MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND

WORKFORCE SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 25 House Building

February 11, 2015

Members Present:                Rep. Becky Edwards, Chair

                                                Rep. John Westwood, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Bruce Cutler

                                                Rep. Sophia DiCaro

                                                Rep. Timothy Hawkes

                                                Rep. Bradley G. Last

                                                Rep. Curt Oda

                                                Rep. Angela Romero

                                                Rep. Scott Sandall

                                                Rep. Robert Spendlove

                                                Rep. Mark Wheatley

Members Absent:                 Rep. Brad R. Wilson

Staff Present:                        Ben Christensen, Policy Analyst

                                                Rosemary Young, Committee Secretary

Note:      A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Chair Edwards called the meeting to order at 3:52 p.m.

MOTION:     Rep. Cutler moved to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2015 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. DiCaro, Rep. Hawkes, Rep. Oda, and Rep. Romero absent for the vote.

H.B. 232         Veteran Employment Protection Act (Rep. M. McKell)

Rep. McKell explained the bill to the committee and distributed a handout.

Spoke for the bill:       Dave Davis                 Utah Food Industry Association

                                                                        Utah Retail Merchants Association

                                    Todd Bingham           Utah Manufacturers Association

MOTION:     Rep. Last moved to amend the bill as follows: 

1.    Page 2, Lines 54 through 56:   

54   (4) A private employer's veterans employment preference policy shall be publicly

55posted by the employer at the place of employment {  and  }  or  on the Internet if the employer has a

56website or uses the Internet to advertise employment opportunities.

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. DiCaro, Rep. Hawkes, and Rep. Oda absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Cutler moved to pass out favorably H.B. 232. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. DiCaro and Rep. Hawkes absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Westwood assumed the chair.

1st Sub. H.B. 65        Workforce Services Amendments (Rep. R. Edwards)

Rep. Edwards explained the bill assisted by Kathy Bounous, Director, Department of Workforce Services.

Spoke for the bill:       Dave Davis     Utah Food Industry Association

                                                           Utah Retail Merchants Association

MOTION:     Rep. Oda moved to replace 1st Sub. H.B. 65 with 2nd Sub. H.B. 65. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Sandall moved to pass out favorably 2nd Sub. H.B. 65. The motion passed unanimously.

Chair Edwards resumed the chair.

H.B. 216         Workplace Abusive Conduct Amendments (Rep. K. Stratton)

Rep. Stratton explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:       Lauren Scholnick       Utah Association for Justice

                                   Denise Halverson       Utah Healthy Workplace Association

                                   Patricia Barrios           citizen

                                   Teresa Johnson           citizen

                                   Jonathan Thorne         labor employment attorney

                                   Kory Holdaway          Utah Public Employees Association

                                   Travis Ackermann      Utah Healthy Workplace Assocation

                                   Carrie Blackburn        citizen

                                   Steve Jackson             citizen

Spoke against the bill: Debbie Cragun           Department of Human Resource Management

                                    Kathy Bounous           Department of Workforce Services

                                    Francine Giani            Department of Commerce 

                                    Tani Downing            Risk Management

                                    Bob Thompson           Labor Relations, DHRM

                                    Brian Nelson              Risk Management

                                    Carlos Braceras          Utah Department of Transportation

MOTION:     Rep. Cutler moved to replace H.B. 216 with 1st Substitute H.B. 216. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Spendlove moved to amend 1st Sub. H.B. 216 as follows:

1.    Page 3, Lines 72 through 73:   

72   (b) create a private right of action; {  or  }

73   (c) expand or diminish rights or remedies available to a person before May 12, 2015 {  .  }  ; or

(d) expand or diminish grounds for discipline that did not exist before May 12, 2015. 

2.    Page 3, Lines 74 through 77:   

74   (7) The department shall report to the Economic Development and Workforce Services

75Interim Committee by no later than the November 2015 interim meeting regarding  :

(a)  the

76implementation of this section {   and provide  }  ;

(b)  recommendations, if any, to appropriately address

77and reduce workplace abusive conduct {  .   }  or to change definitions or training required by this section; and 

 (c) if the department finds a change in a definition or training is needed, the department's efforts to work with stakeholders to make recommendations for the change. 

The motion passed with Rep. Sandall voting in opposition and Rep. Hawkes absent for the vote.

Utah Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission - 10 Year Plan - Update

This item was not heard.

MOTION:     Rep. Cutler moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes absent for the vote.

Chair Edwards adjourned the meeting at 5:42 p.m.

Rep. Becky Edwards, Chair