119-HR-2876 DC Insider Procedural Viability Check
119 · HR 2876 University of Utah Research Park Act
H.R. 2876 is a narrow, no-cost Utah lands clarification that passed the House on Dec 15 by suspension/voice vote and has an identical Senate companion already reported favorably. With Republicans controlling the Senate, ENR chaired by Mike Lee, and no budget hit, it is well-positioned for unanimous consent or inclusion in a small lands package before or just after the Jan 30 CR deadline; composite viability: 4/5. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)[2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 overview (ENR ordered reported favorably)[3]U.S. Senate ENR Committee — U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman p…[4]U.S. Senate (Thune) — Sen. John Thune press release — First remarks as Senate…[5]Congressional Research Service (via Congress.gov) — CRS summary — Continuing Ap…
Procedural Viability: H.R. 2876 — University of Utah Research Park Act
Bottom line: strong path to enactment; not must-pass, but tailor-made for UC or a lands mini-package. Composite score: 4/5.
- House status: Passed under suspension by voice vote on Dec 15, 2025. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)
- Senate posture: Identical companion (S.1453) ordered reported favorably by ENR on Sept 11, 2025; chairman is the lead sponsor. [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 overview (ENR ordered reported favorably)[3]U.S. Senate ENR Committee — U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman p…
- Budget score: Committee report cites CBO finding of no effect on the federal budget. [6]House Committee on Natural Resources (via Congress.gov) — H. Rept. 119-290 — Un…
- Institutional context: GOP controls the Senate (Majority Leader John Thune); House under Speaker Mike Johnson; ENR chaired by Sen. Mike Lee. [4]U.S. Senate (Thune) — Sen. John Thune press release — First remarks as Senate…[7]CNBC — CNBC — Mike Johnson reelected Speaker on Jan 3, 2025[3]U.S. Senate ENR Committee — U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman p…
- Calendar: next real deadline is Jan 30, 2026 CR expiration; expect end-of-year or early-January UC clearances. [5]Congressional Research Service (via Congress.gov) — CRS summary — Continuing Ap…
Rubric Breakdown
Assessment against the requested viability factors.
| Factor | Assessment | Score Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Origin | House-originated but moved on suspension with no recorded opposition; an identical Senate companion exists. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)[8]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 bill page (companion to H.R. 2876) | ↑ |
| Vehicle Type | Standalone local lands clarification; not must-pass but commonly cleared via UC or bundled into small lands packages. (Historical practice; no specific hook required.) | ↔ |
| Senate Threshold | Regular order implies 60, but this class of noncontroversial lands bills typically clears by unanimous consent; GOP-run Senate has no caucus split here and chair is sponsor. [3]U.S. Senate ENR Committee — U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman p… | ↑ |
| Committee Path | House NR reported the bill; Senate ENR ordered the companion favorably—aligned chairs and smooth histories. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)[2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 overview (ENR ordered reported favorably) | ↑ |
| Must-Pass Potential | Viable as a rider to a lands bundle or cleared en bloc with other House suspensions; doesn’t need scarce floor time. [9]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — On the House Floor (Dec 15, 2025) listing H.R.2876 | ↑ |
| Budget Scorekeeping | CBO: no budget effect per committee report; no PAYGO friction. [6]House Committee on Natural Resources (via Congress.gov) — H. Rept. 119-290 — Un… | ↑ |
| Calendar Math | Two windows: pre-recess wrap-up UC or first January layover before the Jan 30 CR. If slippage, it can hitch to the next lands package. [5]Congressional Research Service (via Congress.gov) — CRS summary — Continuing Ap… | ↑ |
Procedural Path and Timing
- Hotline H.R. 2876 (House-passed) for unanimous consent in the Senate; avoid ping-pong by taking the House vehicle if text is truly identical. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)[8]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 bill page (companion to H.R. 2876)
- If any hold emerges, park the measure for the next bipartisan lands package or UC stack when the Senate clears housekeeping items around the Jan 30 CR deadline. [5]Congressional Research Service (via Congress.gov) — CRS summary — Continuing Ap…
- If Senate moves S.1453 first for scheduling reasons, request House concurrence to the Senate bill on the suspension calendar to finish. [8]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 bill page (companion to H.R. 2876)
Institutional Anchors
Current power dynamics shaping the path.
- White House: President Donald J. Trump; Vice President JD Vance. (Context only; no direct veto threat pattern on local lands clarifications.)
- Senate: Republican majority; Majority Leader John Thune; ENR chaired by Sen. Mike Lee. [4]U.S. Senate (Thune) — Sen. John Thune press release — First remarks as Senate…[3]U.S. Senate ENR Committee — U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman p…
- House: Republican majority; Speaker Mike Johnson; House Natural Resources already processed and House cleared the bill on suspension. [7]CNBC — CNBC — Mike Johnson reelected Speaker on Jan 3, 2025[1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)
Key Metrics (as of Dec 17, 2025)
- Companion bill
- S.1453 (identical) [8]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 bill page (companion to H.R. 2876)[10]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 All Info (Related Bills shows S.1453 ide…
- House vehicle
- H.R. 2876 (prefer Senate UC on House-passed text) [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)
Composite Score: 4/5
Rationale: clean policy, bipartisan posture, no cost, aligned committee chairs, and a friendly Senate majority make this highly likely to pass. Only reason it’s not a 5: it’s not a must-pass hook, so it still needs UC or bundling, leaving limited exposure to holds and calendar jams. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions)[2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov — S.1453 overview (ENR ordered reported favorably)[6]House Committee on Natural Resources (via Congress.gov) — H. Rept. 119-290 — Un…[4]U.S. Senate (Thune) — Sen. John Thune press release — First remarks as Senate…
- [1] Congress.gov — H.R.2876 overview (status: Passed House; actions) Congress.gov
- [2] Congress.gov — S.1453 overview (ENR ordered reported favorably) Congress.gov
- [3] U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources — Chairman page (Mike Lee) U.S. Senate ENR Committee
- [4] Sen. John Thune press release — First remarks as Senate Majority Leader U.S. Senate (Thune)
- [5] CRS summary — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-37) through Jan 30, 2026 Congressional Research Service (via Congress.gov)
- [6] H. Rept. 119-290 — University of Utah Research Park Act (CBO: no budget effect) House Committee on Natural Resources (via Congress.gov)
- [7] CNBC — Mike Johnson reelected Speaker on Jan 3, 2025 CNBC
- [8] Congress.gov — S.1453 bill page (companion to H.R. 2876) Congress.gov
- [9] Congress.gov — On the House Floor (Dec 15, 2025) listing H.R.2876 Congress.gov
- [10] Congress.gov — H.R.2876 All Info (Related Bills shows S.1453 identical) Congress.gov
Discussion