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Senate amends, delays and sends House Bill 477 back to House after agreeing to interim study
Summary
The Utah Senate adopted an amendment changing the effective date of House Bill 477 (government records amendments), agreed to interim study and a stakeholder work group, and passed the bill as amended on a roll call, 23–6; sponsors said the delay will allow public input on GRAMA changes.
Senator Butters offered and the Senate adopted Amendment No. 4 to House Bill 477, changing the bill’s effective date to July 1, 2011 and directing the measure into an interim study with a work group that will include interested parties. Senator Butters said the change "strikes the immediate date" and will allow the bill to be studied before implementation.
Sponsor Senator Hilliard told colleagues the interim study and task force will give "all aspects of the community" an opportunity to participate and said the process is intended to preserve public access while addressing drafting issues. Senator Romero said he hoped the work would "provide some relief to the press" from voluminous or duplicative records requests and urged careful study, though he recorded a no vote.
Under suspension of the rules the Senate read HB477 for second and third time and placed it on final passage. On the roll call the Senate recorded 23 yea votes and 6 nay votes and returned the amended bill to the House for further action. The floor chair said the amendment and study were intended to provide "90 days to work through this" and to bring stakeholders, including media representatives, into the discussion.
The Senate's action amends the bill’s effective date and routes it to an interim process; supporters described the approach as prioritizing stakeholder input and clearer drafting, while opponents warned about a product without complete process. The House must receive the Senate's amendments before the measure can become law or move to any further action.
The Senate adjourned for the day and said it would reconvene the following morning to continue consideration of other business.
