MINUTES OF THE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 • 4:00 p.m. • 2110 State Office Building


Members Present:
Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, Chair
Rep. Nelson T. Abbott
Rep. Cheryl K. Acton
Rep. Kera Birkeland
Rep. Brady Brammer
Rep. Brian S. King
Rep. Stephanie Pitcher
Rep. Travis M. Seegmiller
Rep. V. Lowry Snow
Rep. Mark A. Wheatley

Members Absent:
Rep. Jon Hawkins, Vice Chair
Rep. Craig Hall

Staff Present:
Kristina King, Policy Analyst
Jordan Gage, Committee Secretary

Note: A copy of related materials and an audio recording of the meeting can be found at www.le.utah.gov.

Acting Chair Brammer called the meeting to order at 4:20 p.m.
1. H.B. 200 Firearm Safe Harbor Amendments (Maloy, A.C.)
Rep. Maloy presented the bill.
Rep. Lisonbee assumed the chair.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
Ed Rutan, Gun Violence Prevention Center, spoke to the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Brammer moved to pass H.B. 200 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 7-0-5.
Yeas - 7Nays-0Abs-5
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. B. King
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. T. Seegmiller
2. H.B. 258 Firearm Safety in Schools (Shipp, R.P.)
Rep. Shipp presented the bill.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
Clark Aposhian, Chair, Utah Shooting Sports Council, spoke in favor of the bill.
Sara Jones, Utah Education Association, spoke against the bill.
Nicholeen Peck, private citizen, spoke in favor of the bill.
Barbara Gentry, Gun Violence Prevention Center, spoke against the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Brammer moved to replace H.B. 258 with 2nd Substitute H.B. 258. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
MOTION: Rep. Brammer moved to pass 2nd Substitute H.B. 258 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 6-3-3.
Yeas - 6Nays-3Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. B. King
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
MOTION: Rep. Acton moved to approve the minutes from the February 12, 2021, meeting. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
3. H.B. 267 Voluntary Lethal Means Restrictions Amendments (Eliason, S.)
Rep. Eliason presented the bill with the assistance of Fredrick Vars, private citizen, and Morissa Henn, Community Health Director, Intermountain Healthcare.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
Clark Aposhian, Chair, Utah Shooting Sports Counsel, spoke in favor of the bill.
Ed Rutan, Gun Violence Prevention Center, spoke to the bill.
Karina Nathan, private citizen, spoke in favor of the bill.
Taryn Hiatt, Area Director, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Acton moved to pass H.B. 267 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
4. H.B. 316 Common Law Marriage Amendments (Teuscher, J.)
Rep. Teuscher presented the bill with the assistance of Danielle Hawkes, Family Law Section, Utah Bar.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Abbott moved to pass H.B. 316 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
5. H.J.R. 10 Joint Resolution Approving Settlement Agreement (Gibson, F.)
Rep. Gibson presented the bill with the assistance of Brian Nelson, Utah Division of Risk Management.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Brammer moved to pass H.J.R. 10 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. T. Seegmiller
6. H.J.R. 7 Joint Resolution Amending Rules of Criminal Procedure on Preliminary Examinations (Watkins, C.)
Rep. Brammer assumed the chair.
Rep. Watkins presented the bill with the assistance of Rep. Lisonbee.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
William Carlson, Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, spoke against the bill.
Michael Drechsel, Assistant State Court Administrator, Legislative Liaison Utah Courts, spoke to the bill.
Jeff Buhman, Executive Director, Statewide Association of Prosecutors and Public Attorneys, spoke to the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Pitcher moved to go to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-3
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. T. Seegmiller
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. M. Wheatley
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. Lisonbee assumed the chair.
7. S.B. 76 Controlled Substance Database Access (Weiler, T.)
Sen. Weiler presented the bill.
Committee discussion took place on the bill.
Kaye Lynn Wootton, Assistant Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Utah Attorney General's Office, spoke to the bill.
Rep. King moved to pass S.B. 76 out favorably.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Rep. Snow moved to go to the next item on the agenda. The substitute motion passed with a vote of 8-0-4.
Yeas - 8Nays-0Abs-4
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. T. Seegmiller
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. M. Wheatley
MOTION: Rep. Acton moved to adjourn. The motion passed with a vote of 8-0-4.
Yeas - 8Nays-0Abs-4
Rep. N. Abbott
Rep. C. Acton
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. B. King
Rep. K. Lisonbee
Rep. S. Pitcher
Rep. T. Seegmiller
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. B. Brammer
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. J. Hawkins
Rep. M. Wheatley
Chair Lisonbee adjourned the meeting at 6:33 p.m.