June 17 , 2009
 
Important issues of health care, ethics, education, and energy policy will
be debated by interim committees on Capitol Hill today.  They meet from 9
to noon and from 2 to 5 PM.

THIS MORNING

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES discussions of H1N1 flu pandemic preparedness and
managing services for people with disabilities in light of the budget
crunch are continuing today .  A bill introduced last session, HB 189,
Instruction in Health Amendments, will be discussed.  It requires sex
education in public schools to be age-appropriate and medically accurate
and to include more information about contraception, more family
involvement and broader discussions of sexuality. (250 State Capitol)

EDUCATION will hear a proposal to make educational resources produced by
school districts available to the public.  Then Senator Valentine and
Higher Education Commissioner Sederburg will explore ways to increase the
number of engineers trained in Utah.  An initiative by states to create
national common standards in English, language arts and math to help
students who move from state to state, will be discussed by State
Superintendent Patti Harrington. (445 State Capitol)

The ETHICS COMMITTEE will consider information from the Office of
Legislative Research that they need for future legislation.  Topics include
the Utah State Bar’s ethics deliberation process, jurisdictions and
authority of other Ethics Commissions, and the relationship between Ethics
Commissions and State Constitutions. (450 State Capitol)

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY will consider ways to improve Utah’s
natural gas vehicle fueling infrastructure and hear a Utah Renewable Energy
Zone Task Force report on the 9 issues it has chosen to study.  The
potential use of federal stimulus money for utilities, transmission line
upgrades, renewable energy and net metering will be explained by Pacificorp
and Questar.  They'll also hear reports on the results, including savings,
of consolidating the state Data Center and consider expanding the Universal
Service Fund for telephone service to include other telecommunication such
as broadband Internet. (20 House Building)


THIS AFTERNOON

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT  (210 Senate Building) Up for
discussion are coal gasification, water requirements for oil shale
development and nuclear power development, the state plan to implement new
PM2.5 air quality standards, coal mining and reclamation fees, and state
and local government rights under the R.S. 2477 road plan.


BUSINESS AND LABOR is reviewing Utah Division of Real Estate requirements
for mortgage licensing and appraisal management companies.  Issues include
whether appraisals are adequate for lending and foreclosure consultants
fraud. Recodification of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act is also on the
agenda.  (210 Senate Building)

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS (30 House Building) will
consider a list of possible election law changes – mostly technical and
administrative - with Michael Cragun from the Lt. Governor’s office.
Government oversight issues:  expense reimbursement for state agency
boards, information needed to set state employee salaries, and how the
four-day work week for state employees is affecting employees, citizens and
the state budget

OTHER AFTERNOON COMMITTEES

JUDICIARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT & CRIMINAL JUSTICE (30 House Building) Topics
for today are the statute of limitations for bad checks, *prison inmate
health insurance coverage, illegal online drug purchases, and duration and
termination of alimony

REVENUE & TAXATION (445 State Capitol) A required review of the Brine
Shrimp Royalty Act is first on the agenda.  The committee will discuss
imposition of property taxes by local entities with non-elected boards –
entities such as cemetery maintenance, drainage, metropolitan water and
water conservancy districts.  After adjournment at 4:00, three working
groups will meet: property tax, local option transportation sales tax, and
tax penalties and tax credit apportionment.

WORKFORCE SERVICES & COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The committee will
hear an update on the new Eligibility Services Division and eREP Computer
System and a report on the *solvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust
Fund.  A “Manufacturing Incentive,” will be presented by Rep Brent Wallis.
Discussions of *drug testing of welfare recipients and Business Resource
Centers are also scheduled. (450 State Capitol)

TRANSPORTATION (20 House Building) A report from UTA on *Paratransit
Services is first on the agenda.
Sunset review of statutes scheduled to end in 2010:
       (A) Motor Vehicle Insurance Reporting and Uninsured Motorist
Identification Database Program
       (B) High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Exception for Clean Fuel Special
Group License Plates.
Annual reports on the status and progress of transportation capacity
project priorities and on proposed additions to or deletions from the state
highway system.
Discuss compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act.

Sandy Peck
League of Women Voters