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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill recognizes organizations involved with the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic and
11 Paralympic Winter Games (2002 Games) and encourages continued efforts to maintain
12 Olympic winter sport venues.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 ▸ recognizes the contributions of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), Salt
16 Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Games (SLOC), and other state leaders
17 who helped make the 2002 Games a success;
18 ▸ recognizes the ongoing role of the Legislature in guiding Olympic efforts;
19 ▸ recognizes the long-term success of the UOLF;
20 ▸ describes the positive impact of access to Olympic winter sport venues in the state;
21 and
22 ▸ recognizes and encourages the continued efforts by the UOLF to maintain and
23 develop the Olympic winter sport venues built for the 2002 Games.
24 Special Clauses:
25 None
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27 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 WHEREAS, the work of the SLOC helped make the 2002 Games a globally recognized
29 and highly lauded success;
30 WHEREAS, the state contributed in significant ways to the success of the 2002 Games,
31 including the initial funding to build winter sport venues;
32 WHEREAS, Utah has seen a rapid growth of winter sport athletic training and sporting
33 events following the 2002 Games;
34 WHEREAS, over the past 20 years, the Legislature has passed more than 10 joint
35 resolutions to provide guidance on Olympic efforts;
36 WHEREAS, S.J.R. 17, 1994 General Session, and subsequent joint resolutions of the
37 Legislature, governed the sale of the Winter Sports Park, assisted with establishing the
38 structure and scope of the Utah Athletic Foundation (d.b.a. the UOLF), and provided ongoing
39 assistance with operation and maintenance of certain Olympic winter sport venues;
40 WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City Bid Committee for the Olympic Winter Games, which
41 preceded the SLOC, reimbursed the state for the state's original contribution of $59 million to
42 build winter sport infrastructure and the SLOC provided $76 million in seed funding to the
43 UOLF following the 2002 Games;
44 WHEREAS, with H.B. 484, 2018 General Session, the Legislature created the Winter
45 Sports Venue Grant Fund to support improvement efforts for winter sport venues in the state;
46 WHEREAS, additional resources have dramatically improved the UOLF's capability to
47 train more national and international athletes and to hold additional winter sport events in Utah
48 communities;
49 WHEREAS, Utah has explored and is in the process of initiating a bid to host a future
50 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games;
51 WHEREAS, the Legislature passed, with the Governor concurring, S.C.R. 9, 2020
52 General Session, expressing comfort with the concepts and principles of the latest Olympic
53 host agreement documents provided by the International Olympic Committee, and the state
54 signing similar Olympic host agreement documents for a future Winter Olympics and
55 Paralympics bid;
56 WHEREAS, each Olympic winter sports venue used in the 2002 Games is still in use in
57 Utah;
58 WHEREAS, the Team U.S.A. 223-person roster for the 2022 Beijing Olympic and
59 Paralympic Winter Games has 75 athletes connected to Utah, including Utah natives and
60 athletes who train in the state for more than six months of the year or attend a school or
61 university in the state;
62 WHEREAS, with winter sports venues available, winter sport participation efforts in
63 Utah have seen a dramatic increase in the learn-to and development level programs;
64 WHEREAS, thousands of youth and development level athletes use Olympic winter
65 sport venues, tens of thousands of individuals use the venues for recreation, and millions of
66 individuals use the venues for public activity;
67 WHEREAS, each year Utah's Olympic winter sport venues are visited by athletes from
68 over 40 countries to train and compete in a variety of winter sports;
69 WHEREAS, cumulative 20-year total spending by the UOLF on actual operating and
70 capital project expenditures for winter sport venues is $315 million;
71 WHEREAS, the UOLF has seen the UOLF's original $76 million Legacy Fund earn
72 over $84 million in investment earnings, now holding a fund value of $62 million;
73 WHEREAS, Utah has seen over 200 international and national level sports events
74 ranging from U.S. National Championships in a variety of winter sports to International World
75 Cups and World Championships; and
76 WHEREAS, Utah has distinguished the state's ongoing Olympic efforts by maintaining
77 Olympic winter sport venues to support Team U.S.A. athletes and community recreation for
78 Utah's youth and public:
79 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
80 recognizes on the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Games, the SLOC, the UOLF, and other state
81 leaders who contributed to the formation and success of the 2002 Games.
82 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes the continued efforts of
83 the UOLF to ensure the Olympic winter sport venues built for the 2002 Games are properly
84 maintained and developed.
85 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature supports the UOLF in future
86 developments of the Olympic winter sport venues to ensure that Utah remains an international
87 destination for winter sport training and competition.
88 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the UOLF.