H.B. 178

1

TASK FORCE ON WHISTLEBLOWER
2 PROTECTIONS
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Afton B. Bradshaw
6 AN ACT RELATING TO THE CREATION OF THE TASK FORCE ON WHISTLEBLOWER
7 PROTECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP; DELINEATING RESPONSIBILITIES
8 AND PROCEDURES; PROVIDING A REPORTING DATE; APPROPRIATING $20,000
9 FROM THE GENERAL FUND; AND PROVIDING A REPEAL DATE.
10 This act enacts uncodified material.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Task Force on Whistleblower Protections -- Creation -- Membership --
13 Quorum -- Staff.
14 (1) There is created the Task Force on Whistleblower Protections consisting of the
15 following h [ nine ] TEN h members:
16 (a) two members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than one
17 of whom may be from the same political party;
18 (b) three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
19 of Representatives, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party;
20 (c) the state auditor or the state auditor's designee; and
21 (d) the following members jointly appointed by the president of the Senate and the speaker
22 of the House of Representatives:
23 (i) one representative of private employers;
24 (ii) one representative of public employees; h [ and ] h
25 (iii) one representative of private employees h [ . ] ; AND
25a (iv) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS. h
26 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
27 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.

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1 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
2 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
3 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum. The action of a
4 majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
5 (4) (a) Compensation and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators
6 shall be paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
7 (b) Members of the task force who are not legislators may not receive compensation for
8 their work associated with the task force.
9 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
10 to the task force.
11 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
12 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
13 (a) should the Legislature provide statutory protections for a private employee who
14 discloses bad acts by the employee's employer or others;
15 (b) if statutory protections for a private employee are established, should the protections
16 be integrated into Title 67, Chapter h [ 27 ] 21 h , Utah Protection of Public Employees Act, or
16a established
17 in a separate act for private employees;
18 (c) should Title 67, Chapter h [ 27 ] 21 h , be repealed or modified;
19 (d) should the responsibilities of the state auditor under Title 67, Chapter h [ 27 ] h h 21 h , be
19a repealed
20 or modified;
21 (e) what the nature of legislation protecting either private or public employees should
22 include; and
23 (f) any other issue relevant to whistleblower laws.
24 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation, shall be presented to the Business,
25 Labor, and Economic Development Interim Committee before November 30, 1998.
26 Section 3. Appropriation.
27 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 1997-98:
28 (1) $2,000 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of the senators on the
29 task force;
30 (2) $3,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
31 the members of the House of Representatives on the task force; and

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1 (3) $15,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
2 the task force.
3 Section 4. Repeal date.
4 This act is repealed November 30, 1998.




Legislative Review Note
as of 11-10-97 3:15 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

Committee Note

The Business, Labor, and Economic Development Interim Committee recommended this bill.

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