Utah House approves bill to shift petition-signature gathering online, but privacy concerns linger
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Summary
The House passed a first substitute to HB 223 to formalize an electronic signature-gathering system for initiatives and referenda, require offline capture capability, and sunset paper petitions by 2030. Lawmakers split over privacy, third‑party audits and rural access.
Representative Tuscher urged the Utah House on Feb. 9 to adopt a first substitute of HB 223 that would formalize an electronic signature-gathering process for initiatives, referenda and candidate nominations, require offline capability for the platform and set a 2030 sunset for paper signature collection. The chamber approved the first substitute and voted to send the bill to the Senate.
Tuscher, the bill sponsor, told colleagues the system would let gatherers scan an ID to verify signers instantly, reduce printing costs and ease clerks’ verification burden. “Rather than forcing the verification of that person's identity through the signature process, they gather the information from a scan of their ID,” Tuscher said, describing the scan as the verification step that replaces manual signature comparison. The bill also requires the Lieutenant Governor’s office to report annually to the Government Operations Interim Committee on implementation progress.
Opponents pressed privacy and fiscal concerns. Representative Stoddard warned the substitute “allows our government to hand over information such as driver's license records, property records, vital records — a lot of very private information to a third party,” and urged further vetting through committee review. Representative Daley Provo likewise urged a pause so members could vet the substitute and explore safeguards for breaches and liability.
Rep. Mike Peterson and others raised access concerns for rural and low‑connectivity residents. Peterson said the digital method “has never been tested” at scale in some rural communities and cautioned against removing reliable paper options too quickly. Supporters responded that the substitute includes an offline data-capture function and reporting checkpoints over three legislative sessions before the 2030 sunset.
Lawmakers debated whether the substitute’s contracting provision—allowing the Lieutenant Governor or legislative auditor to use third-party vendors for verification tools—could grant outside firms broad access to sensitive data. The sponsor repeatedly described the power as optional: the LG’s or auditor’s office “could use it” but would not be required to contract third parties.
The House adopted the substitute and recorded a final vote of 46 yes and 25 no. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
The immediate next steps are Senate consideration and continued reporting to the Government Operations Interim Committee as the LG’s office pilots and documents the electronic process ahead of the 2030 sunset.
