Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Code topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House amends and sends telephone harassment fix to Senate after unanimous vote
Summary
On the House floor, members amended the long title of House Bill 110 to align the title with the bill text clarifying that violation of a protective order remains a Class A misdemeanor while telephone harassment remains a Class B; the amendment passed and the bill passed the House 65–0.
Representative Brent Hammond, sponsor of House Bill 110, told the Utah House the measure corrects wording from last year's enactment that had the effect of downgrading conduct linked to violating a protective order.
Hammond said the change was “mainly a clearing up of issue on a bill from last year, which is causing some problems in the court. I urge your support.” He moved to amend the long title to delete wording that suggested the conduct was “otherwise designated as class a misdemeanor,” explaining the bill’s body leaves telephone harassment as a Class B misdemeanor but does not alter the separate protective-order offense.
Lieutenant Valentine and other members concurred. The House voted to amend the long title and then took the third reading vote. Speaker announced, “House bill 110, having received 65 yes votes and 0 no votes, passes this body.” The bill will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
The amendment’s purpose, as described on the floor, was to conform the bill’s long title to its text and avoid confusion in court proceedings. Sponsors and supporters emphasized the change was technical rather than substantive.
The House proceeded without further debate; the clerk recorded the vote and the bill advances to the Senate as amended.
