HJR 6: Joint Rules Resolution - Legislative Process Amendments - Utah

Amended 2/21/2025 14:02:242 → Substitute #1 · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's legislative rules to modernize how the Legislature operates, including changes to electronic meeting procedures, budget approval timelines, and how legislation is sponsored and prioritized. The changes streamline processes for legislators who leave office, clarify committee meeting attendance rights, and update deadlines for passing key fiscal bills.

Scope change

The bill applies to all Utah legislators, legislative committees, and legislative staff offices, with specific changes affecting how bills are drafted, sponsored, and passed through the legislative process.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that Senate and House Rules committees must meet annually to review joint rules, giving the Legislature more flexibility in rule-making.

Added provisions allowing roll call votes during electronic meetings and clarified attendance requirements for virtual legislative sessions.

Restricted committee bill sponsors from making more than two changes to a bill before it is officially numbered.

Authorized chairs of the Legislative Process Committee and Rules Review and General Oversight Committee to independently open committee bill files under specific conditions.

TIMELINE

Changed the Executive Appropriations Committee meeting deadline from 'third Wednesday in December' to ensure annual budget certification to the governor.

Adjusted deadlines for passing fiscal note bills and the final appropriations bill to occur by the 44th and 45th days of the annual session respectively.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated procedures for when legislators who resign, die, or move chambers can transfer their pending legislation to new sponsors.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for terms like 'committee bill file,' 'anchor location,' and 'technical correction' to clarify legislative procedures.

Amended 2/13/2025 10:02:59 → Amended 2/21/2025 14:02:242 · 9 edits

MAJOR

This amendment to HJR 6 removes the requirement that Senate and House Rules Committees meet annually to review joint rules, clarifies electronic meeting procedures including roll call votes, modifies performance reporting requirements, requires the Executive Appropriations Committee to meet annually to approve staff budgets, clarifies when legislators can file requests for legislation when unable to serve, prohibits transferring sponsorship more than once, clarifies subcommittee composition requirements, and authorizes chairs of certain committees to independently open committee bill files.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the annual review requirement for joint rules, and applicability was clarified through updated definitions and procedural requirements for electronic meetings, legislation sponsorship, and committee operations.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that Senate and House Rules Committees meet annually to review joint rules

Clarified electronic meeting procedures including how to conduct roll call votes and attendance requirements

Modified performance reporting requirements for legislative offices to include specific submission deadlines and content

Prohibited transferring sponsorship on legislation more than once

Clarified that subcommittees must include at least one senator and one representative

Authorized chairs of the Legislative Process Committee and Rules Review and General Oversight Committee to independently open committee bill files

TIMELINE

Required the Executive Appropriations Committee to meet annually to approve legislative staff office budgets and certify the Legislature's budget to the governor

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified procedures for when legislators unable to serve can transfer their legislation requests to other legislators

DEFINITION

Updated definitions related to committee bills, committee bill files, and legislative sponsors

Amended Excerpts 2/21/2025 14:02:242 → Amended 2/13/2025 10:02:59 · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's legislative rules to clarify procedures for transferring legislation sponsorship, modify how legislative rules are adopted and reviewed, and update various administrative processes. The changes affect how bills move through the legislative system, how committees operate, and how certain procedural requirements are handled.

Scope change

The bill applies to the Utah Legislature's internal procedures and rules governing how legislation is processed, sponsored, and reviewed.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that Senate and House Rules committees must meet annually to review joint rules

Changed the maximum number of times a chief sponsor can change legislation from once to twice

Added restrictions on transferring sponsorship of legislation more than once

Added requirements for committee subcommittees to include at least one senator and one representative

Modified the process for directing roll call votes during electronic meetings

Added requirement for Executive Appropriations Committee to meet annually to approve legislative staff budgets

Modified legislative staff offices' reporting requirements related to performance measures

TIMELINE

Modified deadlines related to passage of final appropriations bills and fiscal note bills

Amended Excerpts 2/13/2025 10:02:59 → Amended Excerpts 2/21/2025 14:02:242 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to renumber line references and update statutory citations to reflect recent legislative changes. The amendments also clarify the conditions under which a request for legislation can be transferred to another legislator, specifically when a legislator resigns or is expelled from office.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains unchanged; these are technical corrections to line numbers and statutory references.

TECHNICAL

Line number references were updated from lines 588-590 to lines 561-564 to reflect the current document structure.

Statutory citations were updated to correct references from JR4-2-102 to JR4-2-101, aligning with current code sections.

Formatting adjustments were made to the House Committee Amendments page header.

REQUIREMENT

New text was added specifying that legislation transfer requests apply when a legislator resigns or is expelled from office.

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 2/13/2025 10:02:59 · 3 edits

MINOR

This amendment clarifies that a bill's chief sponsor can only change the legislation more than once (previously twice), and updates formatting and numbering references in related rules. It also makes minor technical corrections to committee note procedures and subcommittee creation requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Reduced the number of times a chief sponsor can change legislation from two to one, limiting legislative flexibility during the drafting process.

TECHNICAL

Updated formatting and numbering references in multiple sections to ensure consistency across the Joint Rules.

Clarified procedures for committee notes and subcommittee membership requirements to ensure proper legislative record-keeping.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 10 edits

MAJOR

This bill modifies Utah's legislative rules to streamline processes for drafting legislation, improve committee meeting transparency, clarify electronic meeting procedures, and adjust deadlines for passing fiscal bills. The changes aim to modernize legislative operations while maintaining oversight and accountability.

Scope change

The bill applies to all Utah legislators, legislative committees, and legislative staff offices, with specific modifications to how legislation is drafted, sponsored, and processed through committees.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the annual requirement for Senate and House Rules Committees to review joint rules, giving the Legislature more flexibility in rule-making schedules.

Clarified electronic meeting procedures, including requirements for remote participation, attire standards, and the ability to conduct roll call votes during electronic meetings.

Changed the maximum number of times a chief sponsor can transfer sponsorship from more than once to more than twice.

Clarified that subcommittees must include at least one senator and one representative when created by a legislative committee.

Modified the process for opening committee bill files, allowing chairs of certain committees to independently open files under specific conditions.

Clarified reimbursement procedures for legislative travel, including lodging, meals, and transportation costs, with oversight by the Legislative Expenses Oversight Committee.

TIMELINE

Adjusted deadlines for passing fiscal note bills and the final appropriations bill, moving the appropriations deadline to noon on the 45th day of the annual general session.

Adjusted the deadline for the Executive Appropriations Committee to certify the Legislature's budget to the governor to no later than December 1 of each calendar year.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated sponsorship rules to address scenarios when chief sponsors resign, die, or move to the opposite chamber, including provisions for transferring sponsorship to other legislators.

DEFINITION

Updated definitions in JR7-1-101 to clarify terms like 'committee bill file,' 'interim committee,' and 'special committee' to improve clarity on legislative processes.

Joint Rules Resolution - Legislative Process Amendments

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