MINUTES OF THE
SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS STANDING COMMITTEE
Thursday, February 24, 2022 • 4:00 p.m. • 220 Senate Building


Members Present:
Sen. Daniel W. Thatcher, Chair
Sen. David G. Buxton
Sen. David P. Hinkins
Sen. Jani Iwamoto
Sen. John D. Johnson
Sen. Evan J. Vickers
Members Absent:
President J. Stuart Adams

Staff Present:
Sarah Flanigan, Policy Analyst
Nancy Skidmore, Committee Secretary

Note: A copy of related materials and an audio recording of the meeting can be found at www.le.utah.gov.
Chair Thatcher called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
1.1st Sub. H.B. 289 Insurance Coverage for Emergency Medical Service Personnel (Johnson, D.N.)
Rep. Johnson presented the bill.
Heather Anderson, Government Affairs Director, Utah Association of Special Districts, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION:Sen. Buxton moved to pass 1st Substitute H.B. 289 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 4-0-3.
Yeas - 4Nays- 0Abs- 3
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. J. Adams
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. E. Vickers
2.S.B. 220 Missing Child Identification Program (Cullimore, K. A.)
Sen. Cullimore distributed a handout.
National Child Identification Program
Sen. Cullimore presented the bill with the assistance of Ciara Gregovich, Director, Utah Opioid Task Force, Office of the Attorney General's Office.
MOTION:Sen. Johnson moved to replace S.B. 220 with 1st Substitute S.B. 220.The motion passed with a vote of 5-0-2.
Yeas - 5Nays- 0Abs- 2
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. J. Adams
Sen. E. Vickers
MOTION:Sen. Johnson moved to pass 1st Substitute S.B. 220 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 5-0-2.
Yeas - 5Nays- 0Abs- 2
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. J. Adams
Sen. E. Vickers
3.1st Sub. H.B. 264 Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Amendments (Welton, D.)
Rep. Welton presented the bill.
Sen. Bramble spoke in favor of the bill.
Adam Beidoun, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Steve Christiansen, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Stan Lockhart, Director, Utah Ranked Choice Voting, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION:Sen. Buxton moved to pass 1st Substitute H.B. 264 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 4-1-2.
Yeas - 4Nays- 1Abs- 2
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. J. Adams
Sen. E. Vickers
4.2nd Sub. H.B. 313 Election Security Amendments (Hawkins, J.)
Rep. Hawkins presented the bill with the assistance of Ryan Cowley. Director of Elections, Lieutenant Governor's Office, Ricky Hatch, Clerk/Auditor, Weber County, Chair, Utah Clerks Legislative Committee and Deidre Henderson, Utah Lieutenant Governor.
MOTION:Sen. Vickers moved to amend 2nd Substitute H.B. 313 with Amendment #1.The motion passed with a vote of 5-1-1.
Amendment 1
2nd Sub. H.B. 313
1 .        Page 1, Lines 17 through 18 :  Page 1, Lines 17 through 18
17                 { ▸         requires video surveillance of unattended ballot drop boxes and institutes other
18         requirements and security measures for ballot drop boxes; }

2 .        Page 2, Lines 37 through 41 :  Page 2, Lines 37 through 41
37         Money Appropriated in this Bill:
38                 { This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2023:
39         ▸ - -                 to the Governor's Office Governor's Office Lt. Governor's Office as a one-time
40         appropriation:
41         •                         from the General Fund, One-time, $500,000. } None.

3 .        Page 13, Lines 367 through 376 :  Page 13, Lines 367 through 376
367                 (1) An election officer:
368                 (a) shall designate at least one ballot drop box in each municipality and reservation
369         located in the jurisdiction to which the election relates;
370                 [(a)] (b) may designate additional ballot drop boxes for the election officer's
371         jurisdiction; { [ } and { ] }
372                 [(b)] (c) shall clearly mark each ballot drop box as an official ballot drop box for the
373         election officer's jurisdiction { [ } . { ] } { ; }
374                 { (d) shall provide 24-hour video surveillance of each unattended ballot drop box; and
375                   (e) shall post a sign on or near each unattended ballot drop box indicating that the
376         ballot drop box is under 24-hour video surveillance. }

4 .        Page 17, Lines 503 through 520 :  Page 17, Lines 503 through 520
503                 { Section 15. Appropriation.
504                   The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
505         2022, and ending June 30, 2023. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
506         fiscal year 2023. Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures
507         Act, the Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts
508         indicated for the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
509         ITEM 1
510                   To Governor's Office -- Governor's Office
511                           From General Fund, One-time$500,000
512                           Schedule of Programs:
513                                                                           Lt. Governor's Office $500,000
514                   The Legislature intends that:
515                   (1) appropriations provided under this section be distributed, in a manner determined
516         by the lieutenant governor, to assist counties and municipalities to obtain video surveillance
517         equipment to comply with Subsection 20A-5-403.5(1); and
518                   (2) under Section 63J-1-603, appropriations provided under this section not lapse at the
519         close of fiscal year 2023 and the use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to the purpose
520         described in Subsection (1). }

Yeas - 5Nays- 1Abs- 1
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. E. Vickers
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. J. Adams
Delaine England, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Janet Haskell, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
David Beknera, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Heather Anderson, Government Affairs Director, Utah Association of Special Districts, spoke in favor of the bill.
Adam Beidoun, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Steve Christiansen, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Tina Horlocker, Citizen, spoke in opposition of the bill.
Mike Tyler, Citizen, spoke in opposition to the bill.
MOTION:Sen. Hinkins moved to pass 2nd Substitute H.B. 313 out favorably.The motion passed with a vote of 6-0-1.
Yeas - 6Nays- 0Abs- 1
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. E. Vickers
Sen. J. Adams
MOTION:Sen. Hinkins moved to approve the minutes of the February 23, 2022 meeting,The motion passed with a vote of 6-0-1.
Yeas - 6Nays- 0Abs- 1
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. E. Vickers
Sen. J. Adams
MOTION:Sen. Vickers moved to adjourn.The motion passed with a vote of 6-0-1.
Yeas - 6Nays- 0Abs- 1
Sen. D. Buxton
Sen. D. Hinkins
Sen. J. Iwamoto
Sen. J. Johnson
Sen. D. Thatcher
Sen. E. Vickers
Sen. J. Adams
Chair Thatcher adjourned the meeting at 5:29 p.m.