| Members Present: Sen. Todd Weiler, Chair Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, Chair Sen. Heidi Balderree Sen. Brady Brammer Sen. Luz Escamilla Rep. Nelson T. Abbott Rep. Cheryl K. Acton Rep. Tiara Auxier Rep. Tyler Clancy Rep. Stephanie Gricius Rep. Anthony E. Loubet | Rep. A. Cory Maloy Rep. Verona Mauga Rep. Grant Amjad Miller Rep. Jason E. Thompson Members Absent: Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore Staff Present: Jonathan Adams, Policy Analyst Jacqueline Carlton, Senior Associate General Counsel Paige Nelson, Associate General Counsel Naomi Garrow, Administrative Assistant |
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Note: A copy of related materials and an audio recording of the meeting can be found at www.le.utah.gov.
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| Chair Lisonbee called the meeting to order at 1:42 p.m. |
| 1.Committee Business |
| Chair Lisonbee notified the committee of the committee bill file, Child Protection Ombudsman Amendments, that was opened. |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to approve the minutes of the October 15, 2025, meeting.The motion passed with a vote of 12-0-4. | |||
| Yeas - 12 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 4 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Rep. T. Auxier Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. S. Gricius Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. A. Loubet |
| 2.Draft Legislation: "Adoption Amendments" |
| 2 - "Adoption Amendments" Bill Version Comparison (Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel) |
| 2 - Draft Legislation "Adoption Amendments" (V023) (Drafter: K. Orton) |
| 2 - Adoption Amendments Powerpoint (Rep. Hall) |
| Rep. Hall presented and answered questions from the committee. |
| Kami Orton, Associate General Counsel, Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, helped to answer committee questions. |
| Jonathan Adams, Policy Analyst, OLRGC, answered questions. |
| Chair Lisonbee opened public comment. |
| Matt Holton, Stokes Strategies, provided comment in support of the draft legislation. |
| Tara Romney Barber, Utah Adoption Council, provided comment in support of the draft legislation. |
| Chair Lisonbee closed public comment. |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Adoption Amendments" as a committee bill. |
| Discussion to the motion. |
| Rep. Hall provided summation. |
| Sen. Weiler's motion to favorably recommend draft legislation "Adoption Amendments" as a committee bill.passed with a vote 13-2-1. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 2 | Abs- 1 | |
| Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. S. Gricius Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. N. Abbott Rep. T. Auxier | Sen. K. Cullimore |
| 3.Draft Legislation: "Tribal Endorsement of Utah Driver License Amendments" |
| 3 - Draft Legislation "Tribal Endorsement of Utah Driver License Amendments" (V07) (Drafter: K. Gasser) |
| 3 - Tribal Endorsement Brief (Rep. Clancy) |
| Rep. Clancy and Shaandiin Parrish, Member of the 23rd Nation Navajo Nation Tribal Council, presented and answered questions from the committee. |
| MOTION:Rep. Miller moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Tribal Endorsement of Utah Driver License Amendments" as a committee bill.The motion passed with a vote of 12-0-4. | |||
| Yeas - 12 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 4 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius Rep. J. Thompson |
| 4.Draft Legislation: "Amendments to Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program" |
| 4 - Draft Legislation "Amendments to Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program" (V04) (Drafter: K. Orton) |
| Sen. Harper presented. |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Amendments to Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program" as a committee bill.The motion passed with a vote of 12-0-4. | |||
| Yeas - 12 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 4 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Rep. T. Clancy Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| 5.Draft Legislation: "Criminal and Juvenile Justice Changes" |
| 5 - Draft Legislation "Criminal and Juvenile Justice Changes" (V03) (Drafter: J. Carlton) |
| Sen. Weiler assumed the chair. |
| Rep. Lisonbee presented and answered questions from the committee. |
| Chair Weiler opened public comment. |
| Pam Vickrey, Executive Director, Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys, provided comment. |
| Sheriff Eric Houston, Garfield County Sheriff, provided comment. |
| Nate Mutter, Assistant Chief of Investigations, Attorney General's Office, provided comment. |
| Scott Burns, Executive Director, Utah Sheriffs' Association, provided comment. |
| Chair Weiler closed public comment. |
| Committee Discussion. |
| MOTION:Rep. Lisonbee moved to amend the definition of "recidivism" on lines 273 and 284 to "for an offense within 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years."The motion passed with a vote of 13-0-3. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| MOTION:Rep. Lisonbee moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Criminal and Juvenile Justice Changes" as amended as a committee bill.The motion passed with a vote of 12-1-3. | |||
| Yeas - 12 | Nays- 1 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. G. Miller | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| 6.Draft Legislation: "Child Protection Ombudsman Amendments" |
| 6 - Draft Legislation "Child Protection Ombudsman Amendments" (V05) (Drafter: P. Nelson) |
| Rep. Lisonbee presented and answered questions from the committee. |
| Donovan Bergstrom, Director, Customer Experience, Department of Health and Human Services, answered questions from the committee. |
| MOTION:Rep. Lisonbee moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Child Protection Ombudsman Amendments" as a committee bill.The motion passed with a vote of 13-0-3. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| Rep. Lisonbee resumed the chair. |
| 7.Draft Legislation: "Concurrent Resolution Authorizing Adult Sentencing and Supervision Length Guidelines and Juvenile Disposition Guidelines" |
| 7 - Draft Legislation "Concurrent Resolution Authorizing Adult Sentencing and Supervision Length Guidelines and Juvenile Disposition Guidelines" (V04) (Drafter: P. Nelson) |
| Paige Nelson, Associate General Counsel, OLRGC, presented. |
| Committee discussion. |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to favorably recommend draft legislation "Concurrent Resolution Authorizing Adult Sentencing and Supervision Length Guidelines and Juvenile Disposition Guidelines" as a committee resolution. |
| Discussion to the motion. |
| Sen. Weiler's motion to favorably recommend draft legislation "Concurrent Resolution Authorizing Adult Sentencing and Supervision Length Guidelines and Juvenile Disposition Guidelines" as a committee resolution.passed with a vote 13-0-3. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| 8.Draft Legislation: "Victim Rights Amendments" |
| 8 - Draft Legislation "Victim Rights Amendments" (V06) (Drafter: J. Carlton) |
| 8 - Victim Rights Amendments Handout (Rep. Mauga) |
| Rep. Mauga presented and answered questions from the committee. |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to favorably recommend "Victim Rights Amendments" as a committee bill.The motion passed with a vote of 13-0-3. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| 9.Other Items/Adjourn |
| MOTION:Sen. Weiler moved to adjourn.The motion passed with a vote of 13-0-3. | |||
| Yeas - 13 | Nays- 0 | Abs- 3 | |
| Rep. N. Abbott Rep. C. Acton Sen. H. Balderree Sen. B. Brammer Rep. T. Clancy Sen. L. Escamilla Rep. K. Lisonbee Rep. A. Loubet Rep. A. Maloy Rep. V. Mauga Rep. G. Miller Rep. J. Thompson Sen. T. Weiler | Rep. T. Auxier Sen. K. Cullimore Rep. S. Gricius |
| Chair Lisonbee adjourned the meeting at 3:34 p.m. |