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House passes HB191 after extended debate over youth corrections training and POST certification
Summary
HB191 removes an explicit requirement for POST certification of youth correctional officers, aligning statute with current practices, according to the bill sponsor. Floor debate raised liability and training concerns; the bill passed 49–21 and will be sent to the Senate.
House Bill 191, a correctional officer amendment affecting youth corrections, passed the Utah House after an extended floor debate that focused on training standards and whether youth correctional staff should be POST-certified.
Sponsor Blake Chard told the chamber the measure reflects prior study and practice and that "the training the youth correctional officers do receive when they're hired is comparable to, the same training that a correctional officer receives to go to work for the prison or for county jail." He said the bill would remove a statutory requirement for POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification for those positions so that training requirements align with current practice.
Several members pressed the sponsor about potential liability and whether changing statutory training references would lower the standard of care. One floor question emphasized the legal point: "When you change training standards, then that becomes the new standard of care for detention officers." Members also asked whether the Department had funding to create POST-certified positions and whether the companion bill (House Bill 192) that would create a small number of POST-certified positions addressed field enforcement needs.
The sponsor responded that the measure does not eliminate training requirements in practice and that deficits in training should be handled by the Division of Youth Corrections and by the budgetary process rather than by moving positions under POST. The sponsor acknowledged concerns and said some parties had suggested potential litigation but said he could not confirm that.
After debate and summation, voting closed on HB191. The clerk announced the result: 49 yes, 21 no. The bill passed the House and will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
