2010 at 10:29 pm | posted by Rep. Craig Frank
Utah State Legislature Highlights for January 25th- 29th
The 58th session of the Utah State Legislature convened Monday, January 25, 2010. This session, state lawmakers must tackle a combined 700 million dollar shortfall and spending must be trimmed from the current budget and the 2010-2011 budget year, starting July 1st. Republican leaders say they would rather cut programs than raise taxes in a recession.
Also getting attention this legislative session is ethics reform in Utah. During Speaker David Clark’s opening remarks Monday, he said that House Republicans have already agreed to a series of ethics bills. On Tuesday night, Governor Gary Herbert said during his first annual State of the State speech that he has signed an executive order that “reaffirms and clarifies” ethics guidelines originally set by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Other issues getting addressed this legislative session include, sex education in schools, land use, controlled substances and abortion.
These are all bills that passed the House this week. (Note: Clicking on the title of a bill, which is in blue, will take you to the full version.)
This bill is aimed at making available the ability for a justice court to more easily transfer a matter concerning a child to a juvenile court if it is determined that this transfer would be in the child’s best interest.
This bill would alter the Check Cashing and Deferred Deposit Lending Registration Act so that they would address operational requirements related to deferred deposit lending.
This bill defines “significant capital investment” for those purposes of the Economic Development Incentives Act, and requires documentation from applicants that show their having satisfied the requirements under the Act.
In amending the Brine Shrimp Royalty Act, this bill’s aim is to repeal obsolete language, address definitions, address the calculation of the royalty, and to make technical changes.
This bill is to modify per diem and travel expense language used for boards, commissions, councils, and committees, as well as make any other technical changes.
HB 28, 35, and 36, listed above, focus on reporting prescription drug abuse to prescribing doctors through an online database.
Along with making technical changes, this bill would allow the Wildlife Board, through administrative rule, to establish grounds other than those listed in statute for the refund of a license, certificate, or permit fee.
Along with technical changes, this bill defines terms such as “damage,” “division,” “livestock,” and “wolf,” and also allows a person to receive compensation for damage dealt to livestock by a wolf in certain circumstances.
This bill defines terms, requires the state engineer to go 60 day’s notice to a recharge or recovery permittee of the date to submit proof of completion, authorizes the state engineer to waive certain filings, requires proof of completion of a recharge or recovery project, and so forth, as well as makes technical changes.
In modifying the Utah Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Act, this bill does such things as: address the coverage and limitation of the act, modifies terminology and definitions, modifies time frames, makes technical and conforming amendments, modifies reporting requirements, and so on.
Relating provisions of constables, this bill allows a county or municipality to contract with any constable, rather than a constable in the county where the justice court sits, as well as makes technical changes.
This bill modifies the Election Code to amend the manner in which a ballot proposition is worded for a statewide or local referendum, doing such things as clarifying the definition of “referendum,” and making technical changes.
In modifying the Motor Vehicles Code, in relating to motor vehicles, this bill covers such issues as repealing the requirement that an owner of a vehicle record the actual miles for use in renewing registration, establishing procedures and requirements for a county legislative body to impose a local emissions compliance fee, and along with other authorizations given to the county legislative bodies, makes technical changes.
In amending the General Taxation Policies chapter, this bill addresses the taxes, fees, and charges administered by the State Tax Commission, as well as addressed definitions such as taxes, fees, addressed calculation of interest related to these, and made technical changes.
This bill amends the Sales and Use Tax Act, addressing definitions, the tax rate, and the determination of the location of a transaction involving a prepaid calling service or prepaid wireless calling service, as well as making technical changes.
- H.B. 51 – Family Employment Program – Jan. 27, 2010 – 71/0 votes – Cash Assistance to Single Minor Parent – Sponsored by Rep. James A. Dunnigan (R-Taylorsville)
In modifying the provisions of the Family Employment Program, regarding the requirements for a single minor parent to receive cash assistance, this bill brings the program into compliance with federal law as to employment and education, or training requirements.
With certain circumstances, this bill extends the sunset of the provision until July 1, 2015, as well as makes other technical changes.
This bill, along with technical amendments, modifies the membership of the Utah Generated Renewable Energy Electricity Network Authority Board.
This bill creates the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee, establishes the membership thereof, provides guidelines for determining if and where a substance should be scheduled, and outlines the role of the advisory committee as an advising body regarding the placing of substances in the statutory schedule of controlled substances.
In modifying the provisions related to licensure and prohibited conduct for those engaging in foreclosure rescue or loan modification, this bill modifies definitions related to real estate licensing, modifies prohibited conduct by real estate licensees, makes technical and conforming amendments, and so forth.
In modifying Title 20A, Chapter 11, Campaign and Financial Reporting Requirements, the bill makes it so all expenditures made by a corporation and a political issues committee must be reported as of five days instead of three, as well as technical amendments.
This bill amends a citation to the Internal Revenue Code relating to federal law exemptions that also apply to the state tax on cigarettes.
This bill modifies the Utah State Personnel Management Act by amending provisions relating to employment programs for people with disabilities.
In modifying the provisions of Title 9, Community and Culture Development, this bill focuses of grant programs administered by certain divisions, offices, and boards within the Department of Community and Culture in the Divisions of Arts and Museums, State Library, and State History.
This bill adopts the State Construction Code in accordance with the Utah Uniform Building Standards Act.
This bill modifies the Insurance Code and the Utah Uniform Securities Act to address the treatment of insurance and annuities.
This would reauthorize certain state entities and programs that would otherwise sunset before the 2011 Annual General Session of the Utah Legislature.
Relating to continuing education, this bill modifies provisions of the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act related to continuing education.
This bill allows a school district to extend the period of time a provisional employee must work to obtain career status.
This bill allows a school district or charter school to require an employee to submit a criminal background check, including volunteers and other employees.
This bill amends provisions of the Utah Criminal Code to describe the difference between abortion and criminal homicide of an unborn child, as well as removing prohibitions and highlighting circumstances.
