1     
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AMENDMENTS

2     
2018 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: John Knotwell

5     
Senate Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies provisions of the State Settlement Agreements Act.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     modifies provisions that require the governor or the Legislature to pre-approve
13     various proposed settlements.
14     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
15          None
16     Other Special Clauses:
17          None
18     Utah Code Sections Affected:
19     AMENDS:
20          63G-10-103, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
21          63G-10-201, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
22          63G-10-202, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
23          63G-10-301, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
24          63G-10-302, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
25          63G-10-303, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:

28          Section 1. Section 63G-10-103 is amended to read:
29          63G-10-103. Notice of voidableness of settlement agreements.
30          The following are voidable by the governor or the Legislature as provided in this
31     chapter:
32          [Each] (1) a financial settlement agreement that [might]:
33          (a) may cost government entities, or may reduce financial obligations to government
34     entities, more than $100,000 [that]; and
35          (b) is executed by an agency in violation of this chapter[, and each]; and
36          (2) an action settlement agreement that is executed by an agency in violation of this
37     chapter[, is voidable by the governor or the Legislature as provided in this chapter].
38          Section 2. Section 63G-10-201 is amended to read:
39          63G-10-201. Governor to approve financial settlement agreements.
40          (1) Before legally binding the state by executing a financial settlement agreement [that
41     might cost government entities more than $100,000 to implement], an agency shall submit the
42     proposed financial settlement agreement to the governor for the governor's approval or
43     rejection[.] if the financial settlement agreement:
44          (a) may cost government entities more than $100,000 to implement; or
45          (b) may reduce financial obligations to government entities in an amount more than
46     $100,000.
47          (2) The governor shall approve or reject each financial settlement agreement.
48          (3) (a) If the governor approves the financial settlement agreement, the agency may
49     execute the agreement.
50          (b) If the governor rejects the financial settlement agreement, the agency may not
51     execute the agreement.
52          (4) If an agency executes a financial settlement agreement without obtaining the
53     governor's approval under this section, the governor may issue an executive order declaring the
54     settlement agreement void.
55          Section 3. Section 63G-10-202 is amended to read:
56          63G-10-202. Legislative review and approval of financial settlement agreements.
57          (1) (a) Before legally binding the state by executing a financial settlement agreement
58     that [might] may cost government entities more than $500,000 to implement, or may reduce

59     financial obligations to government entities by more than $500,000, an agency shall:
60          (i) submit the proposed financial settlement agreement to the governor for the
61     governor's approval or rejection as required by Section 63G-10-201; and
62          (ii) if the governor approves the financial settlement agreement, submit the financial
63     settlement agreement to the Legislative Management Committee for its review and
64     recommendations.
65          (b) The Legislative Management Committee shall review the financial settlement
66     agreement and may:
67          (i) recommend that the agency execute the financial settlement agreement;
68          (ii) recommend that the agency reject the financial settlement agreement; or
69          (iii) recommend to the governor that the governor call a special session of the
70     Legislature to review and approve or reject the financial settlement agreement.
71          (2) (a) Before legally binding the state by executing a financial settlement agreement
72     that [might] may cost government entities more than $1,000,000 to implement, or may reduce
73     financial obligations to government entities by more than $1,000,000, an agency shall:
74          (i) submit the proposed financial settlement agreement to the governor for the
75     governor's approval or rejection as required by Section 63G-10-201; and
76          (ii) if the governor approves the financial settlement agreement, submit the financial
77     settlement agreement to the Legislature for its approval in an annual general session or a
78     special session.
79          (b) (i) If the Legislature approves the financial settlement agreement, the agency may
80     execute the agreement.
81          (ii) If the Legislature rejects the financial settlement agreement, the agency may not
82     execute the agreement.
83          (c) If an agency executes a financial settlement agreement without obtaining the
84     Legislature's approval under this Subsection (2):
85          (i) the governor may issue an executive order declaring the settlement agreement void;
86     or
87          (ii) the Legislature may pass a joint resolution declaring the settlement agreement void.
88          Section 4. Section 63G-10-301 is amended to read:
89          63G-10-301. Cost evaluation of action settlement agreements.

90          (1) Before legally binding the state to an action settlement agreement that [might] may
91     cost the state a total of $100,000 or more to implement, or may reduce financial obligations to
92     the state by a total of $100,000 or more, an agency shall estimate the cost of implementing the
93     action settlement agreement and submit that cost estimate to the governor and the Legislative
94     Management Committee.
95          (2) The Legislative Management Committee may:
96          (a) direct its staff to make an independent cost estimate of the cost of implementing the
97     action settlement agreement; and
98          (b) affirmatively adopt a cost estimate as the benchmark for determining which
99     authorizations established by this part are necessary.
100          Section 5. Section 63G-10-302 is amended to read:
101          63G-10-302. Governor to approve action settlement agreements.
102          (1) Before legally binding the state by executing an action settlement agreement that
103     [might] may cost government entities more than $100,000 to implement, or may reduce
104     financial obligations to government entities by a total of $100,000 or more, an agency shall
105     submit the proposed settlement agreement to the governor for the governor's approval or
106     rejection.
107          (2) The governor shall approve or reject each action settlement agreement.
108          (3) (a) If the governor approves the action settlement agreement, the agency may
109     execute the agreement.
110          (b) If the governor rejects the action settlement agreement, the agency may not execute
111     the agreement.
112          (4) If an agency executes an action settlement agreement without obtaining the
113     governor's approval under this section, the governor may issue an executive order declaring the
114     settlement agreement void.
115          Section 6. Section 63G-10-303 is amended to read:
116          63G-10-303. Legislative review and approval of action settlement agreements.
117          (1) (a) Before legally binding the state by executing an action settlement agreement that
118     [might] may cost government entities more than $500,000 to implement, or may reduce
119     financial obligations to government entities by more than $500,000, an agency shall:
120          (i) submit the proposed action settlement agreement to the governor for the governor's

121     approval or rejection as required by Section 63G-10-302; and
122          (ii) if the governor approves the action settlement agreement, submit the action
123     settlement agreement to the Legislative Management Committee for its review and
124     recommendations.
125          (b) The Legislative Management Committee shall review the action settlement
126     agreement and may:
127          (i) recommend that the agency execute the settlement agreement;
128          (ii) recommend that the agency reject the settlement agreement; or
129          (iii) recommend to the governor that the governor call a special session of the
130     Legislature to review and approve or reject the settlement agreement.
131          (2) (a) Before legally binding the state by executing an action settlement agreement that
132     [might] may cost government entities more than $1,000,000 to implement, or may reduce
133     financial obligations to government entities by more than $1,000,000, an agency shall:
134          (i) submit the proposed action settlement agreement to the governor for the governor's
135     approval or rejection as required by Section 63G-10-302; and
136          (ii) if the governor approves the action settlement agreement, submit the action
137     settlement agreement to the Legislature for its approval in an annual general session or a
138     special session.
139          (b) (i) If the Legislature approves the action settlement agreement, the agency may
140     execute the agreement.
141          (ii) If the Legislature rejects the action settlement agreement, the agency may not
142     execute the agreement.
143          (c) If an agency executes an action settlement agreement without obtaining the
144     Legislature's approval under this Subsection (2):
145          (i) the governor may issue an executive order declaring the action settlement agreement
146     void; or
147          (ii) the Legislature may pass a joint resolution declaring the action settlement
148     agreement void.






Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel