H.B. 219

1

TASK FORCE ON FAMILY CONFLICT
2 RESOLUTION
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: A. Lamont Tyler
6 This act creates the Task Force on Family Conflict Resolution. The task force shall be
7 composed of up to 16 members and study those issues that have an impact on families,
8 causing conflicts which may lead to the dissolution of the family. The task force will
9 investigate ways to minimize conflict within the family, make an interim report by December
10 2001, and a final report of its findings, with any recommendations, to the Health and Human
11 Services, Judiciary, or Education Interim Committees by November 30, 2002. This act
12 appropriates $32,000 in fiscal year 2000-01 and $32,000 in fiscal year 2001-02 to the House
13 of Representatives, Senate, and the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to
14 cover expenses relating to the task force. This act is repealed on December 1, 2002.
15 This act enacts uncodified material.
16 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
17 Section 1. Task Force on Family Conflict Resolution -- Creation -- Membership --
18 Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff.
19 (1) (a) There is created the Task Force on Family Conflict Resolution consisting of up to
20 16 members:
21 (i) two members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than one
22 of whom may be from the same political party;
23 (ii) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
24 of Representatives, no more than one of whom may be from the same political party;
25 (iii) two nonlegislative members of the Judicial Council's Standing Committee on Children
26 and Family Law;
27 (iv) a current or past chair of the Utah State Bar Family Law Section appointed jointly by

28 the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives;
29 (v) the director of the Office of Guardian ad Litem or his designee;
30 (vi) a trained professional in the field of family mediation processes and impacts of divorce
31 on children jointly appointed by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
32 Representatives;
33 (vii) a curriculum specialist from the State Office of Education appointed by the state
34 superintendent of education;
35 (viii) the director of the Division of Child and Family Services or his designee;
36 (ix) two parents - one married and one single - with a demonstrated interest in public
37 policy affecting children and families, to be selected by the remaining members of the task force
38 not later than the second meeting of the task force;
39 (x) the director or his designee of a child and family advocacy organization jointly
40 appointed by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives; and
41 (xi) one member from the religious community jointly appointed by the president of the
42 Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives.
43 (b) By majority vote, the task force may designate up to three additional members from
44 the general public with expertise in areas the task force considers beneficial to its area of study.
45 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
46 Subsection (1)(a)(i) as a cochair of the task force.
47 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
48 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(a)(ii) as a cochair of the task force.
49 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum. The action of a
50 majority of a quorum at a meeting constitutes the action of the task force.
51 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall be
52 paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
53 (b) Members of the task force who are not legislators may not receive compensation for
54 their work associated with the task force, but may receive per diem and expenses incurred as a
55 member of the task force at the rates established by the Division of Finance under Sections
56 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
57 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
58 the task force.

59 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
60 (1) With the awareness that parents and their children are most likely to achieve their full
61 potential in their own stable, loving family, that intense, unresolved emotional conflict in domestic
62 relations is destructive to children and their families, and that out-of-court conflict resolution
63 processes can prevent or resolve family conflict both before formal court processes are invoked
64 and after children and families have left the court system, the task force shall review and make
65 recommendations on the following issues:
66 (a) the availability of support services, whether from private or public sources, for Utah
67 families involved in divorce or related family conflicts, including education about options other
68 than divorce, counseling, financial management, parenting skills, nonadversarial dispute
69 resolution, postdivorce counseling for families, and legal services related to conflict resolution;
70 (b) the status of all Utah statutes, programs, and policies that either alleviate or accentuate
71 the negative impact of divorce or conflict on children, along with recommendations for
72 diminishing negative influences, reinforcing positive influences, and implementing new programs
73 to minimize the adverse effect of divorce or conflict on children;
74 (c) whether through private or public sources, the statewide availability and quality of
75 education for children, premarital couples, and parents about financial management, child
76 development, parenting skills, healthy relationships, and peaceful conflict resolution and the costs
77 of providing such education where it is not available;
78 (d) the legitimate role of state government with respect to the education described in
79 Subsection (1)(c) and the resolution of conflict within families, including a survey of any
80 successful efforts by other states in these areas;
81 (e) potential nonpublic funding sources for educational and counseling programs;
82 (f) methods of coordinating various organizations working on conflict resolution and
83 education for families, and of providing simple, readily accessible public information about
84 resources and services through a variety of information sources and outlets; and
85 (g) other issues related to family conflict resolution.
86 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Health and
87 Human Services Interim Committee, the Judiciary Interim Committee, or the Education Interim
88 Committee before November 30, 2001.
89 Section 3. Appropriation.

90 (1) There is appropriated from Revenue Transfers-Workforce Services for fiscal year
91 2000-01:
92 (a) $3,000 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
93 force;
94 (b) $3,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
95 representatives on the task force; and
96 (c) $26,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
97 the task force.
98 (2) There is appropriated from Revenue Transfers-Workforce Services for fiscal year
99 2001-02:
100 (a) $3,000 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
101 force;
102 (b) $3,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
103 representatives on the task force; and
104 (c) $26,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
105 the task force.
106 (3) These funds shall be nonlapsing.
107 Section 4. Repeal date.
108 This act is repealed December 1, 2002.




Legislative Review Note
as of 11-13-00 12:50 PM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel