Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senate Bill 68 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves bill clarifying threats or assaults on child welfare workers are prosecutable
Summary
Senate Bill 68 clarifies that assaults or threats against child welfare workers — including threats carried out later — can be pursued under state statute; the Senate advanced the bill by third reading, 27-0 with two absent.
Senate Bill 68, a measure to clarify criminal remedies for threats and assaults against child welfare workers, advanced on the Utah Senate floor after lawmakers debated whether such protections constitute an enhancement for state actors.
Sponsor Senator Vickers said the bill updates statutory language to make clear that an assault or threat against a child welfare worker can be prosecuted even if the assault or threat occurs later, provided the actor knew the target was a child welfare worker. "Essentially, what we're doing is we're updating it to make sure that it's clear that the assault can happen at the time . . . or later," Vickers said, adding the intent is to protect people in "very sensitive jobs." He noted the statute's penalty has been discussed as a class A misdemeanor and that the measure does not further increase penalties beyond changes made in 2019.
Opposition was limited but pitched at the policy level. Senator Brammer said he would vote in favor of the bill on second and third reading but warned the Legislature should consider broader constitutional and equity questions about penalties that vary depending on who the victim is. "Do we punish depending on who the victim is at a greater level than merely whoever it is?" Brammer asked, noting the different maximum sentences for a regular assault and for an assault on a state actor.
Senator Eby voiced support for the bill on grounds of worker safety, thanking public servants and child-welfare staff who "show up every day to aid these kids when they are struggling." Senator Thatcher also said he would support the bill, arguing that because child welfare workers act "on our behalf as state actors" and cannot simply refuse dangerous assignments, they warrant additional protections.
After the brief debate, Senator Vickers moved that Senate Bill 68 be read a third time. The Senate conducted a roll-call vote; the clerk reported 27 "yea," 0 "nay," and 2 absent. The third reading was approved.
The bill’s passage at third reading advances it to subsequent legislative steps. The record on the floor shows the sponsoring senator moved the third-reading advancement and that no amendment or change to the penalty level was enacted on the floor during this debate. The motion to adjourn followed, and the Senate recessed until the time announced by the presiding officer.
Votes at a glance: Senate Bill 68 — third reading: 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent.
