HB 412: Boards and Commissions Revisions - Utah

Substitute #4 → Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends multiple state statutes governing boards and commissions to eliminate or modify requirements regarding political party affiliation among members. The changes remove specific caps on the number of members from the same party in several agencies, while adding a new provision allowing the governor to exceed those caps if they consult with minority party leaders first. Additionally, the bill removes a requirement that certain boards include legislators as members and makes technical formatting corrections.

Scope change

The bill's scope is reduced by removing specific mandates for political party representation limits on several boards and by removing the requirement for legislator representation on certain advisory committees.

REQUIREMENT

Removed specific numerical limits on the number of members from the same political party allowed on several boards, including the Civil Service Commission, County Fire Civil Service Council, Air Quality Board, Drinking Water Board, Water Quality Board, Waste Management Board, Aging and Adult Services Board, Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Legislative Compensation Commission, Oil and Gas Board, Money Management Council, Consumer Services Committee, Housing Corporation, Tourism Board, Judicial Performance Commission, and School Trust Lands Board.

Added a new provision allowing the governor to appoint more members from the same political party than previously permitted, provided the governor first consults with the minority leaders of the House and Senate.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the requirement that certain boards (specifically the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee and the State Workforce Development Board) must include members who are legislators.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting errors and reorganized subsection numbering in several sections to align with standard legislative drafting conventions.

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 10 edits

MAJOR

The bill was amended to update the Senate Sponsor's name and to correct minor formatting inconsistencies in the text of several sections, while the substantive policy provisions regarding board memberships remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The Senate Sponsor was changed from 'LONG TITLE' to 'Calvin R. Musselman'.

Minor text corrections were made in Section 2 (Civil Service Commission) to fix repeated words and pronoun errors (e.g., changing 'histhe' to 'the member's').

Section 3 (Merit System Commission) was reorganized to clarify definitions and appointment rules, removing redundant text and restructuring the layout for readability.

Section 19 (Utah Housing Corporation) was restructured to clarify the appointment of public trustees and the conflict of interest disclosure requirements.

Section 20 (Board of Tourism) was reorganized to clarify member selection criteria and the governor's ability to disregard industry recommendations.

Section 21 (Elected Official and Judicial Compensation Commission) was reorganized to clarify the appointment process and term staggering.

Section 22 (Board of Water Resources) was reorganized to clarify the relationship between the board's composition and the requirements of Section 79-2-203.

Section 23 (Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission) was reorganized to clarify appointment rules and voting thresholds for performance determinations.

Section 24 (Board of Mineral Industries) was reorganized to clarify member qualifications and political party limits.

TIMELINE

The timestamp at the end of the document was updated from '2-4-25 11:24 AM' to '2-7-25 7:25 AM'.

Substitute #3 → Substitute #4 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill revises membership rules for multiple state boards and commissions, primarily removing or modifying political party affiliation limits and eliminating legislative members from certain boards. The changes aim to reduce partisan constraints on appointments while maintaining diversity requirements and updating appointment procedures for various advisory bodies.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include additional code sections (67-1-2.5) not present in the previous version, and it now includes a coordination clause with another housing-related bill if both pass.

REQUIREMENT

Removed political party affiliation limits from several county and municipal boards, including the Civil Service Commission, County Fire Civil Service Council, and Merit System Commissions.

Modified the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee by removing a requirement that at least one legislative member be from a minority party.

Added a coordination clause that merges changes to the Utah Housing Corporation section with another bill (H.B. 360) if both become law.

Added a new code section (67-1-2.5) to the list of affected sections, though the full text of this amendment is not shown in the provided diff.

Modified the Utah Marriage Commission to allow the governor to appoint more than the usual political party limit if they first consult with minority leaders of both legislative chambers.

Modified the Alcoholic Beverage Services Commission to allow the governor to appoint more than four commissioners from the same party if they consult with minority leaders.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed legislative members (senators and representatives) from several boards including the State Workforce Development Board, Board of Tourism, and Utah Housing Corporation.

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill removes political party affiliation limits from many state boards and commissions, eliminates legislative members from certain boards, and makes technical updates to align with current laws. The changes aim to reduce partisan constraints on board composition and remove conflicts of interest by excluding legislators from advisory roles.

Scope change

The bill expands its scope by adding new sections affecting the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee and removing the Legislative Compensation Commission from the list of affected boards.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated political party affiliation limits for 24 different state boards and commissions that previously restricted how many members could belong to the same party.

Updated the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee to allow legislative members to serve in a public capacity rather than their legislative capacity.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed provisions allowing legislators to serve on certain boards, including the Legislative Compensation Commission and Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee.

TECHNICAL

Added new code sections for the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee and Legislative Compensation Commission to the list of affected statutes.

Made formatting and wording corrections throughout the bill to improve clarity and consistency.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill eliminates political party affiliation limits for members of various state boards and commissions, allowing the governor more flexibility in appointments. It also makes technical corrections to align language and formatting across multiple sections.

Scope change

The bill applies to 24 different state boards, commissions, and councils throughout Utah, removing political party caps that previously restricted how many members could belong to the same party.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated political party affiliation limits for the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism (previously capped at 10 members from same party)

Removed political party caps for the Civil Service Commission, County Fire Civil Service Council, Merit System Commissions, Air Quality Board, Drinking Water Board, Water Quality Board, Waste Management Board, Board of Aging and Adult Services, Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Appeals Board, Workforce Appeals Board, Legislative Compensation Commission, Oil Gas and Mining Board, State Money Management Council, State Bar Commission, Consumer Services Committee, Utah Housing Corporation, Board of Tourism, Elected Official Compensation Commission, Board of Water Resources, Judicial Performance Commission, and School and Institutional Trust Lands Board

Added diversity requirements for the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism, requiring the governor to consider race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability characteristics, and geography when making appointments

TECHNICAL

Made formatting and language corrections throughout the bill to improve consistency and clarity across multiple sections

Boards and Commissions Revisions

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