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MINUTES OF THE HOUSE
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE
Room 25, House Office Building, State Capitol Complex
March 7, 2014

Members Present:    Rep. Curt Oda, Chair
            
Rep. Richard Greenwood, Vice Chair                
            Rep. Keith Grover
            Rep. Don Ipson                    
            Rep. Dana Layton
            Rep. Paul Ray                            
            Rep. Edward Redd
            Rep. Jennifer Seelig            
            Rep. Keven Stratton
            Rep. Mark Wheatley    

Members Absent:    Rep. Robert Spendlove    
            
Staff Present:    Mr. Nathan Brady, Policy Analyst
            Ms. Linda Error, Committee Secretary

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

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

H.B. 433    Peace Officer Merit Amendments (Rep. B. Dee)

Rep. Dee explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Carita Eldredge, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. A handout "H.B. 433 - Peace Officer Merit Amendments Substantive Changes" was distributed to the committee.

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

1.    Page 7, Lines 190 through 192 :    

             190          (1) The appointing authority of a county or police interlocal
{   agency   }        entity       subject to this

             191      chapter that regularly employs one or more peace officers shall:
             192          (a) appoint a peace officer with the advice and consent of the county legislative body
  or police interlocal entity governing body       ,


2.    Page 7, Line 201 :    

             201          (3) A peace officer appointed
{   on or after   }        before       May 13, 2014, is considered to have been


3.    Page 11, Lines 330 through 331 :    

             330          (1) In accordance with this section and rules adopted by the commission, an applicant
             331     
{   is   }        may be       disqualified if the applicant:


4.    Page 12, Lines 341 through 342 :    

             341          (4) An applicant may file a written appeal regarding the application process with the
             342      commission
  at any time before the date of the exam       .


5.    Page 13, Lines 385 through 386 :    

             385          (1) A peace officer appointed under Section
{   17-30a-402   }        17-30a-306       shall serve a probationary

             386      period of 12 consecutive months, during which time the officer may be discharged at the sole

6.    Page 15, Lines 432 through 433 :    

             432          (2) A merit system officer may be
  voluntarily       reassigned, including to another class and grade, in

             433      accordance with rules adopted by the commission.

7.    Page 16, Lines 475 through 477 :    

             475          For merit system officers, provisions regarding vacation, sick, other leave, or any other
             476      employment condition or benefit not covered by this chapter shall be established by
  :

    (a)  
applicable

             477      law
{   or by   }        ;

    (b)  
county ordinance or regulation        ; or

    (c) police interlocal entity rule or regulation  
.


8.    Page 16, Line 479 through Page 17, Line 496 :    

             479          17-30a-314. Prohibitions against political activities -- Penalties.
             480     
{       (1) (a) As used in this Subsection (1), "person" means:

             481          (i) an employee of a department;
             482          (ii) a member of a department governing body;
             483          (iii) an appointing authority;


             484          (iv) a merit system officer; and
             485          (v) a peace officer.
             486          (b) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if the person appoints, promotes, transfers,
             487      demotes, suspends, discharges, or changes the amount of compensation of a merit system
             488      officer.
             489          (c) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if the person seeks, aids, abets, promises or
             490      threatens the appointment, promotion, transfer, demotion, suspension, discharge, or change in
             491      the amount of compensation as a condition or result of a merit system officer giving,
             492      withholding, or neglecting to make a contribution to or provide service for a political purpose.
             493          (d) Except as provided in Subsection (2), a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if the
             494      person solicits, directly or indirectly, a contribution or service for a political purpose from a
             495      merit system officer.  
}

    
  (1)(a) An officer, employee, or member of a governing body of a county or a police interlocal entity, whether elected or appointed, may not directly or indirectly coerce, command, or advise a merit system officer to pay, lend, or contribute part of the officer's salary or compensation or anything else of value to a party, committee, organization, agency, or person for political purpose.

    (b) A county or police interlocal entity officer, employee, or member of a governing body, whether elected or appointed, may not make or attempt to make a merit system officer's personnel status dependent upon the officer's support or lack of support for a political party, committee, organization, agency, or person engaged in a political activity.  

             496          (2) Subsection (1)
{   (d)   } does not apply to political speeches or use of mass


9.    Page 18, Lines 541 through 543 :    

             541          (5) The commission may hear appeals regarding demotion, reduction in pay,
             542      suspension, or discharge of a merit system officer for any cause provided in Section
             543     
{   17-30a-313   }        17-30a-402       .



10.    Page 19, Lines 564 through 565 :    

             564          (11) In resolving an appeal, the commission may sustain
{   or   }        , modify, or       vacate a decision of the

             565      appointing authority.

11.    Page 19, Lines 569 through 579 :    

             569          17-30a-404. Appeal to
{   district court   }        Court of Appeals       -- Scope of review.

             570          
{   (1) A party may appeal to the district court the commission's final decision regarding

             571      disciplinary charges under Section
17-30a-403 .
             572          (2) (a) The court:
             573          (i) shall conduct its review on the record of the hearing held by the commission; and
             574          (ii) may affirm or overturn the ruling.
             575          (b) The district court shall overturn the commission only if the commission's decision
             576      is arbitrary or capricious.
             577          (3) An appeal to the district court shall be made within 30 days after the commission's
             578      written decision.  
}
    
  (1) A person may appeal a final action or order of the commission to the Court of Appeals for review.

    (2) A person shall file a notice of appeal within 30 days of the issuance of the final action or order of the commission.
    (3) The Court of Appeals shall base its review on the record of the commission and for the purpose of determining if the commission has abused its discretion or exceeded its authority.  

             579          Section 32. Section 17-30a-501 is enacted to read:

The motion to amend passed with Rep. Grover, Rep. Layton, Rep. Seelig, and Rep. Wheatley absent for the vote.

Spoke against the bill:    Kelly Atkinson, Fraternal Order of Police




Spoke for the bill:    Sheriff Jim Winder, Salt Lake County Sheriff
            Don Campbell, Unified Police Federation

MOTION:    Rep. Ipson moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Layton, Rep. Redd, Rep. Seelig, and Rep. Wheatley absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Grover moved to approve the minutes of the March 5, 2014 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Layton, Rep. Redd, Rep. Seelig, and Rep. Wheatley absent for the vote.

Chair Oda asked Vice Chair Greenwood to conduct the meeting.

H.B. 276    Disorderly Conduct Amendments (Rep. C. Oda)

Rep. Oda explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke to the bill:    Steve Garside, Layton City Attorney's Office
            Chief Ron Kirby, Tooele City Chief of Police

Spoke for the bill    Clark Aposhian, Utah Shooting Sports Council
            Brian Judy, National Rifle Association

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

Chair Oda resumed the chair.

H.B. 359    Workplace Discrimination (Rep. M. Wheatley)

MOTION:    Rep. Ray moved to replace H.B. 359 with 1st Sub. H.B. 359. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson and Rep. Seelig absent for the vote.

Rep. Wheatley explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Lauren Scholnick, attorney, Strindberg and Scholnick.

Spoke against the bill:    Monica Whalen, President, The Employers Council
                Dave Davis, Utah Food Industry and Utah Retail Merchants Association


MOTION:    Rep. Ray moved to return the bill to the Rules Committee with a recommendation for interim study.

SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    
Rep. Seelig moved to amend the bill as follows:

Page 6, Line 157 after "practice" insert ", as defined in section 34A-5-102,"

The substitute motion to amend failed with Rep. Greenwood, Rep. Redd, Rep. Seelig, and Rep. Wheatley voting in favor. Rep. Ipson was absent for the vote.

The original motion to return 1st Sub. H.B. 350 to the Rules Committee passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson absent for the vote.

H.B. 185    Juvenile Detention Facilities Amendments (Rep. E. Hutchings)

Rep. Hutchings explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Susan Burke, Director, Juvenile Justice Services.

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

1.    Page 3, Lines 77 through 78 :    

             77          (8) If the minor ordered to a juvenile detention facility under Subsection (5) attains the
             78      age of 18 years, the minor
{   will   }        shall       be transferred within 30 days to an adult jail until released by


2.    Page 6, Line 178 :    

             178          (12)
{   A   }        The       district court may      {   review   }        reconsider       the decision      {   made by the juvenile court   } on where the


3.    Page 10, Line 292 :    

             292          (13)
{   A   }        The       district court may      {   review   }        reconsider       the decision      {   from the juvenile court   } on where the


The motion to amend passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson and Rep. Seelig absent for the vote.




MOTION:    Rep. Greenwood moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson and Rep. Seelig absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Layton moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ipson and Rep. Seelig absent for the vote.

Chair Oda adjourned the meeting at 9:55 a.m.












______________________________
Rep. Curtis Oda, Chair