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House adopts HR 4 to clarify reading of bill titles; passes 69‑2
Summary
House Resolution 4, a technical change clarifying that the House reads short titles by default and will read long titles only with a majority vote, passed the chamber 69‑2 after being uncircled for floor action.
The Utah House adopted House Resolution 4 on the second day of the 2004 legislative session, a technical amendment to chamber rules specifying that the House interprets the constitutional requirement to read bills by title as a reading of the short title unless a majority votes to read the long title.
Representative Margaret Dayton explained the measure as a technical clarification, saying the state constitution "provides that each bill should be read by title" and HR 4 "simply highlights that the house interprets that constitutional provision to mean short title unless there is a majority vote to have the long title read." The House had earlier "circled" HR 4 (postponed it), then later voted to un-circle and take the resolution up for action.
After Representative Dayton waived summation, the clerk announced the recorded tally: HR 4 received 69 yes votes and 2 no votes; the resolution passed and will be signed. The floor action included no recorded amendments.
The resolution is procedural in scope and will change internal practice for how bill titles are presented on the House floor; no external implementation requirements or effective dates beyond the House’s rule language were presented during floor debate.
