A bill that would require state universities to pay more when acquiring property through eminent domain was killed in the state legislature as they concluded this year's session.
Senate Bill 54, proposed by Sen. Doug Eckerty R-Yorktown, would have forced universities to consider compensation for businesses when they practiced eminent domain.
Having passed in the Senate with a 34-13 vote, the bill did not have the opportunity to be heard in the House due to time limitations.
If the bill had passed, universities would have had to pay property owners the value of the property in addition to improvements and damages pertaining to the property.
Tony Proudfoot, associate vice president for Marketing and Communications, said there are already processes in place to ensure that final decisions regarding eminent domain practices serve a public good.
"The language in the bill seemed to assume that a proprietor would go out of business due to the use of eminent domain," Proudfoot said in a statement.
With the existing structure of eminent domain allowing an entity to acquire just a property and not the business, the business is given the ability to relocate.
Proudfoot also mentioned already available provisions to help mitigate the financial impact on a business owner, including assistance with relocation expenses.
"We feel the current statue has sufficient protections for the owner as well as for the public entity who is acquiring the property for public use," Proudfoot said.
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