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House adopts rule clarifying committee —minority reports— and how dissenters are recorded
Summary
The Utah House passed the second substitute for House Resolution 7 to clarify handling of committee minority reports: members who request to be listed as dissenting will be identified and committee staff will prepare the report listing dissenters by name; the provision passed 49-19.
The Utah House on the floor passed the second substitute of House Resolution 7, a change to House rules that clarifies how committee-level dissent — commonly called a "minority report" — is recorded and made available. The measure passed 49 votes to 19.
Sponsor Representative Yer explained the change would require any committee member who desires to be listed as dissenting on a committee report to advise committee staff during the meeting so the committee report can be prepared with dissenting members listed separately by name. Under the version debated on the floor, the reading clerk would acknowledge the listing and it would be entered as part of the House Journal, making the names part of the official record.
Supporters said the rule gives clearer guidance for the public and for members about how dissent is recorded. Representative Lockhart, who offered and won an amendment earlier in debate to keep dissenting names on the permanent committee record even if not read aloud by the reading clerk, described the change as a practical way to preserve dissenting views without lengthening floor reading.
Opponents warned that allowing written minority opinions to be attached to committee reports could open the door to extensive written divergences and argued the floor should remain the primary venue for airing substantive dissent. Representative Lockhart, Representative Hendrickson and others debated whether listing names or allowing attached written reports would shift attention away from the main bill and create additional work for committee chairs.
After several substitute and amendment attempts, the House voted to adopt the second substitute as presented. The resolution's passage establishes a clearer administrative procedure for members who wish to have their names or separate committee opinions follow a committee report.
Representative Hansen summed one strand of argument during debate with a line he repeated from a documentary: "you can't change the world, but you can change the facts," urging that written points of view matter for future deliberation.
The resolution now moves into House procedures for implementation and the changes will affect how committee reports are prepared and recorded going forward.
