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MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Room 20, West Office Building

February 16, 2012

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Kay McIff, Chair
                Rep. LaVar Christensen, Vice Chair
                Rep. Derek Brown                
                Rep. Fred Cox
                Rep. Brian Doughty
                Rep. Eric Hutchings
                Rep. Ken Ivory
                Rep. Brian King
                Rep. Paul Ray
                Rep. V. Lowry Snow
                Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
                Rep. Brad Wilson

MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Chris Herrod
        
STAFF PRESENT:        Mr. Jerry D. Howe, Policy Analyst
                Ms. Linda Black, Committee Secretary
    

NOTE:    A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Chair McIff called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Doughty moved to approve the minutes of February 14, 2012. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown, Rep. Hutchings, Rep. King, and Rep. Christensen absent for the vote.

Chair McIff relinquished the gavel to Rep. Wilson

H.B. 393    Juvenile Competency Amendments (Rep. K. McIff)

Rep. McIff presented the bill to the committee with the assistance of Mr. Ron Gordon, CCJJ.

Spoke to the bill:    Ms. Lana Stohl, Utah State Division of Health and Human Services
            Ms. Jaycee Skinner, Sentencing Commission
            Mr. Rick Schwermer, Office of the Courts

MOTION:    Rep. Cox moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.





Chair McIff resumed the gavel at 9:25 a.m.

H.B. 130    Custodial Interference Amendments
(Rep. G. Froerer)

Rep. Froerer presented the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. McIff moved to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 7, Lines 211 through 212 :    

             211      takes, entices, conceals, detains, or withholds the child from the person entitled to visitation of
             212      the child
{   for at least 24 hours   } , with the intent to interfere with the visitation of the child.


2.    Page 8, Lines 215 through 216 :    

             215      takes, entices, conceals, detains, or withholds the child from a person who is entitled to custody
             216      of the child
{   for at least 24 hours   } , with the intent to interfere with the custody of the child.


3.    Page 8, Lines 219 through 220 :    

             219          [(4)] (3) Except as provided in Subsection [(5)] (4), the actor described in Subsection
             220      (2) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor
  upon the second documented commission of custodial interference       [if the actor:].


4.    Page 8, Lines 225 through 230 :    

             225          [(5)] (4) Custodial interference is a felony of the third degree if
{   [   } ,      {   ]   }      {   :

             226          (a)  
}
during the course of the custodial interference, the actor described in Subsection (2)
             227      removes, causes the removal, or directs the removal of the child from the state
{   [   } .      {   ]   }      {   ; or

             228          (b) the actor described in Subsection (2) has been convicted of or held in contempt for
             229      custodial interference at least twice in the two-year period immediately preceding

the day on
             230      which the most recent commission of custodial interference described in Subsection (2) occurs.  
}

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.

Spoke to the bill:    Mr. Todd Stone, citizen
            Mr. Rick Schwermer, Office of the Courts

MOTION:    Rep. Christensen moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.

H.B. 236    Alimony Modifications (Rep. S. Sandstrom)

Rep. Sandstrom presented the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Chair McIff moved to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 4, Lines 108 through 110 :    

             108          [(b)] (c) The court may consider the fault of the parties in determining [alimony.]
             109      whether or not to award alimony

  , as well as the amount and duration       . An alimony award is not considered punitive if it complies

             110      with this subsection.

2.    Page 4, Lines 111 through 113 :    

             111          (d) "Fault" means that one party committed substantiated acts or engaged in
             112      substantiated behavior during the marriage that unilaterally and substantially compromised the
             113      marriage, or unilaterally and substantially harmed the
{   health,   } safety      {   ,   } or financial stability of the


3.    Page 5, Line 151 through Page 6, Line 155 :    

             151          [(h)] (l) Alimony may not be ordered for a duration longer than the number of years
             152      that the marriage existed unless[, at any time prior to termination of alimony,] the court finds:
             153          (i) the payor spouse was at fault in the divorce;
    
  (ii) the recipient spouse refrained from significant employment during the marriage to provide care for the parties' minor children;


    (iii) the parties will still have minor children beyond the number of years the marriage existed;  
    
or

             154          
{   (ii)   }        (iv)       at any time prior to termination of alimony, extenuating circumstances that justify

             155      the payment of alimony for a longer period of time.

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.

Spoke in favor of the bill:    Mr. Stan Rasmussen, Sutherland Institute
                Ms. Laura Bunker, United Families of Utah

Spoke in opposition
to the bill:            Mr. Dan Duell, American Parental Action League

Spoke to the bill:        Ms. Kim Grant, For Children's Sake

MOTION:    Rep. Cox moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.

Chair McIff adjourned the meeting at 10:04 a.m.








    ___________________________________
                    Rep. Kay McIff, Chair