Senate limits armed designation for Tax Commission criminal investigators

The Utah Senate on Jan. 28, 2002 approved an amended Senate Bill 62 that permits the State Tax Commission to designate criminal investigators as special function officers and carry firearms while conducting criminal tax investigations. Sponsor Senator Bramble said the designation would protect investigators working in potentially dangerous criminal-tax cases and that amendment 2 limits the designation to no more than eight individuals.

Explaining the rationale, Senator Bramble cited the historical example that Al Capone was ultimately convicted on tax charges and argued that tax investigators sometimes confront dangerous individuals: "To think that we would want to send employees of the state...into a dangerous situation investigating criminal conduct...without having a weapon flies in the face of common sense," he said.

Senators asked about post-certification training and whether investigators would receive hazardous-duty benefits; the sponsor said post-certification is required and the amendment removed eligibility for certain benefits. The fiscal note was described as manageable within the agency's existing budget. The Senate advanced the amended bill to the third-reading calendar in a recorded floor action (24 aye votes, no nays; 5 absent recorded).