HB 232 Higher Education Tuition for Active Duty Military would provide residency status at state colleges and universities for members of the military who are residents of Utah before they leave for active duty and who immediately return to Utah after their service is completed.
HB 299 Medical Recommendations for Children - Last year, this bill was approved by both the House and Senate, but vetoed by the Governor. HB 299 encourages teachers and school administrators to discuss behavioral and developmental concerns with parents, but does not allow the prescribing of psychotropic drugs to be a prerequisite for continued school attendance.
HB 160 Construction Standard Amendments. Two years ago, I sponsored a bill that created a state-wide database for the filing of construction notices. It was implemented last May after over a year of development. Based on continued input from users and various organizations within the construction industry, I am proposing a standardized permit numbering system that would allow those filing notices to more easily identify and link to construction projects.
HB 429 Methamphetamine - Restriction on Components would control the distribution of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, primary ingredients in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, by requiring that over-the-counter medications which contain these ingredients be kept in a secure location. It would also limit the amount that could be purchased at one time and a log would be kept which would require the purchaser to show valid identification. This is modeled after an Oklahoma law which significantly cut the manufacture of methamphetamine in just the first two years.
I may mention that the website for the Utah State Legislature was recently voted the best in the nation for providing access to democracy in a user-friendly way. For those who are interested in tracking particular bills, learning more about the process, or even listening to a live feed of the proceedings, www.le.state.ut.us is a great resource. Try it out. As always, I would enjoy hearing from you at mikemorley@utah.gov.
HB 132 Local Land Use Requirements prohibits counties and municipalities from withholding a building permit because of an applicant's failure to comply with a requirement that is not expressed in ordinance and prohibits counties and municipalities from imposing a requirement on a holder of a building permit if that requirement is not expressed in the building permit.
HB 396 Amendments to Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans. Currently, a veteran who has been found by the Veteran’s Administration to have a permanent disability is given a property tax exemption based on their percentage of disability. That exemption has to be applied for each year. This bill provides for a one-time application instead of an annual application.
HB 150 Workers’ Compensation Revisions provides clarification that the burden of proof in permanent disability claims lies with the employee. It gives the Labor Commission sole jurisdiction in the adjudication of claims as it relates to collections and the reasonableness of the claim. Primarily, though, this bill provides additional protection against personal injury suits for employers who meet specific levels of safety and training, making workers compensation the sole remedy for injured employees and creating less burden for the courts.
HB 246 Health Care Cost and Quality Data authorizes the Health Data Committee, as funding is available, to collect data on the costs of episodes of health care and to then develop a plan to measure and compare costs of episodes of care. The hope is that this will moderate costs for specific services throughout the state and could potentially lead to lower health care and insurance costs.
