MINUTES OF THE

SENATE BUSINESS AND LABOR STANDING COMMITTEE

215 Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

                                                                 February 23, 2016

 

 

Members Present:     Sen. Gene Davis

                                    Sen. Deidre M. Henderson

                                    Sen. Karen Mayne

                                    Sen. Todd Weiler

 

Members Excused:    Sen. Curtis S. Bramble, Chair

                                    Sen. J. Stuart Adams

                                    Sen. Ralph Okerlund

 

Staff Present:             Mr. Joseph T. Wade, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Karen Allred, Committee Secretary

 

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

 

Sen. Weiler, Acting Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:04 a.m.  He announced that 3rd Sub. S.B. 58, Nurse Practitioner Amendments, will not be heard today.

 

S.B.   185     Labor Remedy Amendments (J. Iwamoto)

 

Sen. Iwamoto explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Henderson moved to adopt the following amendment:

1.                  Page 11, Lines 312 through 321:       


                                312        (iv)  costs  {[}  .  {]}    {; and} 

                                313          {(c)}    (10)    {  except as provided in Subsection (10), if the}    If a   discriminatory practice  described in Subsection (9)   includes

                                314 discrimination in matters of compensation,  the presiding officer may   provide, to the complaining party, in addition to the

                                315 amount available to the complaining party under Subsection (9)(b), an additional amount equal

                                316 to the amount of back pay available to the complaining party under Subsection (9)(b)(ii)  {.} 

                                317          {(10)  The presiding officer shall award additional damages under Subsection (9)(c)} 

                                318 unless a respondent shows that:

                                319        (a)  the act or omission that gave rise to the order was in good faith; and

                                320        (b)  the respondent had reasonable grounds to believe that the act or omission was not

                                321 discrimination in matters of compensation under this chapter.

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Davis absent for the vote.

 

Spoke for the bill:       Kass Harstad, Attorney

                                    Jean Hill, Catholic Diocese

 

 

MOTION:   Sen. Henderson moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended.  The motion

                     passed unanimously.

 

H.B.  118  1st Sub.   Public Access of Administrative Action Amendments (Rep. B. Greene)

 

Rep. Greene explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:    Francine Giani, Utah Department of Commerce

                                 Todd Kiser, Utah Insurance Department

 

MOTION:  Sen. Mayne moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion passed

                      unanimously.

 

Sen. Henderson assumed the Committee Chair.

 

S.B.   178      Economic Development Revisions (C. Bramble)

 

Sen. Weiler explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:    Theresa Foxley, Governor’s Office of Economic Development

                                  Richard Nelson, President and CEO, Utah Technology Council

 

MOTION:   Sen. Mayne moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously. 

 

MOTION:   Sen. Mayne moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion passed

                      unanimously.

 

H.B.   113    Health Care Sharing Ministry Amendments (M. Kennedy)

 

Rep. Kennedy explained the bill to the committee assisted by Sen. Weiler.

 

Spoke to the bill:         Todd Kiser, Insurance Commissioner

 

Spoke for the bill:        Michael Sharman, Liberty Health Share

                                     Luke Miller, Mennonite Pastor, Health Care Ministry

                                     Thomas Butler, Health Care Sharing Ministry

                                     Conner Boyack, President, Libertas Institute

 

Spoke against the bill:  Dr. Howard Russell, Health Care Ministry

                                      Joel Noble, Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries

                                      Keith Hopkinson, Christian Health Care Ministry

                                      Kelly Atkinson, Executive Director, Health Insurance Association

                                      Chu Soh, Christian Health Care Ministry

                                      Denise Bryce, Samaritan Ministries

                                      Bud Lethbridge          

                                      Chuck Berckel, Baptist Pastor

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved to table the bill. 

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Sen. Weiler moved to go to the next item on the agenda. The

motion failed with Sen. Henderson and Sen. Weiler voting in favor and Sen. Davis and Sen. Mayne voting in opposition.

 

The original motion to table the bill passed with Sen. Davis, Sen. Henderson, and Sen. Mayne voting in favor and Sen. Weiler voting in opposition.

 

S.B.   186     Air Quality Incentives (C. Bramble)

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to adopt 1st Sub. S.B. 186.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Weiler explained the bill to the committee assisted by Teresa Foxley, Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

 

Spoke for the bill:    Jeff Edwards, Economic Corporation of Utah

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion was

                     withdrawn.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Weiler moved to adjourn.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Henderson adjourned the meeting at 9:58 a.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Todd Weiler, Acting Chair