House adopts rules, announces committees and refers dozens of bills to committees

The Utah House of Representatives approved procedural measures and launched committee assignments during its Jan. 28 organizational session. Members voted to adopt the same house joint and interim rules used in the prior session until the 2013 Rules Committee proposes changes, and the chamber voted to continue the practice of reading only short bill titles unless a majority directs otherwise.

The speaker announced caucus leadership and several committee appointments, including the House chair and vice chair of executive appropriations and the speaker pro tempore and parliamentarian. The House moved to appoint committees to notify the Senate and governor that the body was organized and ready to receive communications; those motions passed unanimously and named specific representatives as committee members.

The reading clerk presented first readings for a long list of House bills and joint resolutions covering budgets, education, licensing, public safety, taxation, and other policy areas; these first‑reading items were referred to the Rules Committee for assignment. The Rules Committee then recommended that numerous bills be lifted from the rules and placed on the third‑reading calendar and assigned several bills to standing committees including Business and Labor, Health and Human Services, Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Political Subdivisions, Public Utilities and Technology, Revenue and Taxation, and Transportation. Those committee recommendations and assignments were adopted by voice vote.

Operational matters discussed included instructions on new electronic voting equipment and phone usage, an introduction of session interns and staff, and announcements about a Rotunda event and the governor’s upcoming joint convention address. The House recessed until 2:15 p.m. to await the organized Senate.