We returned to the Capitol on Tuesday, January 19th to convene the 2021 General Legislative Session. The legislative session runs for 45 consecutive days, excluding holidays, which totals seven weeks. Over the course of the session we will consider hundreds of bills. I will send a weekly email update to keep you informed with the highlights from each week.
Public Access during the 2021 General Session
Due to public safety and COVID-19 concerns, adjustments have been implemented to ensure public participation options are available during the legislative session. Committee meetings now have audio and video, making it easier to view presentations and know who is speaking. Here’s how you can be involved during the session.
- You can virtually attend committee meetings and provide public input. Learn how here.
- Beginning next week, you can also attend committee meetings in-person at the Capitol.
- The Utah Senate holds daily press availability where the media can ask Senate leadership and bill sponsors questions. This takes place every weekday during the legislative session. You can watch media availability on the Senate’s Facebook, here.
My Bills
S.B. 31, Condominium and Community Association Regulation Amendments – Currently, HOAs can prohibit an individual from installing security cameras at their residence. S.B. 31 prohibits an HOA from disallowing owners to install security cameras on their own units or lots. This bill passed in the Senate with unanimous support and will now be considered in the House.
S.B. 32, Employee Status Amendments-This bill clarifies that remote-service workers, like Uber and Lyft Drivers or online English tutors or translators, are contractors and not employees. Specifically, these remote service workers are contractors if:
- The work is primarily performed remotely with duties performed on a per-job or per-transaction basis.
- Particularly if there are no specified hours or required locations and the market does not restrict another occupation.
- These remote-service contractors are responsible for providing all of their own necessary tools and materials to complete the project.
S.B. 87, Professional Licensing Amendments– The need for this bill came to my attention due to individuals who want to make a little extra money by doing high schoolers hair for prom. This bill creates an exemption from licensure for individuals who only dry, style, curl, shampoo, condition or hot irons hair. Individuals who choose to offer these services without a license will need to display a prominent sign in their place of practice stating that they are unlicensed. This bill passed on second reading in the Senate. I am still actively engaging stakeholders from the cosmetology field as I work to find a balanced, acceptable approach.
Budget
As a Legislature, our Constitutional responsibility is to pass a balanced budget before the close of the General Legislative Session. It is a responsibility we take seriously. As such, we spend the first few weeks of the session meeting in appropriations subcommittees to consider how we allocate money in each area, such as public education, social services and transportation.
Eight appropriations subcommittees prepare base budgets for their assigned subject area over the first couple of weeks of the session. These subcommittee base budgets are passed in the early weeks of the session, which allows the state to continue functioning at a basic level. This prevents the state government from shutting down. Then, typically during the final week of the session, we pass what is known as the “Bill of Bills,” which is the comprehensive budget bill that includes additional appropriations not included in the base budgets. You can learn more about the state’s budget here.
$43 Million Tax Cut Proposed
The first bill debated in the Senate on the first day of the session was S.B. 11, Retirement Income Tax Requirements, which seeks to remove the tax on Military Retirement Income and reduces the tax on Social Security Income. This bill would create a $43 million tax cut. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and will now be considered in the House. You can watch the floor debate here.
In the News: Deseret News | Press Release
In-person Instruction
One bill that received considerable debate this week was S.B. 107, In-person Instruction Prioritization. This bill gives parents the option of taking their students out of online-only schools and moving them to another school that offers in-person instruction. Funding would then follow the student to the new school. The bill does not force any student to return to in-person learning, it simply gives parents options if their students are struggling under the online format. As of this week, this bill would only apply to the Salt Lake School District as all other school districts offer in-person learning options. The bill passed its second reading in the Senate and is currently circled on third as the sponsors continues to work with stakeholders, including the Salt Lake School District on the bill.
Listen to the debate on the Senate floor here.
College for Veterans
For years, senior citizens in Utah have been able to audit courses offered at state institutions of higher education. This means that seniors can attend and participate in classes for a small fee. They don’t have to take tests, write papers, or do any homework, and they won’t receive any college credit. S.B. 45, Higher Education Classes for Veterans, gives Utah veterans the same opportunity. The bill passed unanimously on its second reading in the Senate.
Listen to the bill presentation on the Senate floor here.
Accepting Federal Funds
The latest federal relief package passed by Congress included funding for states. This week we passed H.J.R. 4, House Joint Resolution Approving Acceptance of Federal Funds, which is the formal step we must take in order to accept and receive the federal funds intended for our state. Once we accept and receive the funds, we are then able to appropriate the funds for their intended purposes. You can listen to the floor presentation here.
What do you think?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you in the Utah State Senate. I hope you will reach out to me with your thoughts on the issues we are considering this session!
Thank you,
Curt Bramble
Senate District 16
