House passes reauthorization of Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism after failed sunset amendment

The Utah House on Thursday passed House Bill 33 to continue the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism after lawmakers rejected an amendment that would have imposed a five-year sunset.

Representative Rebecca Edwards, sponsor of HB 33, told colleagues the commission — known as You Serve and housed in the lieutenant governor’s office — helps coordinate volunteering and administer federal funds. “This is a program that I can see…they have a role in the development, implementation, and sustaining of a vision of civic engagement,” she said during the floor presentation.

Representative Dan McKay moved Amendment 1 to change the bill’s repeal language into a five-year sunset, arguing that periodic statutory review promotes accountability. “It gives them an opportunity to come up and report to us on how well they’re doing,” McKay said in floor debate.

Opponents, including the committee chair, said the commission has been subject to repeated review and annual reporting for decades and that another sunset was unnecessary. Representative Edwards highlighted volunteer metrics in urging passage, saying Utah volunteers serve substantially more hours than the national average and that the commission’s work yields a large economic contribution to the state.

The House voted on the amendment by division; the motion failed, 30 yes, 41 no. The chamber then approved HB 33 on final passage, 58 yes, 11 no. The bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.

What’s next: HB 33 proceeds to the Senate. The House debate left intact the bill’s continuance without a new sunset; proponents framed that as preserving steady administration of volunteer programs, while supporters of the amendment said periodic legislative review is prudent.