H.B. 75 Enrolled

BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR BAR APPLICANTS
2000 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Sponsor: Patrice M. Arent
Greg J. Curtis
David L. Gladwell
Gerry A. Adair
John E. Swallow
John W. Hickman
Blake D. Chard
Jeff Alexander
Katherine M. Bryson
Ralph Becker
Brad King

AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIAL CODE; PROVIDING AUTHORIZATION FOR THE
UTAH STATE BAR TO COLLECT FINGERPRINTS FROM APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION
TO THE UTAH STATE BAR FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING A NATIONAL
CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECK; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
ENACTS:
78-51-45, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 78-51-45 is enacted to read:
78-51-45. Criminal history background checks.
(1) The Utah State Bar shall require each person applying for admission to the Utah State
Bar to submit a complete set of fingerprints for the purpose of conducting a national criminal
history background check.
(2) Fingerprints of applicants for admission to the Utah State Bar shall be submitted to the
Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Identification to be used to conduct a criminal
history background check and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain a national criminal
history background check.
(3) The criminal history background information obtained from the Department of Public
Safety and the national criminal history background information obtained from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation pursuant to this section may be used by the Utah State Bar to determine an
applicant's character, fitness, and suitability for admission to the Utah State Bar.
Section 2. Effective date.

If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this act takes effect upon
approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution
Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto
override.

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