2
3
4
5
6
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This resolution amends joint legislative rules governing requests for legislation and
11 prioritization of requests.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ changes the last day on which a legislator may file a Request for Legislation to noon
15 of the first day of the general session;
16 ▸ changes the date on which a legislator shall either approve a Request for Legislation
17 for numbering or abandon the request to noon of the first day of the general session;
18 and
19 ▸ changes the third priority bill request deadline to the Tuesday immediately
20 preceding the first day of the annual general session.
21 Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Legislative Rules Affected:
24 AMENDS:
25 JR4-2-101
26 JR4-2-102
27
28 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29 Section 1. JR4-2-101 is amended to read:
30 JR4-2-101. Requests for legislation -- Contents -- Timing.
31 (1) (a) A legislator wishing to introduce a bill or resolution shall file a Request for
32 Legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel within the time limits
33 established by this rule.
34 (b) The request for legislation shall:
35 (i) designate the chief sponsor, who is knowledgeable about and responsible for
36 providing pertinent information as the legislation is drafted;
37 (ii) designate any supporting legislators from the same house as the chief sponsor who
38 wish to cosponsor the legislation; and
39 (iii) (A) provide specific information concerning the change or addition to law or
40 policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make; or
41 (B) identify the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation to
42 address.
43 (2) (a) Any legislator may file a request for legislation beginning 60 days after the
44 Legislature adjourns its annual general session sine die.
45 (b) A legislator-elect may file a request for legislation beginning on the November 15
46 after the annual general election at which the legislator was elected.
47 (c) (i) If an incumbent legislator does not file to run for reelection or is defeated in a
48 political party convention, primary election, or general election, that legislator may not file any
49 requests for legislation as of that date.
50 (ii) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
51 request for legislation from the legislator that is pending on that date unless, within 30 days
52 after that date, another member of the Legislature qualified to file a request for legislation
53 assumes sponsorship of the legislation.
54 (d) (i) If, for any reason, a legislator who filed a request for legislation is unavailable to
55 serve in the next annual general session, the former legislator shall seek another legislator to
56 assume sponsorship of each request for legislation filed by the legislator who is unavailable to
57 serve.
58 (ii) If the former legislator is unable to find another legislator to sponsor the legislation
59 within 30 days, the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
60 pending request for legislation from the legislator who is unavailable to serve.
61 (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), a legislator may not file a Request for
62 Legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel after noon on the
63 [
64 (b) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), by noon on the [
65 annual general session, each legislator shall, for each Request for Legislation on file with the
66 Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, either approve the request for numbering
67 or abandon the request.
68 (c) After the date established by this Subsection (3), a legislator may file a Request for
69 Legislation and automatically approve the legislation for numbering if:
70 (i) for House legislation, the representative makes a motion to request a bill or
71 resolution for drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional
72 majority of the House; or
73 (ii) for Senate legislation, the senator makes a motion to request a bill or resolution for
74 drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional majority vote of the
75 Senate.
76 (4) A legislator wishing to obtain funding for a project, program, or entity, when that
77 funding request does not require that a statute be enacted, repealed, or amended, may not file a
78 Request for Legislation but instead shall file a request for appropriation by following the
79 procedures and requirements of JR3-2-701.
80 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall publicly provide, on
81 the Legislature's website:
82 (a) a listing of each legislator's name and the number of bill files that are currently open
83 in the name of that legislator for the current legislative session; and
84 (b) a listing, on the respective committee page, of the short title of each bill opened in
85 the name of the committee, or adopted as a committee bill by the committee, during the
86 interim, and for each bill listed:
87 (i) an indication as to whether the bill has been recommended by the committee or not;
88 and
89 (ii) as applicable, the vote cast for the motion to recommend.
90 Section 2. JR4-2-102 is amended to read:
91 JR4-2-102. Drafting and prioritizing legislation.
92 (1) As used in this section, "interim committee" means a committee established under
93 JR7-1-201.
94 (2) (a) Requests for legislation shall be drafted on a first-in, first-out basis, except for
95 legislation that is prioritized under the provisions of this section.
96 (b) When sufficient drafting information is available, the following requests for
97 legislation shall be drafted before other requests for legislation, in the following order of
98 priority:
99 (i) a committee bill file, as defined in JR7-1-101; and
100 (ii) a request for legislation that is prioritized by a legislator under Subsection (3).
101 (3) (a) Beginning on the first day on which a request for legislation may be filed under
102 JR4-2-101, a legislator may designate up to three requests for legislation as priority requests
103 subject to the following deadlines:
104 (i) priority request number one must be requested on or before the first Thursday in
105 December, or the following business day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday;
106 (ii) priority request number two must be requested on or before the first Thursday in
107 January, or the following business day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday; and
108 (iii) priority request number three must be requested on or before the [
109 Tuesday immediately preceding the first day of the annual general session.
110 (b) A legislator who fails to make a priority request on or before a deadline loses that
111 priority request. However, the legislator is not prohibited from using any remaining priority
112 requests that are associated with a later deadline, if available.
113 (c) A legislator who begins serving after a deadline has passed is entitled to use only
114 those priority requests that are available under an unexpired deadline.
115 (d) A legislator may not designate a request for legislation as a priority request unless
116 the request:
117 (i) provides specific or conceptual information concerning the change or addition to
118 law or policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make; or
119 (ii) identifies the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation
120 to address.
121 (4) A legislator may not:
122 (a) revoke a priority designation once it has been requested;
123 (b) transfer a priority designation to a different request for legislation; or
124 (c) transfer a priority designation to another legislator.
125 (5) Except as provided under JR4-2-502 or as otherwise provided in these rules, the
126 Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall:
127 (a) reserve as many bill numbers as necessary to number the bills recommended by an
128 interim committee; and
129 (b) number all other legislation in the order in which the legislation is approved by the
130 sponsor for numbering.