Link to Zipped WordPerfect Minutes 8K bytes
Members Present: Rep. Michael T. Morley, Chair
Rep. David Clark, Vice Chair
Rep. Neil A. Hansen
Rep. Ann W. Hardy
Rep. Rebecca Lockhart
Rep. Karen W. Morgan
Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
Rep. LaWanna Shurtliff
Members Absent: Rep. Ron Bigelow
Staff Present: Mr. Benjamin N. Christensen, Policy Analyst
Mr. Dee S. Larsen, Associate General Counsel
Ms. Barbara Bryner, Committee Secretary
Note: A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes. Rep. Morley called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m.
MOTION: Rep. Shurtliff moved to approve the minutes of January 25, 2006. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Lockhart, Rep. Morgan and Rep. Clark absent for the vote.
1. H.B. 58 Additional State Retirement Benefit (Rep. L. Shurtliff)
Rep. Shurtliff explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Kent Abel, Director, Utah Retired School Employees Association.
The following people spoke for the bill:
Laura Polacheck, AARP
Courtney White, UEA
Rob Timmerman, Utah Public Employee Association
Max Peacock , Utah Retired School Employees Association
MOTION: Rep. Hansen moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
2. H.B. 215 PEHP Risk Pool Amendments (Rep. D. Clark)
MOTION: Rep. Clark moved to replace H.B. 215, PEHP Risk Pool Amendments (Rep. D. Clark) with1st Sub. H.B. 215, PEHP Risk Pool Amendments (Rep. D. Clark). The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
Rep. Clark explained the substitute bill to the committee.
Kelly Atkinson, Executive Director, Utah Health Association spoke to the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Lockhart moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
Rep. Morley relinquished the Chair to Rep. Clark.
3. H.B. 246 Health Care Cost and Quality Data (Rep. M. Morley)
Rep. Morley explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Linn Baker, Director, Public Employees Health Program.
Bob Huefner, Vice President,Utah Health Data Com. spoke for the bill.
Dave Guss, Utah Hospital Association and Kelly Atkinson, Executive Director, Utah Health Association, spoke to the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Lockhart moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
4. H.B. 327 Public Employer Benefit Plans (Rep. L. Christensen)
MOTION: Rep. Morley moved to adopt the following amendments proposed by Rep. Christensen:
1. Page 1, Lines 15 through 16 :
15 . allows a public employer to offer optional
{
supplemental
}
benefit plans
to cover
16 additional persons if the supplemental benefit:
2. Page 1, Lines 23 through 24 :
23 .
{
supplemental
}
benefit plans may not be established or offered through
an order or
24 action of a public employer's chief executive officer.
3. Page 2, Lines 43 through 45 :
43 (1) "Dependents" means an employee's or eligible retiree's:
44 (a) current spouse; and
45 (b) children, including stepchildren
{
and
}
,
legally adopted children
,
and children for whom the employee or eligible retiree is a legal guardian
.
4. Page 3, Lines 59 through 60 :
59 (2) A public employer may also offer optional
{
supplemental
}
employee
benefit plans that cover a
60 person not described under Subsection (1) if the benefit:
5. Page 3, Lines 70 through 72 :
70 (3)
{
Supplemental benefit
}
Employee benefit
plans that cover a person
not described under Subsection (1)
71 may not be established or offered through an order or action of a public employer's chief
72 executive officer.
The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Newbold and Rep. Hansen absent for the vote.
Rep. Christensen explained the amended bill to the committee.
Will Carlson, Public Employee, spoke against the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Morgan moved to hold the bill and place it at the top of the next agenda. The motion failed with Rep. Morgan, Rep. Shurtliff and Rep. Morley voting for the motion. Rep. Hardy, Rep. Lockhart, and Rep. Clark voting against the motion with Rep. Hansen and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Lockhart moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Shurtliff voting against the motion and Rep. Hansen, Rep. Morgan, and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
5. H.B. 346 State Employee Retirement Benefits Amendments (Rep. J. Dougall)
Rep. Dougall explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Michael Sullivan, Governor's Office, Economic Development.
MOTION: Rep. Hardy moved to adopt the following amendments:
1. Page 1, Line 27 through Page 2, Line 28 :
27 Other Special Clauses:
28
{
None
}
This bill provides an immediate effective date.
2. Page 5, Line 149 :
149 (6) The office may make rules to implement this section.
Section 3. Effective date.
If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill 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.
The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hansen, Rep. Morgan and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Hardy moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hansen, Rep. Morgan and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Hardy moved to place H.B. 346 on the consent calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hansen, Rep. Morgan and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.
MOTION: Rep. Lockhart moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hansen, Rep. Morgan and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote. The Vice Chair adjourned the meeting at 2:10 p.m.
_____________________________________
Rep. Michael T. Morley, Chair