Welcome to the 2018 State Legislative Session!
DATES: January 22 – March 8th, 2018
Action Utah leaders met all year with legislators, lobbyists, advocacy organizations, academics and state agencies to learn about policy needs and proposed legislation. We use survey and polling data to understand where a majority of Utahns stand on the issues and where bridges can be built to find common ground and create policy that reflects our beliefs and needs. We have built a slate of good policy to support during the 2018 State Legislative Session and coordinate directly with the bill sponsor’s strategy to bring community lobbying opportunities to ordinary community members when and how it is most needed.
That means YOU have the chance to impact the issues during the State Legislative Session!
To find out what you can do and when, follow us on our Take Action! page, Facebook, or Twitter, subscribe to our emails or join an Action Team to get email alerts on the issues that matter to you most. Click here for resources and tools to help you advocate. And scroll down for our Bill Tracker!
PUBLIC HEALTH BILLS
| Bill No. | Bill Name | Bill Sponsor(s) | Floor Sponsor | Lobbying Kit | Position | Status | Description |
| HB 12 | Family Planning Services Amendments | Rep. Ray Ward(R-Bountiful) | Sen. Daniel Hemmert (R-Utah) | One sheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Medicaid waiver for access to contraceptive services that saves the state money, improves the lives of women and families and reduces abortions [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 41 | Mental Health Crisis Line Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Dan Thatcher (R-Salt Lake/Tooele) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Creates a single crisis telephone number and establishes basic standards for crisis line services across the state. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 42 | Medicaid Waiver for Mental Health Crisis Services | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Dan Thatcher (R-Salt Lake/Tooele) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Requires the Department of Health to seek a medicaid waiver supporting certain mental health crisis resources. |
| HB 87 | Suicide Training Amendments | Rep Justin Fawson (R-Ogden) | Sen. Dan Thatcher (R-Salt Lake/Tooele) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House – failed | Requires an individual to complete a course in suicide prevention in order to obtain or renew a medical license. |
| HB 127 | Controlled Substance Database Act Amendments | Rep Justin Fawson (R-Ogden) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | SUPPORT | PASSED | Changes the requirements for controlled substances database and modifies enforcement provisions, requiring that medical professionals must consult the database when prescribing controlled substances. | |
| HB 139 | Telepsychiatric Consultation Access Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | article | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Requires health benefit plan to cover the use of telepsychiatric consultations to triple the output of psychiatrists and improve suicide prevention services. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 163 | Prescription Drug Amendments | Rep. Norm Thurston (R-Provo) | Sen. Dierdre Henderson | onesheet | SUPPORT | Senate Business and Labor – held | Requires the Department of Health to design and seek federal approval for a drug reimportation program where Utah could import brand name pharmaceuticals from Canada for purchase at lower prices within the state. |
| HB 325 | Primary Care Network Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Brian Zehnder (R-Salt Lake) | One Sheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | This bill seeks to expand benefits for those people who already are on the Primary Care Network, making it possible for them to recieve in and out patient treatments and utilize urgent care. |
| HB 399 | Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Beaver/Iron/Washington) | SUPPORT | PASSED | This bill requires a warning label and informational pamphlet on the risks of addiction and overdose to be distributed with any prescription for an opioid drug. | |
| HB 400 | Controlled Substance Database Act Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Beaver/Iron/Washington) | SUPPORT | Ran out of time | This bill requires a prescriber to discuss the risks of addiction and overdose from using opioid drugs with a patient or patient’s guardian before issuing an initial prescription for an opioid. | |
| HB 472 | Medicaid Expansion Revisions | Rep. Robert Spendlove (R-Sandy) | Sen. Brian Zehnder (R-Salt Lake) | Medicaid expansion primer | NEUTRAL | Senate – passed | Would expand Medicaid to 100% of the federal poverty line, not 138% as other states have done, and would require a waiver from the federal goverment to do so. Also includes a work requirement. |
| HB 483 | Extreme Risk Protection Order | Steve Handy (R-Layton) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House Judiciary – returned to Rules | Would create a process for concerned family members and law enforcement to apply for a court issued restraining order to remove firearms from someone already in posession of them, who is deemed to be a threat to themselves or to others. Support from Catholic Diocese of Utah, Intermountain Healthcare, Utah Public Health Association, Utah Nurses Association, Utah Domestic Violence Coaltion and YWCA, among others. | |
| SB 47 | Medicaid Expansion Amendments | Sen. Gene Davis (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate 1st Reading | Expands Medicaid fully to cover people up to 138% of the federal poverty line without specifcying funding mechanisms | ||
| SB 48 | Medicaid Waiting Period Amendments | Sen. Allen Christensen (R-Morgan/Summit/Weber) | article | OPPOSE | Senate 1st Reading | Reinstats a 5-year waiting period for legal immigrant children before they can receive medicaid benefits from Medicaid or CHIP. | |
| SB 172 | Medicaid Waiver Amendments | Sen. Daniel Hemmert (R-Utah) | Rep. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) | One Sheet | OPPOSE/ AMEND | House Rev & Tax – failed | Requests a waiver to institute certain changes to Medicaid that include work or community engagement requirements, Medicaid savings accounts, and modifying the Medicaid funding strucuture to become a block grant. |
| Opioid Crisis Education Curriculum | Rep. Joel Briscoe (D-Salt Lake) | Article | SUPPORT | FUNDED | Onetime $150K funding in each of 2018 and 2019 to create an online opioid crisis education curriculumwith the help of Utah teachers, focusing on the science of addiction specific to opioids. | ||
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| Appropriations request for Medicaid continuous enrollment for kids | Rep. Ray Ward(R-Bountiful) | SUPPORT | Social Services Appropriation Subcommittee | $600K ongoing to help kids be able to stay on Medicaid for a year after enrollment, regardless of changes in family situation, just like CHIP and private insurance do, so kids don’t get kicked off their health care coverage suddenly throughout the year. | |||
| Health Insurance High Risk Pool | Rep. Robert Spendlove (R-Sandy) | PENDING LANGUAGE | Was not numbered | Requests a waiver to continue the progrm already in place from 2016 that allows federal funding to stabilize the individual insurance market . | |||
| SB 126 | Gestational Agreements Revision | Sen. Lyle Hillyard (R-Cache/Rich) | OPPOSE | Senate Committee – held | Repeals the law allowing surrogacy. |
FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES
| Bill No. | Bill Name | Bill Sponsor(s) | Floor Sponsor | Lobbying Kit | Position | Status | Description |
| HB 30 | Utah Antidiscrimination Act Amendments | Rep. Jim Dunnigan (R-Taylorsville) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Addresses problems with UALD identified in a recent performance audit by the Legislative Auditor General, removes barriers to fairness, and ensures all workers have equal access to Utah laws. | |
| HB 57 | Utah Intergenerational Poverty Work and Self-sufficiency Tax Credit | Rep. John Westwood (R-Cedar City) | Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Beaver/Iron/Washington) | SUPPORT | Failed to receive funding | Strengthens Utah’s groundbreaking IGP initiative with a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for IGP families who work, qualify for federal EITC and file their state taxes, supporting progress toward financial stability and independence. Supported by the SL Chamber and Utah Education Association. | |
| HB 106 | Education Grant Program for Individuals in the Justice System | Rep. Val Potter (R-Logan) | Sen. Lyle Hillyard (R-Cache/Rich) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Creates a pilot program for education programs for individuals within the justice system that would permit a qualified convicted person to avoid incarceration by completing practical trade skills education and earning certificates at a participating technical college. | |
| HB 111 | Community Reinvestment Agency Modifications | Rep. Kim Coleman (R-West Jordan) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | AMEND/ OPPOSE | Did not proceed | Removes the housing allocation requirement for certain community reinvestment project areas. Amended. | |
| HB148 | Tax Revisions | Rep. Tim Quinn (R-Heber) | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Senate Revenue and Taxation – failed | Eliminates the 1.75% state sales tax on food, but remains revenue neutral by raising the state sales tax by .22%, eliminating a burden on the states most vulnerable, including low-income families and fixed-income elderly, reducing food insecurity and the cost to meet basic needs. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 160 | Domestic Violence Provisions | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Permits a court to order the transfer of a wireless phone number to a petitioner in cases when the current account holder is the respondent for an order for protection or to a victim when the current account holder is the perpetrator, such as in domestic violence cases. | |
| HB 196 | Breastfeeding Protection Act | Rep Justin Fawson (R-Ogden) | Sen. Dierdre Henderson | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Allows the option of breastfeeding in public so that a nursing woman is legally permited to breastfeed in any public location. This bill is supported by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Retailer’s Association. |
| HB 234 | Compulsory Education Revisions | Rep. Jefferson Moss (R-Saratoga Springs) | Sen. Howard Stephenson (R- Salt Lake/ Utah) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | This bill amends the definition of “valid excuse” for absence in the compulsory education code to include physical or mental illness. | |
| HB 235 | Family School Partnership | Rep. Bruce Cutler (R-Murray) | SUPPORT | House Education Committee – Held | Supports a Family School Partnership pilot program with matching funds from Trust Land Funds to provide home visiting for families who struggle in the school system. | ||
| HB 259 | Moderate income housing plan amendments | Rep. Logan Wilde (R-Croydon) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Requires the genearl plan of a county or municipality other than a town allow and plan for moderate income housing growth. | |
| HB 264 | Elementary School Counselor Program | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Howard Stephenson (R-Salt Lake/Utah) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Authorizes grants for school-based counselors and social workers. | |
| HB 277 | Retirement Income Tax Credit | Rep. John Westwood (R-Cedar City) | Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Davis/Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate Revenue and Taxation-failed | Expands eligibility to the Retirment Income Tax Credit by removing a current age restriction to permit Utahns who turn 65 this year or later access to a tax credit of $450 for an indivudal ($900 for joint filers), and phases out for those earning more than $25K ($32K for joint filers). | |
| HB 278 | Paid Family & Medical Leave Tax Credit | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-Jordan) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Failed to receive funding | Creates a tax credit for businesses that offer paid famliy and medical leave to employees, supporting continued employment and income for workers when they need to take limited time off to attend to specific family or health-related responsibilities. Supported by the Salt Lake Chamber. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 283 | Workplace Protection Amendments | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | House Business & Labor Committee – failed | Prohibits workplace discrimination among small businesses by lowering the employee threshold which triggers employer compliance with Utah’s anti-discrimination and labor laws from 15 employees down to 1, and creates legal remedies for small employers who violate the provisions of the act. The initially high fiscal note on this bill was amended to a mere $61K. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] | ||
| HB 319 | Early Care and Learning Coordination Amendments | Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D-Salt Lake) | Sen. Ann Millner | SUPPORT | Ran out of time | Establishes a high-level, interagency, public-private leadership governing body that will coordinte federal and state early childhood policies and procedures that affect the health and wellbeing of Utah’s children between the ages of 0-5 years. Follows recommendations offered by the Early Childhood Services Report (2017’s SB100). [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] | |
| HB 380 | Utah School Readiness Initiative Amendments | Rep. Brad Last (R-Hurricane) | Sen. Ann Millner | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Continues a Pay-for-Success program that funds 1,000 slots of high-quality pre-school in Salt Lake County. The program was originally established in 2014, through a bill passed by Speaker Greg Hughes. The program has helped 4,000 low-income, at-risk kids to date and reduced special education referrals in the served population. | |
| HB 430 | Affordable Housing Amendments | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | Sen. Jacob Anderegg (R-Salt Lake, Utah) | Passed House and Senate | Creates the coalition of housing affordability in DWS, describes the membership, duties and reporting requirements of the commission and provides sunset date | ||
| HB 462 | Homeless Services Amendments | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Davis/Salt Lake) | article | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Raises funding for homeless shelters by assessing a fee on municipalities that fail to provide sufficient low-income and affordable housing for their populations. |
| HB 464 | Affordable Housing Amendments | Rep. Joel Briscoe (D-Salt Lake) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House 3rd Reading Calendar | Creates a bond to provide $100 million in funding from the Economic Revitalization and Investment Fund to build or repurpose housing developments that meet certain affordable housing criteria | |
| HB 491 | Election Law Changes | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-Jordan) | Take action! | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Gives the state the ability to place a non-binding ballot question on the ballot, just as we did when Utah was applying to host the Olympics in 2002. HB 491 would be repealed following this general election, just as was done after the 2002 decision was completed. In conjunction with HJR20, this is part of the Our Schools Now compromise legislation. |
| HJR 20 | Joint Resolution Submitting a Question to Voters | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-Jordan) | Take action! | SUPPORT | Passed the House and Senate | Would ask Utah voters if the state gasoline tax should be increased by 10 cents for the transportation fund, thereby releasing more funding for education. Together with HB 491, this is the Our Schools Now compromise legislation. |
| HR 6 | Paid Family & Medical Leave | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | House 1st Reading | |||
| SCR 11 | Concurrent Resolution on Postpartum Depression Awareness and Treatment | Sen. Brian Zehnder (R-Salt Lake) | Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Passed Senate and House | Defining the significant problem of postpartum depression and its impacts and treatments to raise awareness of the issue in Utah. | |
| SB 133 | Design and Build Amendments | Sen. Karen Mayne (D-Salt Lake) | Rep. Kay Christofferson (R-Lehi) | SUPPORT | Passed Senate and House | Eliminates the $250K threshold to allow design build projects by organizations like Habitat for Humanities | |
| SB 159 | Forcible Entry and Detainer | Sen. Margaret Dayton (R-Utah) | Rep. Keith Grover (R-Provo) | AMEND | Passed House and Senate | This bill was amended. Took the email out, said 24 hours can’t include weekends and holidays. | |
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| HB 117 | Hourly Wage Increase | Rep. Brian King (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | House Business & Labor Committee – Failed | Increases Utah’s minimum wage to $10.25/hour and works toward a more gradual raise of $12 by 2022. | ||
| HB 118 | Cash Wage Obligation | Rep. Brian King (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | House Business & Labor Committee – Failed | Increases Utah’s minimum wage for tipped workers to $3.25/hour. | ||
| HB 156 | Paid Parental Leave (State Agencies) | Rep. Elizabeth Weight (D-Salt Lake) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House Business & Labor Committee – held | Provides six weeks of paid parental leave for full- and part-time executive agency state employees, allowing new parents the ability to care for and bond with their child at a critical time without the financial stress accompanied by lost earnings, and increases employer retention of good employees. | |
| HB 164 | Early Learning Task Force | Rep. Bruce Cutler (R-Murray) | Sen. Ann Millner (R-Davis/Morgan/Weber) | NEUTRAL | House/ Failed | Creates an Early Learning Task Force to use the study related to early childhood services learning in Utah and may policy recommendations to increase Kindergarten readiness. This bill may be redundant. | |
| HB 165 | Pretrial Release Amendments | Rep. Angela Romero (D-Salt Lake) | Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Davis/Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate 2nd Reading Calendar | Allows a court to deny bail or release from jail prior to trial after an arrest for domestic violence for the protection of the alleged victim in certain circumstances. | |
| HB 262 | Hygiene Tax Act | Rep. Susan Duckworth (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | House Revenue & Taxation Committee – Failed | Removes the luxury tax on non-luxury hygiene items to reduce the burden on low-income Utahns for child and adult diapers, tampons, etc. Enactment of this legislation could reduce local sales tax revenue by $1,810,000 in FY 2019 and by $2,270,000 in FY 2020. | ||
| HB 326 | Intergenerational Poverty Initiative | Rep. Ed Redd (R-Logan) | Sen. Howard Stephenson | article | SUPPORT | Senate 2nd Reading Calendar | Creates a Poverty Plan Implementation Pilot Program using $1M for counties to allocate toward initiatives fighting intergenerational poverty. |
| HB 355 | Amendments to Tax Law | Rep. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) | OPPOSE | House Rules Committee | Creates a corporate tax reduction that also reduces revenue for the education fund by $80 million. | ||
| Chidcare Incentives | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Abandoned | Creates tax incentives for savings accounts where both employer and employee contriute toward childcare costs. | |||
| SB 27 | Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Amendments | Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Davis/Salt Lake) | Rep. Angela Romero (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate to House | Adds protections for victims of violence in dating and stalking situations by including them in the definition of domestic violence. | |
| SB 86 | Victim Targeting Penalty Enhancements | Sen. Dan Thatcher (R-Salt Lake/Tooele) | SUPPORT | Senate Rules Committee | Strengthens hate crimes enforcement. | ||
| SB 145 | School Funding Revisions | Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-Salt Lake) | WATCH | Senate 3rd Reading Calendar – circled | Creates more equitable school funding across districts. 7 senate co-sponsors. | ||
| SB 161 | Home Visiting Pay for Success Program | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | Rep. Ed Redd | SUPPORT | Senate to House | Creates a pay for success program that will help fund evidence-based home visiting programs that use healthcare providers targeting low-income mothers and their children, with a specific measure related to post-partum depression. | |
| SB 152 | Equal Compensation Study | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate Business & Labor Committee/Held | Requires the Utah Department of Human Resource Management to provide data related to gender-based wages in the state of Utah government to a third party institution to analyze and create a study. |
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
| Bill No. | Bill Name | Bill Sponsor(s) | Floor Sponsor | Lobbying Kit | Position | Status | Description |
| HCR 1 | Concurrent Resolution on Global Warming and Climate Change | Rep. Ray Ward(R-Bountiful) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee – held | Acknowledges that climate change is real and man-made and encourages energy policy decisions to be based on these two facts. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] | |
| HCR 7 | Concurrent Resolution on Environmental and Economic Stewardship | Rep. Becky Edwards (R-North Salt Lake) | Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Davis/Salt Lake) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Encourages the responsible stewardship of natural resources and reduction of emissions through incentives and support of the growth in technologies and services that will enlarge the economy. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HCR 9 | Concurrent Resolution Supporting Rural Development of Wind, Solar and Geothermal Energy | Rep. Patrice Arent(D-Millcreek) | Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Beaver/Iron/Washington) | onesheet | SUPPORT/ AMEND | House 3rd Reading Calendar – Circled | With 23 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, this bill encourages economic development and jobs in rural counties from the renewable resources of wind, solar and geothermal energy to help bring economic prosperity to Utah’s rural communities, retain Utah’s role as a leader in domestic energy production and contribute to satisfaction of the state’s renewable energy goals. This initiative received an amendment in committee that should be removed to retain the original intent of the resolution. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] |
| HB 38 | Fireworks Restrictions | Rep. James Dunnigan (R-Taylorsville) | Sen. Jani Iwamoto (D-Salt Lake) | article | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Compromise bill to reduce the number of days and hours fireworks may be legally used in Utah to reduce noise and potential air pollution. |
| HB 101 | Air Quality Emissions Testing Amendments | Rep. Patrice Arent(D-Millcreek) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Clean air bill that creates fairness in vehicle emissions testing by requiring the same testing from all counties of diesel vehicles with an expected reduction in pollution of 170 tons per year. |
| HB 135 | Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Amendments | Rep. Mike Noel (R-Kanab) | Sen. David Hinkins | article | OPPOSE | Senate Natural Resources – failed | Removes authority for municipalities to regulate watershed lands outside of municipality boundaries necessary to control clean water for that municipality. Substitution 1 adds a hike in water fees for a fund controlled by the legislature to go toward projects like the controversial Lake Powell Pipeline. |
| HB 211 | Freight Switcher Emissions Mitigation | Rep. Steve Handy (R-Layton) | SUPPORT | Returned to rules without funding | Clean air bill that provides funding to convert high-emitting freight switcher trains to low-emissions technology. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] | ||
| HB 255 | Extra-Jurisdictional Municipal Property | Rep. Kim Coleman | OPPOSE | House Rules | Possibly will be amended to add the wording from HB 135 within the original bill. | ||
| HB 479 | Zero Emission Vehicle Program | Rep. Steve Eliason (R-Sandy) | SUPPORT | Ran out of time | Creates greater availability and choice of EVs and hybrids for purchase in UT at lower prices, facilitating EV adoption and fleet transition while reducing emissions and generating business for auto dealers and utilities. | ||
| SB 136 | Transportation Governance Amendments | Sen. Wayne Harper (R-Salt Lake) | Rep. Mike Schultz (R-Hooper) | article | AMEND | House to Rules due to fiscal impact | Overhauls the transportation governance system toward addressing population growth, considering issues like multi-modality and air quality. Of the many provisions, creates an increased fee for hybrid and electric vehicles to help cover the costs of roads of $75 and $200 respectively. This bill was amended to reduce the additional fees for EVs to $120, and have the fee go toward EV infrastructure. |
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| HB 171 | Motor Vehicle Emissions Amendments | Rep. Angela Romero (D-Salt Lake) | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate 2nd Reading Calendar | Clean air bill that creates higher first offense and repeat offense penalties for “coal rolling”. | |
| HJR 1 | Joint Resolution Urging Expemtion from the Antiquities Act | Rep. Carl Albrecht (R-Richfield) | Sen. David Hinkins | OPPOSE | Senate 2nd Reading Calendar | Encourages Congress to pursue legislation exempting Utah from the federal Antiquities Act.. | |
| Appropriations request for DAQ research funding | SUPPORT | Appropriations | Provides funding to research and improve the modeling for air pollution and emissions in order to assess best practices for improving air quality and move Utah toward attainment. |
GOVERNMENT
| Bill No. | Bill Name | Bill Sponsor(s) | Floor Sponsor | Lobbying Kit | Position | Status | Description |
| HB 35 | Municipal Instant Runoff Voting Pilot Project | Rep. Marc Roberts (R- | Sen. Howard Stephenson | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Creates a pilot project for municipalities to choose whether they want to try “ranked choice voting.” | |
| HB 67 | Voter Registration Amendments | Rep. Steve Handy (R-Layton) | onesheet | SUPPORT | House Government Operations Committee | Upgrades the voter registration system to create greater government efficiencies in registering eligible voters at the DMV automatically with the option to opt out. [CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #InTheirWords] | |
| HB 141 | Early Voting Amendments | Rep. John Westwood (R-Cedar City) | Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Beaver/Iron/Washington) | OPPOSE/ AMEND | Passed House and Senate | Gives counties the option to reduce the early voting period from 14 days down to 2 under certain circumstances, limiting the ability for populations like certain rural and elderly voters to cast a ballot. This bill was amended to reduce early voting to 4 days instead of 2. | |
| HB 154 | Voter Registration Modifications | Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R-Clearfield) | OPPOSE | House returned to Rules | Trojan Horse bill that could derail Rep. Handy’s good bill (HB 67: Voter Registration Amendments, designed to improve government efficiencies by updating the voter registration system for County Clerks through opt-out voter registration at the DMV). | ||
| HB 189 | Driver License Exam Revisions | Rep. Carol Spackman Moss (D-Holladay/Murray) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Eases burdens for refugees and asylies in obtaining a drivers license by increasing the term of a license from 4 to 5 years and allowing them to take the test in their native language the first time around. | |
| HB 218 | Modicications to Election Law | Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D-Salt Lake) | Sen. Diedre Henderson (R-Utah Co) | onesheet | SUPPORT | Passed House and Senate | Same day voter registration, which allows otherwise eligible voters to cast a provisional ballot on election day or during the early voting period |
| HB 338S2 | Elections Modifications | Rep Daniel McCay (R-Riverton) | Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-Jordan) | Take action! | WARNING: OPPOSE | Ran out of time | Enacts a series of modifications to election, including shortening the period of time in which a person filing for candidacy has to announce a decision to gather petition signatures to be placed on the primary ballot from as much as 80 days down to 4, prohibiting the Lt. Governor from barring a convention-nominated candidate from the primary ballot if their political party attempts to prevent a petition candidate from getting on the primary ballot and repealing the County My Vote compromise legislation (SB 54 from 2014) if the 2018 County My Vote ballot initiative fails. |
| HB 471 | Initiative Amendments | Rep. Brad Daw (R-Orem) | Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Utah/Wasatch) | OPPOSE/ AMEND | Ran out of time | This bill changes the effective date of certain laws enacted by a statewide initiative. This bill was amended to eliminate the one year delay for laws that would increase taxes and to require laws with a listed effective date to be effective as of that date. | |
| SB 112 | Voter Registration Revisions | Sen. Diedre Henderson (R-Utah Co) | Rep. Steve Handy | onesheet | SUPPORT | House 1st Reading | Sister bill to HB 67, updates and streamlines the voter registration system by making registration automatic at the DMV with the option to opt out. |
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| HB 177 | Trauma Informed Justice | Rep. Ken Ivory (R-West Jordan) | Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake) | SUPPORT | Senate 3rd Reading – Tabled | ||
| HB 379 | Death Penalty Amendments | Rep. Gage Froerer (R-Huntsville) | NEUTRAL | House – failed | Repeals the death penalty for inefficiencies, such as $40 million in extra expenses above life without parolle over the past 20 years, resulting in 2 executions. There are currently 9 individuals on death row in Utah. This bill is supported by groups on both sides of the aisle, including ACLU and Libertas. |
NOTE: This page will be updated throughout the State Legislative Session.
