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H.B. 301 Enrolled

             1     

NATIONAL GUARD - NONJUDICIAL PUNISHMENT

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Val L. Peterson

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill makes clarifying changes to the nonjudicial punishment section of the Utah
             10      Code of Military Justice.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    specifies the commanders' parameters for nonjudicial punishment;
             14          .    provides guidelines for nonjudicial punishment for enlisted personnel and officers;
             15          .    sets out appeal avenues and limits; and
             16          .    directs who can mitigate nonjudicial punishment.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          None
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      REPEALS AND REENACTS:
             23          39-6-14, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1989, Chapter 15
             24      REPEALS:
             25          39-6-13, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 287
             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 39-6-14 is repealed and reenacted to read:
             29          39-6-14. Nonjudicial punishment.


             30          (1) The governor and the adjutant general of Utah may prescribe regulations governing
             31      the administration of nonjudicial punishment. The imposition and enforcement of disciplinary
             32      punishment under this section for any act or omission is not a bar to trial by a civilian court of
             33      competent jurisdiction.
             34          (2) A service member subject to this chapter may request trial by military court in lieu
             35      of nonjudicial punishment at any time prior to imposition of nonjudicial punishment.
             36          (a) Upon receipt of a timely request for trial by military court in lieu of nonjudicial
             37      punishment, the commanding officer may grant the request, or deny the request and continue
             38      with nonjudicial punishment proceedings. If the commander denies the member's request for
             39      trial by military court, the commander may not impose limitations on personal liberty as a
             40      punishment under nonjudicial punishment proceedings. For purposes of this section,
             41      punishments imposing limitations on personal liberty include restriction to specific limited
             42      areas and extra duties.
             43          (b) Denial of a request for trial by military court in lieu of nonjudicial punishment does
             44      not create a private right of action and is not subject to judicial review.
             45          (3) Any commanding officer in the Utah National Guard may, in addition to a
             46      reprimand, impose one or more of the punishments under this section without the intervention
             47      of a military court. Forfeiture of pay shall be calculated based on the monthly amount a service
             48      member would receive as base pay if on active duty. If a reduction of pay grade is imposed,
             49      forfeiture of pay is based on the grade to which the service member was reduced even if the
             50      reduction was suspended.
             51          (4) Punishment imposed by the governor, a general officer, or a full colonel upon
             52      officers within the general officer's or full colonel's command may include:
             53          (a) forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for three months;
             54      and
             55          (b) restriction to specific limited areas, with or without suspension from duty, for not
             56      more than 60 consecutive days.
             57          (5) Punishment imposed by the governor, a general officer, or a full colonel upon


             58      enlisted personnel within the general officer's or full colonel's command may include:
             59          (a) forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for two months;
             60          (b) reduction of one or more pay grades if the imposing commander holds promotion
             61      authority over the grade from which the enlisted person was demoted, but an enlisted member
             62      in a pay grade above E-4 may not be reduced more than two pay grades;
             63          (c) extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than 60 consecutive
             64      days; and
             65          (d) restriction to specific limited areas, with or without suspension from duty, for not
             66      more than 60 consecutive days.
             67          (6) Punishment imposed by a commander of the grade of lieutenant colonel or major
             68      upon enlisted personnel within the lieutenant colonel's or major's command may include:
             69          (a) forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for two months;
             70          (b) reduction of no more than two pay grades if the imposing commander holds
             71      promotion authority over the grade from which the enlisted person was demoted;
             72          (c) extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than 45 consecutive
             73      days; and
             74          (d) restriction to specific limited areas, with or without suspension of duty, for not
             75      more than 45 consecutive days.
             76          (7) Punishment imposed by a commander of the grade of captain or lieutenant upon
             77      enlisted personnel within the captain's or lieutenant's command may include:
             78          (a) forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay for one month;
             79          (b) extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than 30 consecutive
             80      days;
             81          (c) restriction to specific limited areas, with or without suspension from duty, for not
             82      more than 30 consecutive days; and
             83          (d) reduction of one pay grade if the imposing commander holds promotion authority
             84      over the grade from which the enlisted person was demoted.
             85          (8) Punishments of restriction to specific limited areas and extra duty may be combined


             86      to run concurrently, but the combination may not exceed the maximum duration imposable for
             87      extra duty.
             88          (9) (a) The imposing commander or a successor in command may, at any time, suspend
             89      by probation:
             90          (i) all or any part of the amount of the unexecuted punishment; and
             91          (ii) a reduction in grade or a forfeiture imposed, whether or not executed.
             92          (b) The imposing commander or a successor in command shall set the terms of
             93      probation for any suspended punishment.
             94          (c) The imposing commander or a successor in command may, at any time, remit or
             95      mitigate any part or amount of the unexecuted punishment. The imposing commander or a
             96      successor in command may also set aside in whole or in part the findings, punishment, or both,
             97      whether executed or unexecuted, and restore all rights, privileges, and affected property.
             98          (d) The imposing commander or a successor in command may mitigate reduction in
             99      grade to forfeiture of pay. Extra duties may be mitigated to restriction.
             100          (e) A mitigated punishment may not span a greater period of time than the original
             101      punishment.
             102          (f) When mitigating a reduction in grade to forfeiture of pay, the amount of the
             103      forfeiture may not exceed the maximum allowable forfeiture the imposing commander could
             104      have originally imposed.
             105          (10) (a) A service member punished under this section may appeal to the next superior
             106      commander in the service member's chain of command. The next superior commander shall
             107      conduct a de novo review of both the findings and punishment under procedures provided by
             108      regulation. The next superior commander may modify or set aside the findings or punishment,
             109      having the same options afforded the imposing commander as described in this section. In no
             110      case may the next superior commander increase the severity of the findings or the amount of
             111      punishment originally imposed.
             112          (b) If two levels of command exist above the imposing commander, the service
             113      member, having exhausted the service member's first level of appeal, may appeal to the next


             114      superior commander. If the matter originates with the governor, the adjutant general, or one
             115      level of command below the adjutant general, no right to a second appeal exists. The decision
             116      of the adjutant general on an appeal of nonjudicial punishment is final and is not subject to
             117      further appeal or judicial review.
             118          (c) The decision of the governor or the adjutant general to impose nonjudicial
             119      punishment upon a service member is final and is not subject to further appeal or judicial
             120      review.
             121          (d) The imposing commander shall promptly forward any appeal to the next superior
             122      commander. During the course of the appeal, the imposing commander may require the
             123      appellant to submit to the imposed punishment.
             124          (11) A superior commander shall first obtain a legal review from a judge advocate of
             125      the Utah National Guard before acting on an appeal from any of the following imposed
             126      punishments:
             127          (a) forfeiture of more than seven day's pay;
             128          (b) reduction of one or more pay grades;
             129          (c) extra duties for more than 14 days; or
             130          (d) restriction for more than 14 days.
             131          (12) Punishments imposed under this section, except forfeiture of pay, may not extend
             132      beyond the termination of the duty status of the punished individual.
             133          Section 2. Repealer.
             134          This bill repeals:
             135          Section 39-6-13, Limits on nonjudicial punishment.


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