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Utah House Passes HB 36 to Clarify 'Evasive Action' Under Open and Public Meetings Act
Summary
Second‑substitute HB 36 passed the House 49–22. Sponsor Representative Dunnigan said the bill clarifies the definition of a public meeting and adds an 'evasive action' prohibition—including some electronic coordination—after a Southern Utah county audit prompted legislative review.
The Utah House on Feb. 5 approved second‑substitute House Bill 36 to tighten the state's Open and Public Meetings Act by defining when a gathering becomes a public meeting and by prohibiting deliberate attempts to evade meeting requirements.
Representative James A. Dunnigan, sponsor of HB 36, said the measure responds to an audit of a Southern Utah county where two commissioners allegedly coordinated strategy outside public view, hired outside counsel and then approved a prearranged outcome in a public meeting. "We created a working group in the political subdivisions committee over the interim, and…
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