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House passes HB150 to modernize initiative and petition rules after floor amendments
Summary
House Bill 150, a package of technical and procedural changes to Utah’s initiative and petition process, was amended on the floor (felony reduced to Class A misdemeanor) and passed the House 72-0; the measure adjusts deadlines, verification timelines and who may sign petitions.
The Utah House passed House Bill 150 on the floor after extended debate and adoption of floor amendments, forwarding the measure to the Senate 72-0.
Sponsor discussion described HB150 as a streamlining and modernization of initiative and petition procedures. The bill shortens and clarifies time deadlines (for example, reducing the window to turn petitions in from 150 days to about four months before an election), changes the required documentation and format of petition sheets, and alters verification timelines so county clerks must certify signatures at least 60 days before the general election. The sponsor emphasized the bill preserves criminal penalties only for knowing, intentional misconduct and removes unnecessary notarization requirements.
On a floor amendment offered by Representative Ellerton, the House replaced the word "felony" with "Class A misdemeanor" for the offense of knowingly signing a petition when ineligible; the amendment was adopted on a voice vote. Representative Wharton proposed lowering the signature threshold to put an item on the ballot from 10% of votes to 8%; that motion failed. Members debated whether the change from felony to misdemeanor would align the provision with the criminal code and whether lowering signature thresholds would increase citizen access or overload ballots.
The House Clerk announced that HB150 received 72 affirmative votes and 0 negative votes; the bill will be forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
