SB 176 Landscaping Procurement Amendments
The 2nd substitute makes mostly technical and clarifying changes to the original bill, which requires state agencies to purchase electric-powered landscape maintenance equipment when replacing gasoline-powered equipment used on state property in first- and second-class counties for landscaped areas under 50,000 square feet. The substitute does not change the scope of the requirement but revises the exemption language to provide clearer and somewhat broader authority for the Division of Facilities Construction and Management to grant waivers when electric equipment is impractical due to terrain, emergency conditions, or cost. Overall, the substitute slightly increases implementation flexibility but does not materially expand or reduce the bill’s policy impact.
1st Substitute SB 176 improves air quality in Utah by gradually reducing emissions from small gasoline-powered landscape equipment used on state property, particularly in the state’s most densely populated and air-pollution-burdened counties. The bill requires state procurement units to replace end-of-life, gasoline-powered landscape maintenance equipment with electric-powered equipment when operating on smaller state government grounds in first- and second-class counties. These counties include much of Utah’s urban Wasatch Front, where ozone and fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) pollution regularly threaten federal air quality standards.
Gasoline-powered lawn equipment, such as mowers, trimmers, and blowers, produces disproportionately high levels of smog-forming pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), relative to their size and usage time. By shifting routine landscape maintenance activities to electric equipment, the bill directly reduces these emissions at their source. Because electric equipment produces zero tailpipe emissions, its use helps lower localized ozone formation and particulate pollution, improving air quality for state workers and nearby communities, particularly during summer ozone season and winter inversion periods.
Importantly, the bill is narrowly and thoughtfully designed to maximize air quality benefits while maintaining operational flexibility. It applies only when equipment is being replaced at the end of its useful life and only for smaller landscape areas where electric equipment is already proven to be effective and practical.
The bill also includes clear exemption authority for situations where terrain, erosion, or emergency conditions make electric equipment impractical, ensuring that safety and functionality are not compromised.
Overall, SB 176 advances Utah’s air quality goals by reducing unnecessary combustion emissions from state operations, setting a practical example for cleaner maintenance practices, and doing so in a targeted, cost-conscious manner. While modest in scope, the bill delivers meaningful, cumulative air quality benefits in the areas of the state where cleaner air is most urgently needed, without imposing mandates on private property owners or local governments.
Sponsors
Sen. Pitcher, Stephanie
Position
Support
Status - Failed on final House vote
1/23 Senate Rules
1/26 To Senate Gov. Ops.
1/28 Senate Gov. Ops. Substituted. Passed. Favorable Recommendation 6-1-0
2/24 Senate 2nd Reading. Substituted. Passed 18-11-0
2/25 Senate 3rd Reading. Passed 20-7-2
3/2 House Gov. Ops. Passed. Favorable Recommendation 7-3-2
3/6 House 3rd Reading. Failed 35-34-6
Scheduled Hearings
Past Hearings
1/28 Senate Government Operations
3/2 House Government Operations
