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Committee passes a package of public‑safety and criminal‑justice bills to the House floor
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Summary
The committee approved a set of public‑safety bills by voice vote after sponsor presentations and limited public comment. Items include HB345 (victim compensation corrections), HB284 (restore depraved‑indifference murder), HB301 (drug recodification), HB153 (law‑enforcement due process), and HB354 (rescue GPS devices); each will proceed to the House floor.
The House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee voted to advance several bills addressing victims, criminal code recodification, officer due process and victim rescue tools.
HB345: Representative Romero presented substitute language to close limited gaps in Utah Office of Victims of Crime compensation for (1) sexual assaults that occurred inside correctional facilities when reporting occurs after release, and (2) deaths from hit‑and‑run incidents where suspects are unidentified. Marlise Jones, director of the Victim Services Commission, described the changes as "narrow gaps" that would allow parity for those victims. The committee adopted the substitute and passed HB345 with a favorable recommendation (voice vote).
HB284: Representative Malloy and Christopher Ballard of the Utah County Attorney's Office explained HB284 would restore statutory language removed unintentionally during a May 2022 recodification so depraved‑indifference murder does not require proof of a particular identified victim. Committee members agreed and passed HB284 to the floor.
HB301: The sponsor described HB301 as a technical recodification of drug statutes (no policy change) that reorganizes the Controlled Substance Act into a readable code. The committee adopted the first substitute and recommended the substitute to the floor unanimously.
HB153: Representative Gwen presented HB153 to codify minimum due‑process practices for officer discipline; law‑enforcement groups including the Utah Chiefs Association and the Law Enforcement Legislative Committee voiced support. The committee adopted House Amendment 1 (clarifying that non‑disciplinary transfers are not constrained) and passed the bill as amended.
HB354: Representative Hawkins described small, nickel‑sized GPS rescue devices placed in restrooms/rest stops for victims; HB354 makes tampering with those devices a class B misdemeanor. The committee voted to pass HB354 with a favorable recommendation.
Each item was advanced to the House floor by voice vote; transcripts show unanimous or broadly favorable voice votes for these items in committee and do not record roll‑call tallies in the provided record.
