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Senate approves third substitute of bill tightening enforcement of ban on ticket 'quotas'
Summary
The Senate read third substitute S.B. 243 for a third time and passed it. Sponsor described the bill as restoring 'teeth' to a 2018 policy against ticket quotas by creating grant-eligibility consequences for agencies that incentivize citations, while permitting agencies to require citizen interactions without revenue incentives.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 21 approved the third substitute of Senate Bill 243, an amendment package that attaches enforcement mechanisms to the state’s 2018 policy opposing law-enforcement quota systems.
Sponsor Senator Wyler said the 2018 policy was intended to prevent officers from being rewarded or disciplined for writing a certain number of tickets. "We adopted this policy in 2018," he told colleagues, and the new substitute adds enforcement measures: if an agency is found to impose ticket quotas that reward revenue generation, it could lose eligibility for CCJJ grant funding. Wyler also said the draft seeks balance by allowing agencies to require a certain number of citizen interactions per period (warnings, arrests or citations) while prohibiting incentives tied specifically to revenue generation.
During floor discussion Senator Kwan said she was concerned about eliminating the Office of Rail Safety in a separate measure, and other senators questioned enforceability and how agencies would be monitored. Wyler said the intent is narrow and aimed at preventing revenue-driven citation incentives rather than limiting legitimate supervision of officers.
The Senate read the third substitute for a third time by roll call; the journal recorded 21 yeas, 2 nays and 6 absent. The bill as passed moves to the next steps of enrollment and transmission to the House as appropriate.
