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Utah House passes package of bills spanning elections, public safety, education and gambling opt-out
Summary
The Utah House approved a set of bills Feb. 21, including measures on Navajo trust funds, fair-park risk management, ballot wording and an Internet gambling statute with an ISP hold-harmless amendment. Multiple items passed by clear margins and will be transmitted to the Senate.
The Utah House approved a series of bills and resolutions during its Feb. 21 floor session, dispatching measures on Navajo trust funds, risk management, election ballot wording, charter-school rules and a state Internet gambling statute.
On the consent calendar, Senate Bill 155 — an extension of the Navajo Trust Fund Act sunsets to allow completion of in-progress projects in San Juan County — passed the House 74–0. Representative Watkins said the extension "is not for anything new; it's just to finish some projects that were being done in San Juan County for the Utah Navajos." The bill will be signed by the Speaker and returned to the Senate.
Senate Bill 159, to extend the same risk-management protections to the State Fair Park that other state agencies enjoy, passed 70–5. House sponsor Representative Draxler said the bill "simply extends to the Utah Fair Park the same risk management protections that other state agencies have." The measure will be returned to the Senate for the president's signature.
On election administration, House Bill 488 updates ballot wording in multi-seat races so ballots can read ‘‘vote for up to [N],’’ a change the lieutenant governor's office supported. Representative Vickers described it as a clarification designed to reduce voter confusion; the House approved the bill 73–0 and sent it to the Senate.
The House also moved concurrence on bills from the Senate, including House Bill 62 (school-supplies provisions) and House Bill 289 (reauthorization of corrections education programs, which reduces a sunset from 10 to 5 years). Those concurrence motions were carried and returned to the Senate per regular procedure.
On the nonconsent calendar, House Bill 311, which allows charter-school boards to hold asynchronous online meetings under defined archival rules, passed 57–11. Supporters said the change expands options for charter boards; opponents expressed concern that traditional public school districts were not included and asked whether superintendents had been consulted.
House Bill 108, which adds Internet gambling and gambling by handheld device to state code and includes an "opt-out" provision should federal law change, was amended on the floor (Amendment 6) to clarify that Internet service providers and certain hosting services are held harmless. Representative Sandstrom said the amendment reflected work with telecommunications stakeholders and emphasized the House’s intent to preserve Utah's constitutional prohibition on gambling. After debate on enforceability, tribal consultation and fiscal impacts for enforcement, the bill passed the House 61–9 and will be transmitted to the Senate.
Other floor items passed included House Bill 118 (storage of electronic records; 68–0), House Bill 240 (clarifying direct-care/retainer agreements; 66–0) and several resolutions honoring organizations and municipalities. Most passed measures will be sent to the Senate as part of the legislative process; where concurrence was required, the House either concurred with Senate amendments or circled bills for further action as noted on the floor.
