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House rejects higher‑education sick‑leave conversion bill after fiscal and policy objections
Summary
House members debated HB 247, which would have allowed non‑faculty higher education employees to convert sick leave to vacation and receive retirement cashouts; critics raised fiscal‑note and appropriations concerns and the bill failed in the House.
The Utah House considered House Bill 247, which would have extended a sick‑leave conversion and limited early‑retirement option to non‑faculty employees at higher‑education institutions, aligning their benefits with state employees. Representative Swazo explained the measure would allow non‑faculty staff to convert up to four days of sick leave to vacation and would standardize an early‑retirement option.
Opponents, including Representative Ryan and other members, pressed the fiscal note and argued the measure could shift costs onto institutions of higher education and impair student access by diverting funds. Representative Ryan cited fiscal estimates in the discussion, including line items the transcript paraphrases as a total fiscal exposure in the hundreds of thousands for conversion and reprogramming costs. Several representatives also argued the Board of Regents had already adopted comparable policies and that mandating a uniform change through statute would inappropriately insert the Legislature into institutional personnel management.
After debate and motions to circle or extend discussion, the transcript records the clerk announcing that House Bill 247 "has failed to pass this house receiving 49 votes and 32 yes votes." The House therefore did not enact the measure that day.
