House approves URS technical changes after debate over immediate vesting for attorney general staff
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Summary
The Utah House on Feb. 3 approved SB 25, a package of technical and modest reforms to Utah Retirement Systems that includes an exemption allowing immediate vesting of employer contributions for certain senior attorney general staff; the measure passed 70–1 after questions on retention incentives.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House on Feb. 3 approved Senate Bill 25, which makes targeted changes to the Utah Retirement Systems (URS), including clarifications and a limited exemption for senior staff in the attorney general’s office that can allow employer contributions to vest immediately.
Representative Acton, the bill sponsor, told the House the measure is primarily technical but makes five specific changes: clarifying one definition, expanding a ‘‘membership council’’ (non-voting participants), coordinating service credit between tier 1 and tier 2 employees, permitting the URS executive director to delegate some rulings to a deputy director, and clarifying how benefits can be relinquished. ‘‘These are not voting members, but just interested parties who would like to be involved and understand what’s going on with URS,’’ Acton said in describing the membership-council change.
During floor questioning, Representative Boxier asked why the bill would allow employer contributions to vest immediately and how that would help retention. Acton said the provision ‘‘authorizes the senior staff in the attorney general’s office, including the attorney general himself or herself, to be exempt from some of the rules’’ and that the exception is intended to help recruit and retain high-level staff who otherwise face retention challenges at state wage levels. Representative Locks expressed skepticism, saying allowing immediate vesting could reduce ‘‘skin in the game’’ that encourages retention in other contexts.
After brief additional discussion and a summation from the sponsor, the House opened voting. SB 25 passed the House with 70 yes votes and 1 no vote and will be signed by the speaker and returned to the Senate for the president’s signature.
The bill’s changes are limited in scope and, as presented on the floor, apply narrowly to senior staff exemptions rather than a blanket change across URS membership. The House record shows the vote tally and the sponsor’s explanation; the text, as described on the floor, emphasizes recruitment and retention for specialized senior positions in the attorney general’s office.
The next procedural step is return to the Senate for signature.