House passes bill to create Respite Care Assistance Fund to support family caregivers

The Utah House on Feb. 27 passed First Substitute House Bill 340, creating a Respite Care Assistance Fund to accept donations and grants for short-term respite care for family caregivers. Representative Jack Draxler, the bill sponsor, said the fund is intended to give caregivers brief, scheduled relief and help keep care recipients out of more costly institutional settings.

"There are no state funds involved," Draxler told the chamber, saying the fiscal note is published "strictly for the purposes of transparency" and that the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council expects to administer the fund using existing federal resources. The bill, he said, sets up a mechanism for donations and grant receipts that can be used to provide temporary, often short-duration respite so caregivers can run errands or attend to other responsibilities.

Supporters described personal experience with respite care. Representative Hutchings rose in support and recounted taking a break while a spouse provided in-home care for an ill family member, urging colleagues to back the measure for the relief it offers families. Another representative on the floor said he had received respite care for a child with a disability and called the assistance vital for family stability.

The House opened and closed voting on the measure and recorded a final tally of 70 yes and 2 no. The bill will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.

The bill text and fiscal note indicate the fund will be administered by the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council; the sponsor said the council’s funding source is federal and that it can handle administrative costs within existing resources. The House debate did not include any alternative funding proposals or amendments beyond floor remarks in support.

The chamber moved next to other bills on the calendar; HB 340 will proceed to the Senate for further action.