MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 30, House Building

March 6, 2015



Members Present:                Rep. Jack Draxler, Chair

                                                Rep. Brad Daw, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Patrice Arent

                                                Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck 

                                                Rep. Fred Cox

                                                Rep. Merrill Nelson

                                                Rep. Lee Perry

                                                Rep. Val Peterson 

 

Members Excused:               Rep. Keith Grover

                                                Rep. Dean Sanpei

 

Staff Present:                        Mr. Brian Bean, Policy Analyst

                                                Ms. Kathy Gessel, Committee Secretary


Note:     A list of visitors and handouts are filed with committee minutes.


Chair Draxler called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to approve the minutes of the March 5, 2015, meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Chavez-Houck, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Peterson absent for the vote.

 

S.J.R. 14        Joint Resolution Supporting Creation of a GI Bill for the Utah National Guard (Sen. K. Mayne)


Sen. Mayne explained the resolution.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Daw moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Nelson and Rep. Peterson absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to place S.J.R. 14 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Nelson and Rep. Peterson absent for the vote.

 

3rd Sub. S.B. 137      Campaign and Financial Reporting Requirements Revisions (Sen. T. Weiler)


Sen. Weiler explained the bill.

 

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

 

1.    Page 5, Lines 136 through 138:      

 

136 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (5), a person may not send an email {  ,  } using the

137email of a public entity, for a political purpose or to advocate for or against a ballot

138proposition.

 

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

 

MOTION:     Rep. Daw moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Peterson absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 425         Financial Disclosure Modifications (Rep. Brian S. King)

 

Rep. Brian King explained the bill.

 

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

 

1.    Page 4, Line 106:       

 

106 (ii) the  approximate  date on which the regulated officeholder's employment began;

 

2.    Page 4, Line 112:       

 

112 (iv) the  approximate  date on which the regulated officeholder became an owner or officer for the

 

3.    Page 4, Line 120:       

 

120 (iii) the  approximate  date on which the regulated officeholder first received income from the

 

4.    Page 5, Lines 137 through 138:      

 

137 (iv) the  approximate  date on which the regulated officeholder accepted a position on the board of

138directors or a paid leadership capacity position;

 

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

 

MOTION:     Rep. Daw moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Peterson absent for the vote.

 

 

H.B. 444         Charter School Funding Task Force (Rep. F. Gibson)

 

Rep. Gibson explained the bill.

 

Spoke for the bill:       Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director, Utah Association of Public Charter Schools

                                   Chase Clyde, Utah Education Association

 

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

 

H.B. 387         Citizens' Customer Satisfaction Program (Rep. S. Eliason)

 

Rep. Eliason explained the bill.

 

Spoke to the bill:                    Debbie Cragun, Executive Director, Department of Human Resource Management

Salvadore Petilos, Director, Utah Deputy of Alcoholic Beverage Control

John Valentine, Chair, Utah State Tax Commission

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Jackie deGaston, citizen

 

Spoke against the bill:            Kory Holdaway, Utah Public Employees' Association

 

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

 

1.    Page 16, Line 480 through Page 17, Line 497:    

 

480public service entity.

481  {  (2) (a) "Government entity" means a department, agency, division, office, authority,

482library, unit, bureau, program, or other unit of the state.

483 (b) "Government entity" includes the judicial branch of the state.

484 (c) "Government entity" does not include a political subdivision or an entity of a

485political subdivision of the state, a state institution of higher education, a school district, a

486public school, or an independent corporation as defined in Section 63E-1-102.  }

487  {  (3) "Office," except as used in Subsection (2)(a),  }  (2) "Office"  means the Office of the Utah State

488Auditor.

489  {  (4) "Program," except as used in Subsection (2)(a),   }  (3) "Program"  means the Citizens' Customer

490Satisfaction Program created in Section 67-3-203.

491  {  (5)  }  (4)  "Public service entity" means {  a government entity:

492 (a) that receives public funds;

493 (b) that expends funds described in Subsection (5)(a); and

494 (c) with which an individual citizen may initiate contact to receive, for the individual

495or the individual's immediate family, a statutorily authorized benefit or service.  }  the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, created in Section 32B-2-203, or the Motor Vehicle Division, created in Section 41-1a-106. 

496  {  (6)  }  (5)  "Interaction" means an individual act under the program to covertly observe a

497public service entity in a manner authorized by this part.

 

2.    Page 17, Line 510 through Page 19, Line 572:    

 

510 (b) identify any public service entity practices that are not in compliance with state law,

511rule, or policy, or generally accepted customer service practices.

512  {  (2) Before July 1 of each year, the state auditor shall:

513 (a) create a list of all public service entities in the state; and

514 (b) from the list created under Subsection (2)(a), choose the public service entities that

515the auditor believes would benefit most from the program's assessment.  }

516  {  (3)  }  (2)  (a) Before January 1 of each year, the state auditor shall consult with the head of

517each public service entity {  chosen under Subsection (2)(b)  } to:

518 (i) identify the services provided by the public service entity that are subject to the

519program's assessment;

520 (ii) obtain performance measures for the services described in Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  (a)(i) that

521the program will measure, including a scoring system by which the state auditor will rate the

522public service entity's customer service; and

523 (iii) obtain, from the head of the public service entity, goals for the public service

524entity's customer service, using the performance measures obtained under Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  (a)(ii).

525 (b) If the state auditor cannot obtain performance measures or goals from the head of a

526public service entity under Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  (a), the state auditor shall notify the legislative

527committee that has oversight over the public service entity.

528 (c) In addition to the performance measures obtained under Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  (a)(ii) for

529each public service entity, the state auditor shall establish a scoring system by which the state

530auditor shall rate the customer service of all public service entities {  chosen under Subsection

531(2)(b)  } .

532  {  (4)  }  (3)  For each calendar year, the state auditor shall, for each public service entity {  chosen

533under Subsection (2)(b) in the previous year  } :

534 (a) create a plan, based upon the performance measures obtained in Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  , to

535covertly observe and evaluate the public service entity's performance;

536 (b) collect detailed data on each interaction conducted under the program, including the

537name of each of the public service entity's employees who were contacted during the

538interaction; and

539 (c) score the public service entity according to the scoring system for each performance

540measure established under Subsection {  (3)  }  (2)  .

541  {  (5)  }  (4)  (a) To complete the duties described in this section, an individual engaging in an

542interaction may covertly observe the customer service offered by a public service entity:

543 (i) in person;

544 (ii) by telephone; or

545 (iii) through electronic communication.

546 (b) The state auditor may covertly record an interaction.

547 (c) The state auditor may not covertly observe or record a direct interaction between a

548public service entity and another person unless that person is associated with the program or

549the Office of the Utah State Auditor.

550  {  (6)  }  (5)  The state auditor may pay a stipend to a person that:

551 (a) performs an interaction for the program; and

552 (b) is not otherwise associated with the program.

553 Section 14. Section 67-3-205 is enacted to read:

554 67-3-205. Reporting and tracking results -- Online database.

555 (1) The state auditor shall, for each public service entity the program interacts with

556under Subsection {  67-3-103(4)  }  67-3-204(3)  , prepare a detailed report each month that contains:

557 (a) the name of the public service entity;

558 (b) the performance measures and goals obtained under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (3)  }  (2)  for the

559public service entity;

560 (c) a summary of the plan created under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (4)  }  (3)  (a) for the entity;

561 (d) a description of the program's efforts to execute the plan described in Subsection

56267-3-204 {  (4)  }  (3)  (a);

563 (e) a compilation, analysis, and interpretation of the data collected under Subsection

56467-3-204 {  (4)  }  (3)  (c) and the scores recorded under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (4)  }  (3)  (d);

565 (f) an assessment of how the public service entity's performance relates to the

566performance measures and goals obtained under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (3)  }  (2)  for the entity;

567 (g) a description of each interaction, including:

568 (i) the name of each of the entity's employees who were contacted during the

569interaction; and

570 (ii) the scores recorded under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (4)  }  (3)  (d) for the interaction;

571 (h) an explanation of any observed patterns of the  public service  entity's practices that do not appear

572to be in compliance with state law, rule, or policy or with generally accepted customer service

 

 

3.    Page 20, Lines 591 through 601:    

 

591 (1) Upon receipt of a report under Subsection 67-3-205(2), the head of the public

592service entity shall:

593 (a) identify each employee described in Subsection {  67-3-206  }  67-3-205  (1)(g)(i); and

594 (b) place a copy of the portions of the report that pertain to the employee in the

595employee's personnel file.

596 (2) (a) The head of a public service entity {  chosen under Subsection 67-3-204(2)(b)  } may

597establish a pecuniary incentive to award to an employee of the entity:

598 (i) who has an interaction under the program; and

599 (ii) whose performance, as measured under the program, meets or exceeds the goals

600obtained under Subsection 67-3-204 {  (3)  }  (2)  (a)(iii) for the entity.

601 (b) The head of a public service entity that establishes a pecuniary incentive under

 

The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Cox moved to send the bill to the Rules Committee as amended. The motion passed unanimously.

 

1st Sub. H.B. 376      Candidate Fundraising Amendments (Rep. D. McCay)

 

Rep. McCay explained the bill. A handout, "States that Prohibit Campaign Contributions During Legislative Sessions," was distributed to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:       Maryann Martindale, Alliance for a Better Utah

 

MOTION:     Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Draxler adjourned the meeting at 6:08 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________

Rep. Jack Draxler, Chair