Utah House passes series of public-safety and corrections bills, sends measures to Senate

The Utah House of Representatives approved a slate of bills on Feb. 2, advancing measures aimed at public safety, corrections funding and criminal penalties and sending them to the state Senate for further consideration.

Representative Melissa G. Ballard, sponsor of HB103, told the chamber the bill moves three offenses into the criminal code and aligns their penalty level with existing law: “What this bill does is adds 3 offenses to the same level, which is a third degree felony,” she said, describing offenses such as fraudulently acting as a parent or guardian to procure a minor’s marriage and unlawfully solemnizing or consenting to an illegal minor marriage. The House adopted the first substitute and passed the measure 69–0; it will be sent to the Senate.

The House also approved the first substitute of HB113, a public-safety bill that Representative Monson described as strengthening penalties for knowing, intentional abuse of the 911 system. “House Bill 113 strengthens penalties for false emergency…