H.B. 180 Dangerous Weapons at Daycares and Schools: transcript

House Public Utilities and Energy Committee, Feb 12, 2026

1. Committee chair32:24

   We'll go on to our first agenda item, which is HB one 82nd, substitute dangerous weapons at daycares and schools. And we'll invite Representative Starter forward to present. Welcome.

2. Rep. Andrew Stoddard32:38

   Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee members. Uh, it's great to be here at pug, right? That's the, the official name, what I've been told. Um, so this is a bill that came out of a large firearm bill last year that representative Liz NBE had, uh, her bill was 99% reification, and then there was a little bit that was clarifying statute. So this was part of the clarifying statute. So, uh, I wanna be clear about what this bill does. It does not change the law regarding concealed carry on daycare or K 12 schools that is already existing in code. If a person wants to carry a firearm onto either of those premises, they have to have a valid concealed carry permit. It's already law. This bill doesn't change it. What there is, is some ambiguity in the law about how that person needs to carry. So this bill is based on some legislative history as well as other contexts dealing with school safety bills we've passed recently. And just click clarifies that a person needs to concealed carry on those premises. And that is all the bill does. And I'm open to any questions. Thank you, representative.

3. Committee chair33:59

   Uh, not seeing any questions from members. Oh, I lied. We're gonna go to Representative Albright.

4. Rep. Carl R. Albrecht34:07

   Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, question for the representative. What about, uh, after school activities?

5. Rep. Andrew Stoddard34:17

   Uh, thank you. That's a great question. Um, I, this was raised to me yesterday. I spoke with the drafting attorney. Um, it is not a clean easy fix. We weren't able to clarify anything in amendment before the committee, but that was an issue that was raised. So it is something I am looking into. It could be common amendment. It could. Mm-hmm. And the, the issue was definitions. You know, what's school sanctioned? What's not? Because I, I understand there's some concern because things like caucus nights are held at school events that don't have anything to do with the function of a school, but differentiating between those and like a, you know, a school basketball game or parent-teacher conference or things that are after school, but are school events. So that's, I've talked with the drafting attorney and we're looking into that, but it wasn't an easy amendable fix before committee.

6. Rep. Carl R. Albrecht35:07

   What about, uh, if, if this were approved, it would apply statewide?

7. Rep. Andrew Stoddard35:12

   Yeah. You're not gonna allow districts to form their own policy. No. And, and the reason is, is I think based on legislative history and other parts of statute, I think this is the widely understood interpretation of existing law. But this is just the clarification.

8. Rep. Carl R. Albrecht35:36

   Thank you. You, I'd encourage you to work on that amendment. I think that would help clarify a lot of things. Thank you.

9. Committee chair35:44

   Thank you. Um, seeing no other questions from members of the committee, we're gonna go to the public. Is there anybody here from the public that would like to speak to this? We got one. If you'll come forward, introduce yourself and who you represent. Do I have anybody? I know this guy. I see Clark.

10. Clark Aposhian, Chair, Utah Shooting Sports Council36:11

    I'll sign in after, if that's okay. Mr. Chair. My name is Clark Potion. I chair the Utah Shooting Sports Council, and I have been, um, asked to also relay, um, a position for the Women for Gun Rights Rail Cunningham's Group. Um, Utah Shooting Sports Council is in opposition to the bill as it stands right now. Um, I realize that Representative Stoddard has worked for quite a while on this one, and he has ameliorated, um, quite a bit and, and taken from, uh, last year's, uh, from a, from a bill, from Representative Libe last year. Some of our problems exist in, um, in that it's possession only, um, without the use or the threat of that, that firearm, just the mirror openly carrying of it. It, um, it doesn't speak to inadvertent or accidental display of the firearm or someone getting out of their vehicle and then walking around and putting a jacket on or something like that. Um, and to the degree that openly carrying a firearm creates a disruption of the school, of the teachers, of the staff and that type of thing, we think that existing loss 76 9 1 0 6 would probably better speak to it. Uh, because it actually in, in some ways, even goes beyond, um, what HB 180 asked for. Uh, because it, um, if a, um, it includes the property being used by the school for a school function even off of the property. And it, um, it's as if the person is there and they're creating an unreasonable or a substantial disruption or risk of disruption of a class activity program or other function of the school. And they remain on the property after being asked to leave. And that's an important distinction because it doesn't require law enforcement to arrive to do that. Any school official can come in there and say, Hey, you gotta leave. If they don't leave, then they're obviously in violation. Another interesting thing about this is it's a B misdemeanor. B misdemeanor, BS and CS can be handled by city attorneys. They don't have to go all the way to the DA and then get pled down to, you know, nothing. Um, it does not speak to daycares, though, um, and the, uh, the, during school hours, I mean, we obviously that that would be a, an improvement on the bill or not during the summertime, not during, when kids aren't even present. Um, so that is, uh, that's my, that's, that's our thoughts on that. Thank you very much.

11. Committee chair39:01

    Thank you so much. Not seeing anyone else in the room. We're gonna go to Kathy Adams online. If you will unmute and turn on your camera. Please introduce yourself and who you represent. Hi, can you hear me? We can hear you. We cannot see you. Okay. Let's see. Can you see me now? We can't, but for the sake of time, go ahead.

12. Kathy Adams, resident40:24

    Um, okay. Lemme just, uh, it just, I, You know, I, I feel like the opposition to this bill is just attempting to distract with details. And, um, you know, gun violence is an epidemic in this country, and we should be pursuing policies like HB 180 aimed at ending this epidemic. You know, a 40 year study found no evidence that armed officers or teachers or citizens present school shootings. And it's clear that this is a common sense, bill. You know it, I know it, but I've come to understand that it doesn't really matter what I think, because no matter what I say in committee meetings as a citizen, or what common sense logic you hear from Representative Stoddard, these, um, you know, these important bills are shopped to committees to ensure they never see the light of day. I texted everyone in this committee yesterday, and only one apparently read my text. And that person told me he had already decided how he was boiling. And that's what happened to me last time. I came to a committee meeting and saw Trevor Lee sitting outside the meeting with his legs crossed because he'd already decided how he was voting, which leaves me wondering, what are we doing here? Who, who's telling these committees how to vote and how does this kind of bill not go to the law enforcement committee, but ends up in public utilities? And these, these are upsetting to me, and I, I know that HB 180 is a good common sense Bill, and it should pass outta the committee, and it shouldn't get distracted by, by details that are, are ire irrelevant to the actual question of whether guns should be open carried, uh, in public schools and daycares. Thank you.

13. Committee chair42:51

    Thank you for your comments. Um, not seeing any other public comment, we will bring it back to the committee for further action Representative ship.

14. Rep. Rex P. Shipp43:12

    Yeah. Thank you Mr. Chair. I, I'd, uh, like to make a motion to hold the bill and speak to that. Go ahead. Yeah, I think we've had some good discussion based on some of the testimony and, and actually, uh, Representative Stoddard has indicated, I think there's a few little things that could be tweaked and fixed on it, uh, to get it to a point where we could probably Okay. Be okay with it. And, uh, so, you know, we're encouraged to do our work in the committee, so I think rather than move it forward, I think we should give you an opportunity to, to to, to address some of those things and then bring it back. So that's my motion.

15. Committee chair43:56

    Okay. Thank you. I'm gonna go to the sponsor for any discussion.

16. Rep. Andrew Stoddard44:02

    I'm, I'm up to the will of the committee. Um, this is an issue I, I would love to keep working on. Like I said, uh, it's, it's more complicated fix than I initially had intended, but I, I'm happy to keep working on it.

17. Committee chair44:14

    Okay. I'm gonna come back to the committee for any discussion, not seeing any, um, I'll go back to the sponsor for summation. I'll waive All right, back to the motion maker. I'll Waive. Alright.

18. Committee chair44:30

    The motion before US committee is that we hold HB one 82nd substitute dangerous weapons in daycares and, and schools. Uh, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Rule that motion passes unanimously. Thank you, Representative Stoddard.