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House passes a slate of bills on emergency procedures, employee contracts, insurance and more
Summary
On Feb. 14 the Utah House approved several bills including HB 50 (provisional employee contract clarification), HB 254 (emergency procedures), HB 55 (search-and-rescue workers’ compensation), HB 184 (treatment of LNG in fuel law), First Substitute HB 216 (reunification services), and HB 79 (insurance certificates); HB 100 and HB 251 were circled for later work.
The Utah House cleared a package of bills Feb. 14, approving measures on employment contracts, emergency procedures, volunteer worker benefits, fuel taxation language, child-reunification standards and insurance forms. Several bills were circled for further drafting.
- House Bill 50: Sponsor Representative Menlove described an amendment to clarify that school districts may decline to renew a contract for a provisional employee and removed the term ‘‘career employee’’ to avoid confusion. The amendment passed and HB 50 passed the House, 69–0; the bill will go to the Senate.
- House Bill 254 (Emergency Procedures Amendments): Representative Greenwood secured an amendment (requested by Salt Lake City Emergency Management) to allow city officials to request equipment and resources through defined legal language. HB 254 passed the House, 70–0.
- House Bill 55 (Volunteer Search and Rescue Workers’ Compensation): Representative Powell said the bill provides uniform workers’ compensation and disability coverage for certified search-and-rescue volunteers; the House passed HB 55, 65–0.
- House Bill 100 (County Nuisance Abatement): Representative Derek Brown moved to circle the bill to make changes in light of a similar bill; HB 100 was circled.
- House Bill 184 (Motor and Special Fuel Tax Act Amendments): Representative Harrod said the bill treats liquefied natural gas the same as compressed natural gas for taxation and classification as a clean fuel; Representative Ray questioned fiscal impacts and whether taxes would rise. Sponsor said LNG is not currently sold in Utah and fiscal estimates are hypothetical. HB 184 passed the House, 68–3.
- First Substitute House Bill 216 (Reunification Services): Representative Newbold replaced the bill with a first substitute to clarify that reunification procedures apply when a child is taken into custody at birth due to maternal substance use and that reunification is discretionary and based on best-interest findings. The substitute passed, 69–1.
- House Bill 79 (Property and Casualty Certificate of Insurance Act): Representative Keiser moved an amendment to allow grandfathering of certain certificates and to codify Insurance Department guidance; HB 79 passed, 70–0.
- House Bill 251 (Alarm System Amendments): HB 251 was circled for later work.
The House also adopted multiple committee reports, authorized a conference committee for a Senate dispute on House Bill 23 and adjourned until Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.
Sources: Floor proceedings and roll-call tallies on Feb. 14, 2011.
