House amends and passes bill setting document standards for county recorders, limits fee to $2 per page

The Utah House on Jan. 30 amended and passed House Bill 200 to standardize documents filed with county recorder offices and to cap a supplemental handling fee at $2 per page.

Representative Frank, sponsor of H.B. 200, moved to take the bill off the circled list and offered an amendment striking a $25 figure in the bill and inserting a limit of "$2 per page." Frank said consultations with recorders and stakeholder associations produced a consensus that $2 per page "is probably the more logical approach to the cost of additional handling." The amendment passed by voice vote.

On the floor Frank explained the bill’s substantive requirements for documents to be recorded: originals or certified copies; English or an English translation affixed; a brief title on the first page; a legal description; white 8½-by-11 paper with one‑inch side and bottom margins to allow processing equipment to image and store records; black ink and legible type density and line counts. He said there is a three‑month notice period for affected filers to conform and listed exceptions for certain maps, certified affidavits of death, military discharge documents, tax or federal forms.

The House opened voting and H.B. 200 passed 73‑0 and will be referred to the Senate as amended. Representative Frank said the bill had been held up in the Senate during the prior session and that these steps are intended to improve processing and storage of public records.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the House floor transcript of Jan. 30, 2007.