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House approves guidelines for local free-speech rules, sends HB 36 to Senate
Summary
The House advanced HB 36, a bill by Representative Thurston that creates state-level guidelines for when cities and counties may restrict expressive activity on public property, and transmitted the measure to the Senate after a brief sponsor presentation and no recorded opposition.
Representative Thurston presented House Bill 36 as a response to complaints from petition-gatherers who were told by city facility managers they could not collect signatures. He said the bill aligns local policy with First Amendment protections and provides a clear, statutory process so local governments must adopt ordinances and follow transparent procedures before restricting speech on public property.
Thurston told colleagues the measure grew from work with the League of Cities and Towns and the Association of Counties and was drafted with input from the Salt Lake City legal department. He said the proposal mirrors court requirements for time, place and manner restrictions while telling cities how to publish and adopt restrictions so citizens can object before a rule is enacted. “It must be done by ordinance,” Thurston said, emphasizing a public, transparent process.
Floor time was brief; submission of discussion was waived and the Speaker announced voting open on HB 36. The House closed voting and the Speaker stated the bill was transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.
The bill’s text, as described on the floor, instructs cities and counties on steps they must follow when restricting expressive activity on public property; it does not itself claim to alter constitutional doctrine but sets procedural guardrails for local governments. The House record did not include a roll-call vote in the provided transcript.
The next procedural step is Senate consideration; the House referred HB 36 to the Senate after the floor action recorded in this session.
