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S.J.R. 3 Enrolled

             1     

JOINT RULES RESOLUTION ON REQUESTS FOR LEGISLATION

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Aaron Osmond

             5     
House Sponsor: John Knotwell

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This joint resolution modifies joint rules relating to submitting requests for legislation.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This resolution:
             12          .    modifies the required content of a request for legislation; and
             13          .    prohibits a legislator from prioritizing a request for legislation unless the request
             14      contains specified information.
             15      Special Clauses:
             16          None
             17      Legislative Rules Affected:
             18      AMENDS:
             19          JR4-2-101
             20          JR4-2-102
             21     
             22      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             23          Section 1. JR4-2-101 is amended to read:
             24           JR4-2-101. Requests for Legislation -- Contents -- Timing.
             25          (1) (a) A legislator wishing to introduce a bill or resolution shall file a Request for
             26      Legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel within the time limits
             27      established by this rule.
             28          (b) The request for legislation shall [designate]:
             29          (i) designate the chief sponsor, who is knowledgeable about and responsible for


             30      providing pertinent information as the legislation is drafted; [and]
             31          (ii) designate any supporting legislators from the same house as the chief sponsor who
             32      wish to cosponsor the legislation[.]; and
             33          (iii) (A) provide specific or conceptual information concerning the change or addition
             34      to law or policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make;
             35          (B) identify the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation to
             36      address; or
             37          (C) identify the general subject area within which the proposed legislation is likely to
             38      fall.
             39          (2) (a) Any legislator may file a request for legislation beginning 60 days after the
             40      Legislature adjourns its annual general session sine die.
             41          (b) A legislator-elect may file a request for legislation beginning on the November 15
             42      after the annual general election at which the legislator was elected.
             43          (c) (i) If an incumbent legislator does not file to run for reelection or is defeated in a
             44      political party convention, primary election, or general election, that legislator may not file any
             45      requests for legislation as of that date.
             46          (ii) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
             47      request for legislation from the legislator that is pending on that date unless, within 30 days
             48      after that date, another member of the Legislature qualified to file a request for legislation
             49      assumes sponsorship of the legislation.
             50          (d) (i) If, for any reason, a legislator who filed a request for legislation is unavailable to
             51      serve in the next annual general session, the former legislator shall seek another legislator to
             52      assume sponsorship of each request for legislation filed by the legislator who is unavailable to
             53      serve.
             54          (ii) If the former legislator is unable to find another legislator to sponsor the legislation
             55      within 30 days, the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
             56      pending request for legislation from the legislator who is unavailable to serve.
             57          (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), a legislator may not file a Request for


             58      Legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel after noon on the 11th
             59      day of the annual general session.
             60          (b) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), by noon on the 11th day of the annual
             61      general session, each legislator shall, for each Request for Legislation on file with the Office of
             62      Legislative Research and General Counsel, either approve the request for numbering or
             63      abandon the request.
             64          (c) After the date established by this Subsection (3), a legislator may file a Request for
             65      Legislation and automatically approve the legislation for numbering if:
             66          (i) for House legislation, the Representative makes a motion to request a bill or
             67      resolution for drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional
             68      majority of the House; or
             69          (ii) for Senate legislation, the Senator makes a motion to request a bill or resolution for
             70      drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional majority vote of the
             71      Senate.
             72          (4) A legislator wishing to obtain funding for a project, program, or entity, when that
             73      funding request does not require that a statute be enacted, repealed, or amended, may not file a
             74      Request for Legislation but instead shall file a request for appropriation by following the
             75      procedures and requirements of JR4-3-101.
             76          Section 2. JR4-2-102 is amended to read:
             77           JR4-2-102. Drafting and Prioritizing Legislation.
             78          (1) (a) Requests for legislation shall be drafted on a first-in, first-out basis.
             79          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(a), the following requests for legislation shall be
             80      drafted before other requests for legislation when sufficient drafting information is available:
             81          (i) a request for legislation that is prioritized by a legislator under Subsection (2); and
             82          (ii) a request for legislation that is prioritized by the majority vote of an interim
             83      committee.
             84          (2) (a) Beginning on the first day on which a request for legislation may be filed under
             85      JR4-2-101, a legislator may designate up to three requests for legislation as priority requests


             86      subject to the following deadlines:
             87          (i) priority request number one must be requested on or before the first Thursday in
             88      December, or the following business day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday;
             89          (ii) priority request number two must be requested on or before the first Thursday in
             90      January, or the following business day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday; and
             91          (iii) priority request number three must be requested on or before the first Thursday of
             92      the annual general session.
             93          (b) A legislator who fails to make a priority request on or before a deadline loses that
             94      priority request. However, the legislator is not prohibited from using any remaining priority
             95      requests that are associated with a later deadline, if available.
             96          (c) A legislator who begins serving after a deadline has passed is entitled to use only
             97      those priority requests that are available under an unexpired deadline.
             98          (d) A legislator may not designate a request for legislation as a priority request unless
             99      the request:
             100          (i) provides specific or conceptual information concerning the change or addition to
             101      law or policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make; or
             102          (ii) identifies the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation
             103      to address.
             104          (3) A legislator may not:
             105          (a) revoke a priority designation once it has been requested;
             106          (b) transfer a priority designation to a different request for legislation; or
             107          (c) transfer a priority designation to another legislator.
             108          (4) Except as otherwise provided in these rules, the Office of Legislative Research and
             109      General Counsel shall reserve as many bill numbers as necessary to allow each request for
             110      legislation that has been prioritized as permitted under Subsection (1)(b) to receive a lower bill
             111      number than non-prioritized requests.


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