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H.B. 175

             1     

PROCESS FOR FILLING MIDTERM
             2      VACANCIES IN THE LEGISLATURE
             3      2004 GENERAL SESSION
             4      STATE OF UTAH
             5      Sponsor: Wayne A. Harper
             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions of the Election Code concerning filling midterm vacancies
             10      in the Legislature.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    directs that midterm vacancies in the Legislature be filled by the speaker of the
             14      House, for House vacancies, or the president of the Senate, for Senate vacancies,
             15      rather than the governor.
             16      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             17          None
             18      Other Special Clauses:
             19          None
             20      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             21      AMENDS:
             22          20A-1-503, as last amended by Chapter 377, Laws of Utah 1998
             23     
             24      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             25          Section 1. Section 20A-1-503 is amended to read:
             26           20A-1-503. Midterm vacancies in the Legislature.
             27          (1) As used in this section, "central committee" means:

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             28          (a) the state central committee, when the legislative district encompasses more than
             29      one county; and
             30          (b) the county central committee, when the legislative district is entirely within one
             31      county.
             32          (2) When a vacancy occurs for any reason in the office of representative in the
             33      Legislature, the [governor] speaker of the House of Representatives shall fill the vacancy by:
             34          (a) appointing the person who meets the qualifications for the office whose name was
             35      submitted by the central committee of the same political party of the prior officeholder if the
             36      process used to nominate the replacement was the standard process used by that political party
             37      to select a candidate without a primary election;
             38          (b) appointing a person who meets the qualifications for the office from two persons
             39      whose names were submitted by the central committee of the same political party of the prior
             40      officeholder if the process used to nominate those persons was the standard process used by
             41      that political party to select candidates for the primary election ballot; or
             42          (c) appointing a person who meets the qualifications for the office from three persons
             43      nominated by the central committee of the same political party as the prior officeholder.
             44          (3) (a) When a vacancy occurs for any reason in the office of senator in the Legislature,
             45      it shall be filled for the unexpired term at the next regular general election.
             46          (b) The [governor] president of the Senate shall fill the vacancy until the next regular
             47      general election by:
             48          (i) appointing the person who meets the qualifications for the office whose name was
             49      submitted by the central committee of the same political party of the prior officeholder if the
             50      process used to select that person was the standard process used by that political party to
             51      nominate the replacement without a primary election;
             52          (ii) appointing a person who meets the qualifications for the office from two persons
             53      whose names were submitted by the central committee of the same political party of the prior
             54      officeholder if the process used to nominate those persons was the standard process used by
             55      that political party to select candidates for the primary election ballot; or
             56          (iii) appointing a person who meets the qualifications for the office from three persons
             57      nominated by the central committee of the same political party as the prior officeholder.

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Legislative Review Note
    as of 5-30-03 7:24 AM

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