Verona Mauga

This incorporates lessons learned from implementation. Uh, be happy to answer any questions Mr. President.

Can I make a chair or am a motion? Mr. Chair? You may. Okay. I would like to make a motion to favorably recommend SB 2 48 Childcare Expansion Act. That motion is, or would you like to speak to it? Yeah, Just, I support the bill and I appreciate the sponsor bringing it forward. I mean, access to reliable childcare is something that parents face every day, and I think this is a great solution for partnership. Thank you.

I thank you chair and thank you committee. Uh, you know, this is a bill I actually brought to your committee last year and we passed here, um, but it died on the last night. It's a simple fix to our restricted person's statute right now in Utah. If someone is found guilty, um, not guilty by reason of insanity or found mentally incompetent to stand trial, they are restricted from possessing a firearm, but only if it's a felony. This bill closes that gap and aligns us with federal law. Um, if a court has already determined that someone is insane or not competent to stand trial, this just applies that same standard across the board and that's all …

Thank you for your time, Mr. Chair and committee. I, I think just one last point I'll make is that, um, not only do we have a robust, um, system to determine if someone is mentally incompetent or if they're gonna plead insanity, um, but there is also a pathway to receive your, your rights back. And I, I think that's an important note. Um, because sometimes we are, um, sometimes we, there are situations or times in our life where we, we do need additional supports or, or we're incapable of, um, of, of standing trial in our own criminal case. And, um, and then you get better. And so I just wanna point that out that there is …

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd like to concur with the changes made in the Senate.

Yes, just briefly. Um, this is my animal amendments bill. The issue that we are trying to solve is that once animals are impounded because they are part of a criminal case, um, they are stuck in limbo at our overcrowded shelters. Um, what our friends in the Senate did was they helped me clean this bill up a lot. And so if you look at the old bill and you look at the new sub, um, it just does a very simple thing. It still resolves the issue that we have, but it just makes it so that now there's an opportunity and options for animals to be placed not only in a shelter, but they can go to …

Thank you. Um, I also just wanna thank everyone who showed up. Uh, you know, it takes a lot to a lot of courage to come and be vulnerable. I appreciate everything you share today. Um, and I also wanna say to the Bill sponsor, I appreciate the improvements in this substitute. It's remarkably better than where it started under Ripley. Um, but my job is to look at how this affects all people. And, and so when I'm looking at this, I'm thinking about our entire state. I'm thinking about my district and I'm thinking about my trans brother-in-law who lives with me. I still have a lot of concerns in this bill. I think it opens us up …

Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, may I ask a question of the sponsor? Yes, thank you. Okay. I, I totally understand why you're running this bill. It makes sense to me. Um, but there are some things that I do have questions about. How do we distinguish between unlawful road obstruction and a protest where people are trying to follow the guidelines, um, but maybe they get stuck in the crosswalk and we know how it is when there's a lot of people crossing at the same time and the light turns. Um, we may have 50 people or so caught in the middle of the crosswalk. Do they now get a felony?

Yes, I do. Is it okay, Mr. Chair, if they present with me? Certainly. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair and committee. Um, HB 1 72 Food Safety Amendments is a bill that actually came from a small business owner, um, Chad Pritchard, who is sitting right here. Um, he expressed to me, um, that certifying multiple food safety managers every three years was being costly. As a restaurant owner myself, um, I could totally relate to it. Spoke with other restaurant owners and, um, this was something they were also fill, filling in their pockets. As I looked into this issue, I learned that the certification exam updates every four years, which is why the national standard for this …

Yeah, this just addresses a gap in our food safety code and, and again, it just aligns us with the national standard. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And committee HB 87 addresses a gap in current law involving animals that are lawfully impounded in connection with criminal animal cruelty cases. When someone is charged with an animal with animal abuse, the criminal case can take months or even years to resolve. During that time, the animal involved often remains in a shelter with no clear legal mechanism to determine long-term placement. This places a strain on already. Overcrowded shelters impact the wellbeing of the animal and can become a significant burden on taxpayers. In some cases, the cost to house and care for a single animal during a case can reach tens of thousands of dollars. This bill creates a defined court process …

Um, I, so this is, I I don't believe so. And, and hopefully I I think there's others in the room who might be able to answer it better than I can. Um, but this actually goes through an actual court hearing. I believe when it has to do with the children, it doesn't, there's a judgment that can be made that doesn't go through trial. And, and this does go through a court procedure,

Well, it does, but it says in line 2 98. Only if, if they have already ordered the animal rights to be forfeited as part of the criminal case. But yeah, you're, if, if, if they do go through that, it does say that.

So, so what we're, what we're wanting to address in this is if the animal is involved in an animal ac cruelty case and it's, it's been abused. And so while the case is pending, the judge, the courts are able to address this part that would normally be addressed. Um, it just makes it so we can address it sooner than later.

Thank you. Um, just a question around possible fiscal or, or legal risks. I mean, any, any time we, um, seek to remove or limit or amend, um, rights to appeal, um, are we opening perhaps any litigation risk in this case?

I'd like to make a motion to Fab favorably recommend HB 94 criminal accounts receivable amendments to the full body

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. HB 1 72 Food Safety Amendments is a narrow bill that does just two things. First, it updates the renewal period for certified Food Safety Managers from three years to five years. And let me be clear, this only applies to certified food safety managers, not food handler permits. Moving to a five year renewal brings Utah in line with the National standard. The certification exam itself is updated every four years to reflect current food science, which is why the National Renewal Cycle is five years. This change doesn't lower any food safety standards. It simply reduces unnecessary costs and paperwork, especially for small businesses while keeping the same public health protections in place. Sorry,

Okay. Thank you, representative. Thank you. And second, the fa the bill clarifies food safety exemptions. So if you are a restaurant and you're donating to a nonprofit, a community organization, it makes it so that you don't have to get any certification or pay any additional fees. You can use your restaurant license when you're donating foods. And really, that's it, that's all the bill does. It's a simple clarification. And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro Tem. This bill creates a clear legal process for animals seized in cruelty cases. Um, sometimes, well, oftentimes it takes years, um, months for animals who are in trapped in a cruelty case. Um, during that times, animals are often held in shelters, um, stuck in limbo. This creates an overcrowding strain on our shelters. It also creates a burden on taxpayers as we are the ones who end up footing the bill for animals in, in the shelters. Um, it also establishes a court supervised process, um, and, and it respects due process at the same time. Um, this bill protects owners' rights for all addressing animal welfare. It doesn't expand seizure authority. It …

No. It, it does not. Those protections are still in place and it doesn't affect, um, hunting dogs or animal farm animals.

Again, all this bill is doing is speeding up the process when a case involves animal cruelty for pets, dog fights. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Representative Albrecht.

Um, again, this is just addressing a very specific issue. Um, I had the opportunity in November to visit the animal shelter and, um, I'll just share one incident from that visit. There was a dog there that had been there for three years. Um, it was involved in a criminal case that involved a lot of different things. Um, but because we couldn't address the animal cruelty part in court, um, we spent thousands of thousands of taxpayer dollars. It was a strain on the shelter, and this is happening all across our state in different animal shelters. Um, and with that, I ask for your support on this bill. Thank you.

Representative Mauga. Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro tem HB 86 is a narrow clarification to Utah's restricted person statute relating to dangerous weapons. This bill says that when a court finds someone not guilty by reason of insanity or mentally incompetent to stand trial in a criminal case, that individual is considered a restricted person for purposes of possessing dangerous weapons, regardless of whether the underlying charge is a felony or a misdemeanor. Right now, Utah law applies that restriction only when the case involves a felony. HB 86 removes that distinction and instead focuses on the court's mental capacity finding. I wanna be very clear about what this bill is and what it is not. First, this bill respects …

Yes. Thank you for the question, Mr. Speaker. Pro tem, uh, that particular situation probably wouldn't, um, be affected at all. These findings only happen after thorough evaluation. Um, again, it's a rigorous evaluation process and the judge has to determine that this person is mentally incapable or they plea insanity.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker Pro tem HB 86 is a clarification bill. It just aligns federal law with Utah law, um, and it it's a good bill. It, it creates a pathway. There's also already a pathway to restore your rights. Thank you. I ask for your support.

Thank you. And I wanna thank Representative Defay, um, and policy project for all the work you've been doing. Thank you. Emily. Uh, we spoke earlier and I said I didn't have any questions, but I'm just checking my email and it looks like my constituents have questions. And so I just wanna ask if you could help us understand the policy goal for making parental leave optional for school employees, especially since prior legislation efforts work to keep parental leave aligned between state employees and school employees, and how we would evaluate that impact.

This works out. Thank you. Alright. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Committee. Uh, this is another bill that I brought to you all last session. Um, it passed here, just died on the last night. Um, and so this bill has one clear goal. It's to create a court supervised process for what happens to animals after they're lawfully seized. While a criminal animal abuse case is pending, it applies only to animals held in connection with a criminal animal abuse case. And it doesn't change existing livestock or agriculture exemptions under animal cruelty laws. It also doesn't apply simply because an owner is incarcerated. It's narrowly tied to existing criminal animal abuse statutes. Law enforcement already has the authority …

It's manga, the G There's, imagine there's an N in front of the g Manga.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee. I'll be speaking to substitute one, HB 1 72 Food Safety Amendments. It's about keeping people safe while removing unnecessary barriers for small businesses, nonprofits, and community events. This bill does just two things. First, it updates the Food Safety Manager certification renewal period from three years to five years, which aligns with national standards. The certification exam itself is updated on a regular cycle approximately every four years to reflect current food safety, science, and best practices. Hence why the National standard is five years instead of three. This change doesn't lower or alter any of the food safety standards. It just reduces unnecessary administrative and financial standards, um, burdens on small businesses …

That would be correct. It would just mean that if you own a food establishment and you're already licensed under your establishment and you're donating to these events and you have a food safety manager on site, you won't need any additional licensing because the license that you have for your, your restaurant or your establishment is enough.

Sure. I just wanna say thank you guys for your time and, and hearing us out this afternoon. And I'll, I'll just state again that this doesn't weaken food safety standards. Um, this is also a bill that I took to the Health department. I wanted to ensure that there wasn't something that I was missing. Um, and we all agree that this follows national standards and, and it makes sense to follow that. So thank you.

Thank you. Uh, Madam Chair, uh, forget the question. It's really, uh, based on my unfamiliarity between the terms that are being equated here, but is there a defacto difference between, uh, a finance officer and an auditor in terms of professional qualifications or certifications in practical day-to-day operations? That's

Okay. Thank you. Um, chair, I don't know if I'm doing this right. I, I have something to say. I don't know if it's discussion to the motion. Um, I, I would like to speak To the, and I apologize for pronouncing your name incorrectly. Manga? Yes. Thank you. Okay. I appreciate it. Um, speaker, I just wanna say I support the concept and the effort to strengthen public safety and to prioritize victims' voices. The work that I am prioritizing this year, and and I've always prioritized, is the voices of victims. Um, they often, too often they go unheard. And so I wanna say thank you to the victims who showed up today to share your personal stories …

This is House Bill 86. Thank you Mr. Chair and colleagues. Um, this is the bill I brought to your committee last session. Got a lot of really good feedback from you all. We were able to make some adjustments, um, and then it passed here unanimously. Hoping to get, um, some support and answer any questions you guys have today. Uh, this bill addresses when someone is prohibited from possessing dangerous weapons after a court has determined that they aren't mentally capable of understanding or participating in their own criminal case, or not criminally responsible to due to mental illness. What this bill does is straightforward it, if a court finds an individual not guilty by reason of insanity …

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, this is HB 34 Victims' Rights Amendments. It's a bill that, um, was heard in the interim and passed unanimously. It, it's a cleanup bill, uh, from HB 3 0 8, which passed in 2024. After a year of using that process, a few clarifications were needed. So that statute reflects what's working in practice. And so the bill just codifies an improved process to better support victims alleging violations of their rights. It places the victim's rights coordinator role into statute a position that already exists and is functioning, and it incorporates lessons learned from implementation. Um, it doesn't expend victim's rights or authority and it doesn't carry a fiscal note. It just brings …

I am asking if we could lift this bill and, and move it to criminal justice. We've done some work on it with some of the members on that committee. And so it, um, it's a bill that died last session, but passed the house and committee, so I'd like to take it back there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker House Bill 34 is about our victim's rights committees, which operate in each of our eight judicial districts. These committees have been around since the 1990s, reviewing questions and complaints from victims, and issuing findings that are focused on support and accountability and helping v helping victims find resources. After a year of using the updated process, it's become clear that a few parts of statute need to be cleaned up so the process is clearer and more consistent statewide. And that's what this bill does. It's a cleanup bill from HB 3 0 8, and so it doesn't change or expand victim rights or create anything new. It does force simple things. It puts the …