, and reinvested more than 3% of our base resources. In the end, we increased public education funding by nearly 300 million or 5% over base budget, higher education by 76 million or 4% over social services by nearly 60 million or 3.5%. And the criminal justice by 48 million or 5%, not counting 125 million for a new a new prison beds. In Gunnison, we cut taxes by more than $600 million over two years, including, uh, 300 million, uh, one time tax, 200 million in ongoing for the one big beautiful bill Act 23,000,001 time and 120 or, uh, excuse me, 101 million ongoing to reduce our income tax rate, uh, from four point, uh, excuse me, from 4.4 0.5 to 4 2, 4 0.44 or four five, and, uh, 40 million tax to reduce gas taxes and 10 million for expanded childcare and childcare tax credits. And we'd like to thank all of you for your contribution in this process. Been very busy. And, uh, before we, before we, well, let's go ahead and why don't that concludes Mike, my presentation. If we have questions, I'd be more than happy to take them. Thank you. Do we have discussions to the bill?

  2. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)2:02:40

     Thank you Senator Stevenson for that presentation. Senator Vickers.

  3. Sen. Evan J. Vickers2:02:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. Um, I rise, not so much to discuss the bill, but maybe more of a personal privilege. I've, uh, figured there May be a few of them. Senator Bickers. Yeah, I've, uh, watched Senator Stevenson for many a number of years. I had the great privilege one year of working as his vice chair and watching the budget process. And, um, and now I see it coming to, uh, close. Probably this is the last, uh, I assume this would be the last budget bill that he will run. And, uh, I just want to pay homage to a great statesman, uh, a great professional, a great legislator, a great friend along with him, you know, our vice chair, uh, Senator Sandall and our amazing, amazing fiscal analyst staff and the, the people that put our budget together. But this, this, on this night especially, I want to pay, uh, homage and show appreciation to Senator Stevenson. Thank you,

  4. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)2:03:49

     Senator Vickers. I would join with you. Let's, uh, recognize Senator Stevenson again. Thank you. He will be missed, I'll guarantee you that. So anyway, thank you. Senator Vickers. Senator Ipson is up. Go ahead.

  5. Sen. Don L. Ipson2:04:14

     I'd like to follow up on what Senator Vickers said about Senator Stevenson. I spent six years as his vice chair and is an incredible individual. No one has worked harder for this state to make sure that they had the things that they needed than he has. And it was an honor to work with him. And I grew close. I will have Forever an Eternal relationship with him because of that. Thank you. Senator Ipson.

  6. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)2:04:44

     Senator Winterton.

  7. Sen. Ronald M. Winterton2:04:48

     Yeah. Senator Stevenson has been a really great mentor. Uh, he's always got a story or a joke and, uh, that's probably the one thing I'll miss, but I remember a plane ride back from Moab one night. We all went down there and, uh, he educated me and he, he had this little twinkle in his eyes. He says, don't worry about it, I get the picture. And I appreciate that because he's looked after some of the special needs of the state and because of that, that, uh, long side or foresight that he saw that we have a lot of programs that are very successful because he's looked after him. So I will miss him. But, uh, know, I know where he is and I know where the, the nursery is. So I imagine we're gonna be buying some plants. Yeah, we all know where the nursery is. I, I've asked him several times if I could buy stock and he says, come down, you can buy all the stock you want. So anyway, uh,

  8. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)2:05:51

     further discussions on the bill. Uh, seeing none, I'm gonna go to you, Senator Stevenson for summation and a motion. See if we can pass this budget. Bill.

  9. Sen. Jerry W Stevenson2:06:02

     Thank you. Uh, summation would be that, you know, I appreciate all of you. This is amazing process. You're all appropriators. We all get to work together and, uh, I just thank you very much. It has been a been quite a few years, but I will also tell you that this process doesn't work without Jonathan and, and the LFA, the folks he has working for him. Um, he's mentored me and helped me and I think at times maybe, uh, prodded me to get this process finished. Many of you, we have had opportunity to serve as a ProChair together and, uh, certainly been a enjoyable time working with the leadership team that we have in the, in the capital. I've worked with several now and, uh, anyway, just, uh, I just, I do appreciate this opportunity and I am gonna miss you. I miss all of you, miss especially the staff. Uh, Jonathan, you've been a great friend. As we've, uh, as we've put this process together over the many years. And, and, uh, just thank all of you so much. This state is in an incredible shape. It's been, it's an incredible shape because of the incredible elected officials and also because of the staff that we have that help us move these, uh, all these, all these items along. So with that, I would move that HB three, uh, under suspension of the rules pass.

  10. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)2:07:27

      Thank you. And the question is, under suspension of the rules, shall house bill three our balanced budget pass, roll call vote.

  11. Senate clerk (roll call)2:07:36

      Senator Vickers, Baldy Lewin Brammer Bus Cullimore Escamia Fillmore Grover Harper Kinins Ipson Johnson k Kwan McKay Aye. Mikel Milner Aye. Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Rebe Sandal Stevenson Aye. Stratton Bickers Weiler Wilson Winterton, president Adams Aye.

  12. Senate clerk2:08:25

      House Bill three, having received 28 yay votes, zero nay votes, one being absent passes this body and will be returned to the house for the signature of the will be signed by the president returned to the house for the signature of the speaker, we have further communications.

• Mar 6, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (5 turns)

  1. Speaker (presiding)1:27:49

     House Bill three. Appropriations adjustments by representative Val Peterson, Representative Val Peterson.

  2. Rep. Val L. Peterson1:27:58

     Thank you Mr. Speaker. So, uh, this is our final budget bill and so our evening must be getting close to an end as you have the bill of bills in front of you. As you look at this list, you'll see that the majority of this list is our bills. This is our funding bill for our bills, both in the house and the Senate. And so, um, most of the lines belong to us for our work that we've done over the last seven weeks. So, uh, one I want to tell you, thank you for all of your work. We've all served on appropriations committees, on standing committees, and these are the, these are the fruits of our labor. And so, uh, as you look through the list, I urge you to support this. Just a, a couple thoughts for you as we, uh, have this last fiscal note. Bill, it, uh, brings our total budget from all sources this year to $31.6 billion. That includes 12.4 billion from the general and income tax funds. A 4.8% increase from last year. This bill combined with other appropriation acts, redirected and reinvested more than 3% of our base resources. In the end, we increased public education funding by nearly $300 million or 5% over the base budget. Higher education we increased by $76 million, an increase of 4% social services by nearly 60 million or three and a half percent criminal justice by 48 million or 5%. And that doesn't count the money that we set aside $125 million for the new pod at the prison in Gunnison. We also cut taxes by nearly $600 million over two years, including 300,000,001 time and 200 million ongoing for the one big beautiful bill Act 23,000,001 time and 101 million ongoing to reduce our income tax rate from 4.5 to 4.45 40 million. One time for reduced gas taxes and $10 million for expanded childcare and childcare tax credits. I think you can all be very proud of what we've accomplished from a fiscal standpoint. This session. We've all come together to do all of these things that benefit the, the people of the state of Utah. So just from me, I wanna tell you all thank you for your hard work and I urge you to support this bill.

  3. Speaker (presiding)1:30:42

     Thank you Representative Peterson. Discussion to the bill None. Back to you Representative Peterson for summation.

  4. Rep. Val L. Peterson1:30:55

     Again, this is the harvest right here, folks, where we tell the people of the state of Utah and we show them all the hard work that we've done and, and as we have returned some of their tax funds back to them. So I urge your support for this bill.

  5. Speaker (presiding)1:31:13

     Thank you. Representative Peterson voting will now be open on HB three. Seeing all present, having voted voting is now closed. HB three passes this body with 71 yes votes one no vote and be sent to the Senate for its consideration. Let's go to Madam Rain Clerk for a conference committee report.