We have now concluded week three of the legislative session. Week three included additional time for floor debate each day, requests for appropriations presentations each morning and standing committee meetings each afternoon. We have passed 50 bills so far, and we still have hundreds more to consider. As always, you can tune in for any of our committee meetings or floor debate on le.utah.gov.
My Bills
S.B. 25 Corporate Tax Amendments -Over the last year we have made many efforts to get economic support to businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. This bill provides more targeted relief to businesses that were negatively impacted by COVID-19 by allowing them to carry back, for up to three years, a Utah net loss realized during 2020. The idea is if a business was profitable in the three years leading up to 2020, but then suffered a loss in 2020, that is very likely due to the economic hardship brought about by the pandemic. This bill passed in the Senate and will now be considered in the House.
SB27, Physician Assistant Act Amendments– This bill came about due to an unfortunate circumstance this past year. The supervising physician for a physician assistant (PA) in rural Utah passed away, preventing the PA from being able to see and treat patients he had been treating for years due to the lack of supervising physician. Especially in the midst of a pandemic, we need to make sure that Utahns have access to healthcare. This bill amends the scope of physician assistants’ practice to make it easier for them to see patients and makes changes to requirements for newly graduated physician assistants. This bill made it through committee and will be heard on the Senate floor very soon.
SB28, Physician Assistant Mental Health Practice– This bill will help address a psychiatric health care shortage in Utah by allowing a physician assistant who specializes in psychiatric mental health to engage in the practice of mental health therapy. The bill made it through committee on a unanimous vote and will be heard on the Senate floor very soon.
Week 3 Highlights
Driver License Changes
This week we considered legislation that would make changes to the driver license requirements for new drivers. H.B. 18 Driver Education Amendments, would extend the term of a learner permit from one year to 18 months, meaning the permit would not expire until the 18-month mark. This change would not prevent youth from getting their license upon turning 16. In addition, this bill would remove the required 6 observation hours for 15-17 year olds as they have already been observing driving their entire lives. This bill passed with unanimous support in the Senate.
To listen to the bill presentation on the Senate floor, click here.
Utah State Flag
Some people believe Utah’s current flag falls short when it comes to representing the state in a simple and purposeful way. S.B. 48, State Flag Task Force creates a State Flag Taskforce to assess whether a new state flag should be created. Additionally, it allows for the creation and use of a 125th Anniversary commemorative flag to help as we celebrate 125 years of statehood. The commemorative flag included in this bill was actually designed by a few constituents in my district. An iconic state flag can be a great rallying point and marketing tool. S.B. 48 passed in the Senate and will now be considered in the House.
To listen to the bill presentation on the Senate floor, click here.
Holocaust Education
Many of us learned about the Holocaust during our K-12 years; however, over time it seems this important, historic lesson is being increasing left out of our children’s education. S.C.R. 1 Concurrent Resolution on Holocaust Education, highlights the importance of Holocaust and genocide education for students, schools and communities and encourage the State Board of Education and local education agencies to provide Holocaust and genocide education. This bill passed with unanimous support in the Senate and will now be considered by the House.
You can watch the bill presentation on the Senate floor, here.
Deceased Voters
Although Utah works hard to have accurate and secure elections, ballots occasionally are mailed to deceased voters. H.B. 12 Deceased Voter Amendments, creates a more uniform process to rectify this issue. When a Utahn passes away, the bill requires that the death certificate be sent from the state registrar to the Lieutenant Governor’s office within five business days of the certificate’s registration. The certificate will then be sent to the County Clerk’s office where the deceased name will be removed from the voter rolls. Before each election cycle, the Lieutenant Governor’s office will also cross-check each name against United States Social Security Administration data. H.B. 12 passed the Senate and House and will be sent to the governor.
To listen to the bill presentation on the Senate floor, click here.
Law Enforcement Weapons Amendments
Equipping our law enforcement officers with the latest resources to address incidents is critical to protecting the public. S.B. 68 Law Enforcement Weapons Amendments, would create a fund that will allow law enforcement agencies to purchase technology that assists in investigating officer involved critical incidents where shots were fired. This tamper-proof technology will allow firearms to record the number of shots fired and when they were fired. This simple modification will improve the effectiveness of police investigations where firearms were used. This bill passed in the Senate and will now be considered in the House. Listen to the bill’s presentation on the Senate floor here.
Recognizing COVID-19 Efforts
The last year has been hard on everyone as we’ve learned to live life during a pandemic. Many have been sick or lost loved ones. Thousands lost jobs and some lost businesses. Students, teachers and families had to adapt to a new style of teaching. During this challenging time, many individuals in our state and local health departments worked tirelessly to produce, publish and promote accurate information to help us navigate this pandemic. This week, the Senate passed H.C.R. 6 Concurrent Resolution Recognizing COVID-19 Efforts, to recognize and express our appreciation for these individuals. You can watch the bill presentation on the Senate floor 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
