1     
JOINT RULES RESOLUTION -- LEGISLATION AMENDMENTS

2     
2021 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: David G. Buxton

5     
House Sponsor: Timothy D. Hawkes

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This resolution modifies joint legislative rules related to legislation.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This resolution:
12          ▸     addresses the process for reassigning legislation sponsored by a legislator who dies
13     while in office;
14          ▸     provides that a legislator may not revive an abandoned request for legislation;
15          ▸     allows a legislator-elect to designate the same number of priority requests as a
16     sitting legislator;
17          ▸     addresses the number of priority requests allowed for a newly appointed legislator;
18          ▸     provides a deadline by which:
19               •     a representative-elect must designate priority request number one;
20               •     a senator-elect must designate priority request numbers one and two; and
21               •     a newly appointment legislator must designate the legislator's priority requests;
22     and
23          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
24     Special Clauses:
25          None
26     Legislative Rules Affected:
27     AMENDS:
28          JR4-2-101

29          JR4-2-102
30     

31     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
32          Section 1. JR4-2-101 is amended to read:
33          JR4-2-101. Requests for legislation -- Contents -- Timing.
34          (1) (a) A legislator wishing to introduce a bill or resolution shall file a [Request]
35     request for [Legislation] legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General
36     Counsel within the time limits established by this rule.
37          (b) The request for legislation shall:
38          (i) designate the chief sponsor, who is knowledgeable about and responsible for
39     providing pertinent information as the legislation is drafted;
40          (ii) designate any supporting legislators from the same house as the chief sponsor who
41     wish to cosponsor the legislation; and
42          (iii) (A) provide specific information concerning the change or addition to law or
43     policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make; or
44          (B) identify the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation to
45     address.
46          (2) (a) Any legislator may file a request for legislation beginning 60 days after the
47     Legislature adjourns its annual general session sine die.
48          (b) A legislator-elect may file a request for legislation beginning on:
49          (i) the day after the date the election canvass is completed; or
50          (ii) if the legislator-elect's election results have not been finalized as of the canvass
51     date, the day after the date the election results for the legislator-elect's race are finalized.
52          (c) (i) An incumbent legislator may not file any requests for legislation as of the date
53     that the legislator:
54          (A) fails to file to run for reelection;
55          (B) resigns or is removed from office; or

56          (C) is ineligible to be included on the ballot for the election in which the legislator
57     would have sought an additional term.
58          (ii) Subsection (2)(c)(i) does not apply to a request for legislation for a special session
59     that occurs before the legislator leaves office.
60          (iii) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
61     request for legislation from the legislator that is pending on that date unless, within 30 days
62     after that date, another member of the Legislature qualified to file a request for legislation
63     assumes sponsorship of the legislation.
64          (d) (i) If, for any reason, a legislator who filed a request for legislation is unavailable to
65     serve in the next annual general session, the former legislator shall seek another legislator to
66     assume sponsorship of each request for legislation filed by the legislator who is unavailable to
67     serve.
68          (ii) If the former legislator is unable to find another legislator to sponsor the legislation
69     within 30 days, the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon each
70     pending request for legislation from the legislator who is unavailable to serve.
71          (e) (i) If a legislator dies while in office and is the chief sponsor of one or more
72     requests for legislation or pieces of legislation, the individual appointed to the legislator's seat
73     may assume sponsorship of each request for legislation or piece of legislation.
74          (ii) If the individual appointed to the legislator's seat chooses not to assume
75     sponsorship of one or more of the legislator's requests for legislation or pieces of legislation,
76     the following individual shall seek another legislator to assume sponsorship of each request for
77     legislation or piece of legislation:
78          (A) if the legislator was a member of the House majority caucus, the House majority
79     leader;
80          (B) if the legislator was a member of the House minority caucus, the House minority
81     leader;
82          (C) if the legislator was a member of the Senate majority caucus, the Senate majority

83     leader; or
84          (D) if the legislator was a member of the Senate minority caucus, the Senate minority
85     leader.
86          (iii) If the individual described in Subsection (2)(e)(i) does not find a new sponsor for a
87     request for legislation, the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall abandon
88     the request for legislation.
89          (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), a legislator may not file a [Request]
90     request for [Legislation] legislation with the Office of Legislative Research and General
91     Counsel after noon on the 11th day of the annual general session.
92          (b) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c), by noon on the 11th day of the annual
93     general session, each legislator shall, for each Request for Legislation on file with the Office of
94     Legislative Research and General Counsel, either approve the request for numbering or
95     abandon the request.
96          (c) After the date established by this Subsection (3), a legislator may file a Request for
97     Legislation and automatically approve the legislation for numbering if:
98          (i) for House legislation, the representative makes a motion to request a bill or
99     resolution for drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional
100     majority of the House; or
101          (ii) for Senate legislation, the senator makes a motion to request a bill or resolution for
102     drafting and introduction and that motion is approved by a constitutional majority vote of the
103     Senate.
104          (4) After a request for legislation is abandoned, a legislator may not revive the request
105     for legislation.
106          [(4)] (5) A legislator wishing to obtain funding for a project, program, or entity, when
107     that funding request does not require that a statute be enacted, repealed, or amended, may not
108     file a Request for Legislation but instead shall file a request for appropriation by following the
109     procedures and requirements of JR3-2-701.

110          Section 2. JR4-2-102 is amended to read:
111          JR4-2-102. Drafting and prioritizing legislation.
112          (1) As used in this section, "interim committee" means a committee established under
113     JR7-1-201.
114          (2) (a) Requests for legislation shall be drafted on a first-in, first-out basis, except for
115     legislation that is prioritized under the provisions of this section.
116          (b) When sufficient drafting information is available, the following requests for
117     legislation shall be drafted before other requests for legislation, in the following order of
118     priority:
119          (i) a committee bill file, as defined in JR7-1-101; and
120          (ii) a request for legislation that is prioritized by a legislator under Subsection (3).
121          (3) (a) Beginning on the first day on which a request for legislation may be filed under
122     JR4-2-101, a member of the House of Representatives may designate up to four requests for
123     legislation as priority requests, and a member of the Senate may designate up to five requests
124     for legislation as priority requests, subject to the following deadlines:
125          (i) except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), priority request number one for
126     representatives, and priority request numbers one and two for senators, must be requested on or
127     before November 15, or the following regular business day if November 15 falls on a weekend
128     or a holiday;
129          (ii) priority request number two for representatives, and priority request number three
130     for senators, must be requested on or before the first Thursday in December, or the following
131     business day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday;
132          (iii) priority request number three for representatives, and four for senators must be
133     requested on or before the first Thursday in January, or the following business day if the first
134     Thursday falls on a holiday; and
135          (iv) priority request number four for representatives, and five for senators must be
136     requested on or before the first Thursday of the annual general session.

137          (b) (i) A representative-elect who is not a sitting legislator, shall designate priority
138     request number one on or before the first Thursday in December, or the following business day
139     if the first Thursday falls on a holiday.
140          (ii) A representative-elect who is a sitting senator shall designate each of the
141     representative-elect's priority requests in accordance with the deadlines for representatives
142     described in Subsection (3)(a).
143          (iii) (A) A senator-elect who is not a sitting legislator, shall designate priority request
144     numbers one and two on or before the first Thursday in December, or the following business
145     day if the first Thursday falls on a holiday.
146          (B) A senator-elect who is a sitting representative, shall designate priority request
147     number one in accordance with Subsection (3)(a)(i), and priority request number two on or
148     before the first Thursday in December, or the following business day if the first Thursday falls
149     on a holiday.
150          (c) (i) A legislator who is appointed to replace a legislator who resigns or is otherwise
151     unable to serve, may:
152          (A) if the legislator is a representative, designate up to four requests for legislation as
153     priority requests, less the number of priority requests designated by the legislator's predecessor;
154     or
155          (B) if the legislator is a senator, designate up to five requests for legislation as priority
156     requests, less the number of priority requests designated by the legislator's predecessor.
157          (ii) The deadline for an appointed legislator to designate each priority request is the
158     same as the deadline that would apply if the designation were made by the legislator's
159     predecessor.
160          [(b)] (d) A legislator who fails to make a priority request on or before a deadline loses
161     that priority request. However, the legislator is not prohibited from using any remaining
162     priority requests that are associated with a later deadline, if available.
163          [(c) A legislator who begins serving or becomes eligible to request a bill file after a

164     deadline has passed is entitled to use only those priority requests that are available under an
165     unexpired deadline.]
166          [(d)] (e) A legislator may not designate a request for legislation as a priority request
167     unless the request:
168          (i) provides specific or conceptual information concerning the change or addition to
169     law or policy that the legislator intends the proposed legislation to make; or
170          (ii) identifies the specific situation or concern that the legislator intends the legislation
171     to address.
172          (4) A legislator may not:
173          (a) revoke a priority designation once it has been requested;
174          (b) transfer a priority designation to a different request for legislation; or
175          (c) transfer a priority designation to another legislator.
176          (5) (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (4), a request for legislation designated as a priority
177     request remains a priority request if the request for legislation is transferred to another
178     legislator in accordance with Subsection JR4-2-101(2)(d) or (e).
179          (b) A priority request described in Subsection (5)(a) does not count against the number
180     of priority designations to which the receiving legislator is entitled under Subsection (3).
181          [(5)] (6) Except as provided under JR4-2-502 or as otherwise provided in these rules,
182     the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall:
183          (a) reserve as many bill numbers as necessary to number the bills recommended by an
184     interim committee; and
185          (b) number all other legislation in the order in which the legislation is approved by the
186     sponsor for numbering.