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Senate Amends Strategic-Planning Task Force to Broaden Representation and Adds Sunset
Summary
Senate Bill 36, amending the strategic-planning task force to emphasize seamless K–12 to higher-education coordination and broaden membership diversity, was amended on the floor to expand representation and to include a sunset date (June 30, 2002). The bill was passed to third reading with 27 ayes.
The Utah Senate amended and advanced Senate Bill 36 on Feb. 2, 1995, revising the state’s strategic-planning task force to emphasize a seamless education system from grade school through higher education and to broaden membership to include diverse communities and community-based organizations.
Senator Steiner described the bill’s intent: to coordinate academic program requirements and encourage concurrent enrollment and shared facilities so students transition from high school to higher education with clearer expectations. "The task force could work on objectives of keeping secondary and public-school personnel up to date on academic goals," Steiner said.
Senator Maine offered amendments to expand representation — adding appointees to reflect racial, ethnic and disability diversity as well as community-based organizations, business and labor — and described the change as "friendly," saying the governor’s office, the state superintendent and the commissioner of higher education had worked with sponsors on the language. The floor debated whether the statutory language required each of the 14 appointees to individually meet diversity criteria or whether the 14-member group should collectively reflect the state’s diversity. Senator Steiner clarified the intent: "The whole 14 are to reflect the diversity and the background and the culture of our state," not that each member individually must meet every criterion.
Senator Peterson offered an amendment to add a sunset review date; the amendment set the statute to sunset on June 30, 2002, creating a scheduled opportunity for legislative review of the task force’s work and progress. Both floor amendments were adopted by voice vote.
The Senate then called the question and, after a recorded yeas-and-nays voice count, the president announced SB 36 had 27 aye votes, no nay votes, and 2 absentees; the bill was placed at the bottom of the third-reading calendar.
Next steps: the bill proceeds on the legislative calendar toward third reading and potential final passage; senators requested legal counsel and staff to clarify statutory language nuances before subsequent action.
