Legislators / Raymond P. Ward
Raymond P. Ward
Republican · House District 19
Hear from them directly
Contact Rep. Raymond P. Ward
- Email: rayward@le.utah.gov
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Watch or join a meeting
Every committee hearing and floor session is open to the public and streamed live on le.utah.gov. Each committee's agenda has the link to watch or join online, and how to sign up for public comment.
Raymond P. Ward serves on:
- Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee
- House Health and Human Services Committee
- House Political Subdivisions Committee
- Health and Human Services Interim Committee
- Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee
- Medical Cannabis Governance Structure Working Group
What they've said
343 remarks on 80 billsH.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Explains that the Senate made two changes: an agreement on how fast the brine shrimp assessment money would be paid and on the assessment rate, which would return to its rate of four years ago, and a settlement over adjacent lands near the Great Salt Lake that the bill allows to be finalized.
▶ Watch at 7:55Read what they said
Yes, I would. There were two good changes that, uh, took place, um, in the Senate. When the bill left here, there was still some battling back and forth about how fast it would be implemented and what the, the rate would be. On the Brian Shrimp assessment. The parties involved came to a a, a better agreement so the money will go sooner and the Brian Shrimp assessment will return to the rate that it was four years ago. The other agreement, uh, the other bit that is put in the bill, relates to a settlement. Uh, that the, that we are just in the process of finalizing with some lands that are directly adjacent to the Salt Lake, …
S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Speaks in support of the bill, saying it would give the public basic information on how tax increment districts are valued and how their money is spent.
▶ Watch at 42:10Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill. Um, this is just such an important step as we have created tax increment district after tax increment, district after tax increment district, each with different rules, even the very basics of reporting of how things are going that we have had forever for the old type of redevelopment areas that we made just have not been in place. A person who wanted to know how much was that property worth when we made it, how much is that property worth now, what is the basics of how the money is being spent, has not been able to find that information and this is just a great …
S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Supports the bill, saying it adds reporting that would let residents see original and current property values and how tax increment money is spent.
▶ Watch at 42:10Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill. Um, this is just such an important step as we have created tax increment district after tax increment, district after tax increment district, each with different rules, even the very basics of reporting of how things are going that we have had forever for the old type of redevelopment areas that we made just have not been in place. A person who wanted to know how much was that property worth when we made it, how much is that property worth now, what is the basics of how the money is being spent, has not been able to find that information and this is just a great …
S.B. 284 Local Land and Water Modifications · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Supports the bill, saying it would allow external ADUs in most places while cities keep control, and that smaller and less expensive housing is needed.
▶ Watch at 54:41Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill because it will allow external ADUs in, in most places still what the city's able to control. But if we want housing to get cheaper, we've gotta find ways to allow smaller housing and ways to allow less expensive housing. And this is one great way that has been worked on for a long time and I'm so glad to see it come to this conclusion.
S.B. 284 Local Land and Water Modifications · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Rises in support, saying the bill keeps city control over external accessory dwelling units and helps move toward less expensive housing.
▶ Watch at 54:41Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill because it will allow external ADUs in, in most places still what the city's able to control. But if we want housing to get cheaper, we've gotta find ways to allow smaller housing and ways to allow less expensive housing. And this is one great way that has been worked on for a long time and I'm so glad to see it come to this conclusion.
S.B. 170 Vitamin K Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Explains that the bill concerns giving vitamin K to newborns to help protect against blood clots, that substitutions removed any requirement on parents, and that it directs hospital staff to give parents accurate information.
▶ Watch at 2:38:53Read what they said
Uh, this bill relates to the administration of vitamin K. Uh, when a, a newborn, uh, is born that helps protect the baby against blood clots. The bill's had a bunch of substitutions made to it so that it doesn't have any requirement on the parents at all. It's directed towards the staff in the hospital who is providing the information to the parents and their newborn so that they can have accurate information about how the vitamin K can help protect their child against bleeding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
S.B. 288 Medicaid Provider Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Supports the bill, saying social services providers have gone years without inflation adjustments and the bill would provide some of them.
▶ Watch at 1:16:33Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just would like to rise in support of this bill. Um, in social services, we have a trouble just keeping up with inflation. Some of the, some of the things in social services do get inflationary adjustments. We pay our, our ACOs, um, our large organizations that manage Medicaid services for them, we pay them a statutory increase every year. Um, state employees at least get consideration for an inflationary adjustment every year. They don't get it every year, but it gets considered. But in social services, we have a large number of services that just go out through contractors. The people who provide the services are not state employees. Um, these are foster families, …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Says the Senate amendment changes the due date of a reporting requirement to the HHS Interim Committee from November to August, so there is time to consider any resulting changes.
▶ Watch at 1:25:25Read what they said
I would. This is a very simple change. The bill had in a reporting requirement from ORS back to the HHS Interim Committee, um, after some meetings that they were to have had with the people whom they served. And the Senate Amendment just moved that from November to August. Uh, so that if there were things that came from that that would lead to improvements or changes, that there would still be time for those to be thought about after the report.
S.B. 150 Healthcare Providers Scope of Practice Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Speaks in support of the bill, saying the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel has been helpful and that the bill adds a way for industry to request review of a license class when new technology applies.
▶ Watch at 2:00:45Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Pro Tem. Um, I just wanna rise in support of the bill. It was a little, the bill was a little puzzling to me at first about what it accomplished, but I finally got my head around that. I think we, LAR has done a good job. It's a relatively recent office here in the state, but they've done quite a bit for us already in helping provide more information. When we are deciding what different license classes can do what, but right now there's, there's really two ways that LER takes action. One is they review all of our license classes on a 10 year interval. If 10 years rolls around, they'll, they'll review it …
S.B. 174 Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asks how a patient would be served at an outpatient clinic if a provider has a moral objection to prescribing contraception.
▶ Watch at 16:15Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Vice chair. Some of these things seem to slot easily into my head. Some of 'em, I, maybe you could help me understand how it works. So, if there was a provider who was working in an outpatient clinic, and that provider had a moral objection to writing prescriptions for contraception, and someone just scheduled a visit with them, they, that person might not have known that they had that objection and came in and wanted to get their blood pressure medicine and also a contraceptive. What would the procedure be? How would that patient still get served? And what would the provider or clinic be expected to do in a setting like that?
S.B. 174 Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asks whether a patient would have to call DHHS to get a provider.
▶ Watch at 19:02Read what they said
Um, let's see. Let me go back for one second. Wait, I'm sorry. They would have to call DHHS to get a provider.
S.B. 174 Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asks whether a provider who signed an in-network contract can still object under the bill, and says the contract would govern.
▶ Watch at 20:03Read what they said
Okay. So if, for example, I signed a contract, um, to be in network and to see all patients, and that required that I dispense emergency contraceptive or whatever the fact pattern was, that contract governs over the individual objection, because you can't have it both ways. Sign a contract and then back out of the contract with a conscience. Objection. Okay. Thanks. Yes, Thank you.
S.B. 174 Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asks the sponsor and Robin Wilson to explain how a healthcare provider may bring a suit against the Department of Health.
▶ Watch at 24:27Read what they said
Thank, thank you. I have another question for the sponsor, if I might. So, the bill down in court actions allows a healthcare provider to bring a suit against the Department of Health. What, talk me through what would have to happen before that person could then bring a lawsuit against the Department of Health? You have a line you're referring to? Yeah, Like 4 67 through four 70. Well, 4, 4 67 talks about filing a complaint with them, and then 4 76 talks about bringing a court action against them. Thank you for that. Uh, professor, do you wanna take a crack and then I'll
S.B. 174 Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asks whether a provider may still bring a complaint if DHHS investigates and takes action.
▶ Watch at 27:53Read what they said
Thank you. If I might one, one follow more follow-up question. So, does the language mean that if the department, uh, because right, the whole phrase at what, at 4 76 starts by saying, if the DHHS fails to investigate and take action, then the per healthcare provider may bring a complaint. So does that mean that if DHHS does investigate that the person may not bring a complaint?
S.B. 281 Senior Nutrition Private Donation Incentives · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asked whether the structure relies on local groups putting in funds that the state then matches.
▶ Watch at 35:20Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Vice chair. So is there, I mean, the structure is to hope to get matching funds, right? Where some local group puts some funds in, and then the state matches
S.B. 281 Senior Nutrition Private Donation Incentives · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asked whether the fiscal note covers operating costs and whether the state has any current appropriation for matching.
▶ Watch at 35:54Read what they said
Is there any initial, so I think the fiscal note refers to the cost to operate the program, right? Right. Is there any appropriation up at this moment that the state is saying, look, if you put in 50,000, we'll put in 50,000. Or right now, a person, at least for the time being a person would put money in there, wouldn't really be a, a match on the part of the state. Where, where does that part,
S.B. 281 Senior Nutrition Private Donation Incentives · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Asked how donated funds would move through the appropriations or RFA process for a possible state match. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 36:17Read what they said
Um, okay. Thank you. Representative board. That begs one other question. So if there was funds put into it, then they would come through our appropriations or our RFA process and say, we have this much funds that have been donated to here.
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Ward presented H.B. 599, saying it reflects budget cuts accepted by EAC, including moving interest from the Medicaid expansion account to the general fund, changing the CHIP program to run through Medicaid, and changing the nicotine product restricted account.
▶ Watch at 2:13:39Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Committee. Um, coming into the session, all the appropriations committees were asked to look for budget cuts and in social services appropriation. We also had that same request. Our committee worked hard and found some significant cuts. Some of those required statute change, and so the committee turned it's listed into EAC. And when EAC made its decisions about which ones to accept, then those, some of those necessitated statute change. And that is what is before you in these bill? This bill, um, the main points in here are taking interest from the Medicaid expansion account, BA back to the general fund. And that's a, a savings, making some changes to the chip …
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Ward said pieces of the dental program have moved to the University of Utah gradually and that the pediatric portion would move there as well.
▶ Watch at 2:15:13Read what they said
Yeah, we, we have moved pieces of it over a little bit at a time. Um, and this one will move the pediatric over to the University of Utah as well.
S.B. 277 Utah Homes Investment Program Amendments · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Asks what percentage of units in an affordable rental project must be affordable.
▶ Watch at 1:05:30Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, I see that the, this bill extends out to some affordable rental properties as well as just in, in addition to home ownership. If I were building, uh, an affordable rental project, what percent of the units would have to be considered affordable?
S.B. 277 Utah Homes Investment Program Amendments · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Says that one affordable unit seems too low for considering the whole project affordable.
▶ Watch at 1:06:00Read what they said
That, that seems a little bit low to consider the whole project affordable, I think.
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Supports the bill, arguing kratom contains an opioid and sharing the story of a constituent who relapsed after using kratom.
▶ Watch at 1:37:30Read what they said
Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to rise in support of the bill and, and maybe even take a minute and answer the question because it's, uh, asked by the sponsor of the previous substitute. It's a fair question. Why, why would you regulate this different from other substances? Well, different substances have different properties, and this substance is an opioid. And we do not allow manufacturers outside of a medical setting to produce and sell an opioid in vape shops or really anywhere. We have a different way that we do opioids. And there are no opioids allowed to be produced outside of, uh, medical guidelines right now because of how dangerous they are and how addicting they …
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Speaks in support of the bill, saying opioids are regulated differently from other substances and describing a constituent's kratom addiction and the history of opioid regulation.
▶ Watch at 1:37:30Read what they said
Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to rise in support of the bill and, and maybe even take a minute and answer the question because it's, uh, asked by the sponsor of the previous substitute. It's a fair question. Why, why would you regulate this different from other substances? Well, different substances have different properties, and this substance is an opioid. And we do not allow manufacturers outside of a medical setting to produce and sell an opioid in vape shops or really anywhere. We have a different way that we do opioids. And there are no opioids allowed to be produced outside of, uh, medical guidelines right now because of how dangerous they are and how addicting they …
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Presents S.C.R. 5, which directs PEHP to change prior authorization so patients are never required to try an opioid before a non-opioid pain medication, and says a new non-opioid medication with good short-term pain relief is on the market.
▶ Watch at 3:09:53Read what they said
Thank you Madam Marine Clerk Representative Board. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Um, this bill, um, is a resolution directed towards, uh, PEHP as they're under direction from us at the legislature to ask that they change the way they do prior authorization for pain medications such that a patient would not ever be required to use an opioid prior to being able to use a different medication that is a non-opioid. Um, we just wanna do everything we can to prioritize the use of the medications that are non-opioids before using the opioids. The particular thing that brings this bill forward is that there is a new medication on the market. It's kind of a first in its class we …
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Says there is one new non-opioid medication in this class, with others in research, and describes how it acts on pain-signaling nerve channels.
▶ Watch at 3:11:51Read what they said
Yeah, yeah. So there, right now, to be clear, there is a single new medicine in this class with some others that are in research. The medication is called ger navi. And, um, it binds to sodium channels, which, uh, a certain subtype of those which are highly enriched in, in neurons that transmit pain and blocks it on a temporary basis. So it is not like Tylenol, it's not like ibuprofen, it's not like the opioids, it's just a new receptor that this drug in, um, interacts with.
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Says the medication is FDA-approved and on the market but many insurers are reluctant to cover it due to cost, and that the resolution does not require this specific drug, only that prior authorization cannot force an opioid first, using an example of a patient at high risk of re-addiction.
▶ Watch at 3:12:40Read what they said
So this one particular medication is FDA approved and is available right now on the market. Many insurance companies are reluctant to cover it because it's expensive. Um, and so this, and then the others are getting going through trials right now, but the others are not approved yet. This resolution doesn't say that they have to use this one medication. It just says that when they're setting up prior auth, their process, however best they set it up, that they can't ever set up a prior auth that forces someone to try an opioid first before they're allowed to try a non-opioid. You can think of, I mean the, the patient for whom this would be the highest benefit …
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Says the resolution does not address how patients learn about the medication or change the prescribing process, and that it only prevents prior authorization from requiring an opioid first.
▶ Watch at 3:14:08Read what they said
So the, the resolution, thank you. That's a good question, but the resolution doesn't speak to that issue. So it doesn't change that process at all. It would just, it, what it would make it is that when the doctor started writing prescriptions, the doctor would not get a prior auth back from PEHP that said, you can have this medicine, but only if you put them on oxycodone first. So the normal process is that prescribers, nurse practitioners, PAs physicians who write prescriptions over time as things change, come to know which ones the insurance will cover and which ones they won't. So in, in this instance, over time, prescribers would hopefully come to know that with PEHP, they, …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Presented HCR 14, saying housing affordability is a problem and asking the federal government to consider transferring small parcels next to existing cities for deed-restricted homes.
▶ Watch at 29:16Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, um, thank you committee. Um, just thank you for hearing this. Um, we have in our state a difficulty with housing affordability and at least some portion of this difficulty is just that land is a lot more expensive than it used to be. We also have some areas in our state where we have cities that have land that is internal to them, that is still controlled by the federal government and other instances where the land directly adjacent to homes in a city is federally, um, controlled and thus taken completely out of any consideration that someone might be able to, to build a home on that land, um, and live in it. …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Said the language means the request covers only land directly adjacent to populated areas and is not meant to reach hunting or fishing grounds.
▶ Watch at 32:48Read what they said
Uh, so I, I think it just means what it says on the page. There's not any larger tricky meaning. It's just one of several things that we tried to do in here. If someone says, well, I think you might be trying to do, trying to get some other land over here. Yeah, you might be trying to go after these hunting grounds over here. It was just one of the attempts to try and say, that's not what we're asking for. We, we really don't wanna do that. Um, and so that, that language was in there, we tried to make it clear that it's only just directly adjacent to populated areas where there's something that's good for …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Said the details would be set at the federal level, that a municipality would likely build infrastructure, and that the homes should be smaller and affordable.
▶ Watch at 34:40Read what they said
So ultimately those, that level of detail in my mind would have to be decided at a federal level. And so the resolution on purpose isn't specific. It's just to say, we are asking, we're asking for this thing. We know that you would need to put the details in place. Um, and there's several different ways it could be structured. Um, I would imagine that it would go back to a city with some, the municipality is going to have to build the, the, the street and the sewer line down there with restrictions on it about something of the nature of the housing. We're not hoping to build another 8,000 square foot home with a golf course on …
S.B. 170 Vitamin K Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asked the witness whether she has seen more refusals and whether families are open to explanations or arrive with firm decisions.
▶ Watch at 1:02:39Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm not sure the nature of your practice right now. Do you work right now in the nursery? No, I'm a resident, so I do rotations in Do you rotate through there still? Sometimes, yes. Yes, I do. Just on your rotations? Yeah. Well, just on a personal basis, what's been your experience? Do you feel like you have noticed more people who have refused to have the shot? And when you have had the conversations mm-hmm. With them, have you found that they were open to your explanation? Or have you found that most of them came in with a preset decision, that they're pretty firm and, and no longer were interested in your …
S.B. 170 Vitamin K Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Moved to pass the amended substitute favorably, saying it focuses on clinicians giving education rather than dictating what parents must do.
▶ Watch at 1:29:01Read what they said
Go ahead. Uh, thank you. Uh, Mr. Rice chair. I would just like to make a motion that we pass Senate bill 1 74 substitute as amended out with a favorable recommendation. That motion is an order. Would you like to speak to it? I mean, I think, I think the bill as it sits now is pretty simple. Um, and I think it gets to what we want to get to. I think, um, I think there is more benefit here in focusing on the folks giving the education and less benefit. And, and at times, maybe even something counterproductive when you start to say in statute what the parent has to do. Um, I know that commit, you …
S.B. 170 Vitamin K Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Described treating a newborn with severe bleeding after circumcision because the baby could not clot.
▶ Watch at 1:30:22Read what they said
I'll just say you, you only have to have it happen once where you go in 'cause the mom brings her little baby back in to the urgent care a couple of days in 'cause she thinks she thinks something is wrong with the circumcision and open the diaper and see the baby's penis and abdomen and thighs just covered in blood, um, to, not because anything was done wrong about the circumcision, but just 'cause the baby couldn't clot and then you remember that a long time. So, uh, that's my sum. Thank you.
S.B. 244 Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asks what the fiscal note covers, whether making the plans or purchasing AEDs.
▶ Watch at 1:34:35Read what they said
Representative Ward. Thank you Mr. Vice Chair. Um, thank you Senator for the presentation. Could you just talk through, so the fiscal note on here is because of just making the plans or because of purchasing AEDs or what, what is the fiscal note cover?
S.B. 244 Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asks whether the bill makes having an AED a formal requirement.
▶ Watch at 1:35:24Read what they said
And is the purchase of an a EDA formal requirement already, or in this bill that a school must have an a ED
S.B. 244 Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asks whether the bill requires every school to have at least one AED.
▶ Watch at 1:35:42Read what they said
Okay. So this does, this does then require that every school have at least an a ED?
S.B. 244 Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Moves to pass SB 244 out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
▶ Watch at 1:39:43Read what they said
Uh, thank you. Uh, I'll make a motion that we pass Senate bill 2 44 out with a favorable recommendation.
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asked whether agencies other than the Department of Health could previously have allowed employees to bring infants to work.
▶ Watch at 1:42:44Read what they said
Thank you. So just, just so I'm understanding it right, so up to this point, um, an agency would not, other than the Department of Health, would not have been at liberty to have, have their employees bring children to work.
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asked how many new mothers have used the program within the Department of Health.
▶ Watch at 1:43:30Read what they said
And do we have a sense for how many, um, individual new moms have taken advantage of this within the Department of Health? What, what's the kind of the size of how many people have used?
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asked why the bill still makes agency participation subject to the division's approval rather than letting agencies choose.
▶ Watch at 1:45:12Read what they said
So the po the policy is written here doesn't, seems to not only give the ability for an agency to choose to do this, but it seems to say that that agency still is at the mercy of the division as to whether or not they can do it. 'cause it says the division can withdraw or revoke their, uh, approval to participate in the program. Why does it, I mean just, I dunno, why is it structured in such a way that it's still up to the division to tell an agency whether or not they can, as opposed to just having an agency choose to be able to do it if they want, if that makes sense.
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Asked again why other agencies need the Department of Health's discretion to adopt the pilot program, rather than being allowed to do so by statute.
▶ Watch at 1:49:41Read what they said
I I really just wanna ask this question one more time and make sure I'm understanding it. So oftentimes when we do a pilot program and it goes well, then we go to other places and say, you can do the same thing that the pilot program did. And I just am not clear why instead of going to other agencies and said, we had a pilot and it worked well, and we'll now drive to statute that at your agency's discretion, you may also do this thing. Why did we say this thing went well? You may now ask the Department of Health for permission to do it and they might grant it to you or refuse it to …
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Said the statute's requirements should be decided by the Division of Human Resources rather than by the agency itself.
▶ Watch at 1:50:45Read what they said
Okay. But we, and we still think that, I mean, 'cause we'd have the, the requirements are laid out in here, you know, that, that they need to consider this and they need to consider this. But we still feel like it's important that, that the Department of Human Resources decides if they've done done those things as opposed to an agency just saying, well, we'll follow the rules. I dunno if I read it that way.
S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026
Read statutory language stating the division may withdraw or revoke an agency's approval and asked about the conditions for that.
▶ Watch at 1:51:23Read what they said
And, and, uh, okay. Rolling this out because it says your permission can be revoked by the department. Tell you're looking of human tell looking, uh, 92, the division may withdraw or revoke, uh, a participating agency's approval to participate in the program. Sure. But if those, if the following things happen, so they're either not in compliance in the section or it becomes disruptive or, okay. Alright. So,
H.B. 333 Adoption Records Access Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Ward presents H.B. 333, a follow-up to last year's adoption records law, which clarifies what information adoptees can obtain, excludes parent-related information, specifies which adoption dates are covered, and lets a parent petition every 10 years to keep records concealed, and he moves that the bill pass.
▶ Watch at 31:24Read what they said
This is a follow up bill to the A bill that passed last year, which allowed individuals who were adopted to request access to their birth certificate once the individual became an adult or 18 years old. Vital records requested a few small clarifications that this bill addresses. First, it clarifies which information the child can get and clarifies that they cannot access information that relates to the parents instead of them. Second, it clarifies which dates of adoption are required to be covered. And third, it expands the time in which a parent can petition the court to have their records remain concealed. So, uh, a parent can request a new petition every 10 years if they prefer to …
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Moved to adopt third substitute of H.B. 599.
▶ Watch at 1:38:53Read what they said
I thank you Mr. Speaker Pro Tem, I would like to move substitute three, which is on the system in my name.
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Rep. Ward moved to adopt substitute three to H.B. 599, which was on the system in his name.
▶ Watch at 1:38:53Read what they said
I thank you Mr. Speaker Pro Tem, I would like to move substitute three, which is on the system in my name.
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Explained that the third substitute adds a budget savings portion omitted from the first version, and that the second substitute is being skipped.
▶ Watch at 1:39:01Read what they said
Yes. After the first version of the bill came out there, there was just one portion of the budget savings that had not been included in that first version. There, there was a second substitute, which had a coordinating clause, but then the other bill went away. So we're skipping over Substitute two and coming to substitute three.
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Rep. Ward said a portion of the budget savings was missing from the first version, and that the bill skips substitute two in favor of substitute three.
▶ Watch at 1:39:01Read what they said
Yes. After the first version of the bill came out there, there was just one portion of the budget savings that had not been included in that first version. There, there was a second substitute, which had a coordinating clause, but then the other bill went away. So we're skipping over Substitute two and coming to substitute three.
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Explained the bill's changes: returning interest from the Medicaid expansion account to the general fund, combining Medicaid and CHIP for children, moving pediatric dentistry to the University of Utah, changing use of the nicotine proceeds restricted account, and adding immunosuppressive medications to the preferred drug list.
▶ Watch at 1:39:29Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. Pro tem, uh, colleagues in the lead up to this year's session, uh, each of our appropriations committees was tasked by EAC with looking for savings, um, in the budget and in the Social Services appropriations committee. We took that task, uh, seriously and went through a lot of different options and came up with some very significant changes that were savings to our general fund. Um, our staff laid those all out for us, but some of those changes did require a statute change to carry out the budget cuts. So we submitted our list to EAC and waited until EAC made its decisions about which of those budget cuts they wanted to take. …
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026
Rep. Ward explained that the Social Services appropriations committee identified budget savings, and that the bill would send Medicaid expansion fund interest to the general fund, combine Medicaid and CHIP for children, move pediatric dentistry to the University of Utah, change how nicotine proceeds restricted account money is used, and add immunosuppressive medications to the preferred drug list.
▶ Watch at 1:39:29Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. Pro tem, uh, colleagues in the lead up to this year's session, uh, each of our appropriations committees was tasked by EAC with looking for savings, um, in the budget and in the Social Services appropriations committee. We took that task, uh, seriously and went through a lot of different options and came up with some very significant changes that were savings to our general fund. Um, our staff laid those all out for us, but some of those changes did require a statute change to carry out the budget cuts. So we submitted our list to EAC and waited until EAC made its decisions about which of those budget cuts they wanted to take. …
H.B. 599 Social Services Funding Amendments · House Rules Committee · Mar 2, 2026
Presents H.B. 599, describing its budget-savings items: transferring interest from the Medicaid CA fund to the general fund, changes to the Medicaid preferred drug list for immunosuppressive drugs, converting CHIP to Medicaid, moving pediatric dental services through the University of Utah, and changes to the nicotine restricted account.
▶ Watch at 22:32Read what they said
Thank you, uh, Mr. Chair. And thank you, uh, committee, um, for hearing this bill. Um, in the Social Services Appropriations Committee, as we were looking for different budget savings and went through a bunch of different, um, options, some good options were found, but some of those required statute change. Uh, the committee turned its list into EAC, um, and then waited to see what, what EAC would ultimately determine. And these basically are those items that EAC said, yes, those are budget savings that we want to enact, but because they require a statute change, uh, this bill is what brings you those statute changes that EAC, um, uh, took as budget cuts. And the language is a …
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Rep. Ward introduces S.C.R. 5, a resolution asking PEHP to treat non-opioid pain medications the same as opioids in its coverage structure, with an estimated fiscal note of $150,000 per year, and mentions a new non-opioid medication and a presenter.
▶ Watch at 1:40:25Read what they said
And I do committee have, uh, a handout with some letters of support if, if staff would pass those out. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Colleagues. As you know, when we are, um, making a request of PEHP to behave in a certain way or provide a, a certain service, um, a concurrent resolution is our method for doing that. And so that's what what this bill is, is to make a specific request of PEHP, um, regarding, uh, pain medication treatment. And the, the reason for the bill is that there is a new medication on the market recently, and it's a medicine that I don't know yet. If in three or four years it will turn …
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Rep. Ward explains that because PEHP was created by the state, it must respond to a concurrent resolution, so the resolution binds it.
▶ Watch at 1:46:11Read what they said
Of law. So, because PEHP is a creation of the state, they respond to a resolution the same way an outside organization must respond to a law. So if the thing that we're doing tells PEHP to do a thing, then a resolution is sufficient with respect to them to make it so that they are bound to do it.
S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Rep. Ward gives his final summation and thanks Rep. Gricius for mentioning his TED talk.
▶ Watch at 1:50:42Read what they said
Thank you Madam Chair. In summation, I would like to thank representative gracious for plugging my TED talk.
S.B. 222 Right to Try Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend SB 222, substitute 2.
▶ Watch at 2:07:12Read what they said
Thank you madam. Uh, chair, I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 2 22 sub two.
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Asks how often a primary is triggered by just one extra candidate, describing a case in his area where a non-campaigning filer forced a primary.
▶ Watch at 41:35Read what they said
I do. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Uh, what percentage of the time, and I guess this'll just be a gestalt rather than an actual number, um, does it crop up that there's just like only one more candidate than double? I mean, so, and I, and it's not even only one more than double. So in one of the municipalities, um, that I represent, it was only one more than double, but also the extra one that signed up was a person who didn't intend to do anything other than sign up and kind of grouse a little bit. No campaign, no, no other effort at all that anyone could discern other than signing up. And so just simply …
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Asks whether a city council can currently just decline to authorize a primary, given the two conditions in the bill's language.
▶ Watch at 53:35Read what they said
I know there's a motion. Can I still ask a question to the sponsor? Okay. So right now it can be held only if two conditions are met and both conditions have to be met because it says, and so if authorized by the body and the number of candidates exceeds twice the number of individuals needs to, to fill the seat, so can the, can the municipal body right now just choose to not authorize a primary election in any circumstance and then you wouldn't fulfill condition one?
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Cites lines 310 through 315 and the two conditions for holding a primary.
▶ Watch at 54:28Read what they said
I three 10 through three 15. So a primary election for a particular municipal office may be held if two conditions are met. Okay. If it's authorized is the first condition, and also the number exceeds twice the number of individuals needed to fill that office.
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Asks whether those lines apply to city councils or only special districts.
▶ Watch at 55:04Read what they said
Are these lines that I'm looking at not for the city council, or are these ones just only for the special service district?
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Asks whether a city council can already decline to authorize a primary.
▶ Watch at 55:18Read what they said
So is it within a city council's ability right now already to just not authorize a primary election?
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Asks the purpose of line 311 requiring authorization by the municipal legislative body.
▶ Watch at 56:30Read what they said
So what is the purpose of the line of three 11? That also says that it only can be held if it's authorized by the municipal legislative body Opposed?
H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Says a tiered amendment would be complicated to draft on the spot and he does not have one to offer.
▶ Watch at 57:32Read what they said
Okay. So then an amendment would be kind of tricky because an amendment on, on the fly, it would need to say something that, that it could be held if it was between two and three times and it was authorized and it must be held if it was over three times the number of candidates who would need to have, uh, so we're not gonna be able to put that together here, I guess is the point. Okay. So I don't have an amendment to offer.
H.B. 457 County Governance Modifications · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Speaks in support of the bill and thanks the sponsor for including Davis County, whose commission has been working on this issue.
▶ Watch at 44:52Read what they said
You, Mr. Speaker, I just wanna rise in support of the bill and thank the good sponsor from Salt Lake for including Davis County. Our commission's been working on this for a while and this is a good help to them.
H.B. 457 County Governance Modifications · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Rises in support of the bill and thanks the sponsor for including Davis County, whose commission has been working on this issue.
▶ Watch at 44:52Read what they said
You, Mr. Speaker, I just wanna rise in support of the bill and thank the good sponsor from Salt Lake for including Davis County. Our commission's been working on this for a while and this is a good help to them.
H.B. 468 Mobile Mammography Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Supports the bill, saying each provider knows its own mobile unit costs and has enough data to set fair payments for out-of-network mammograms done at mobile units.
▶ Watch at 58:26Read what they said
Oh, thank you Mr. Speaker. I want I rise to speak in support of the bill and take a crack at the last question. I think each of these providers have their own mobile mammography unit that they are comfortable with the rate that they pay to them. And I think the agreement is that they'll treat the, the others that typically would be outside of their network the same way in what they pay to them. So each of the ones, they, they kind of know for their own unit what it costs and what they're willing to pay to the provider. So I think they do have enough data to, to already know what a fair payment is …
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Asks the sponsor of the substitute to yield to a series of questions.
▶ Watch at 1:21:22Read what they said
Uh, uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. Would the sponsor of the substitute yield to a series of questions? Representative Lee, will you yield to a series of questions?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Asks the sponsor whether she will yield to a series of questions.
▶ Watch at 1:21:22Read what they said
Uh, uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. Would the sponsor of the substitute yield to a series of questions? Representative Lee, will you yield to a series of questions?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Asks whether a young person who came to Utah illegally as a child, has lived here since, and plans to attend college would be able to pay in-state tuition under the bill.
▶ Watch at 1:21:30Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, Mr. Speaker, if a child had come here, um, when they were very young and it was illegal for them to come, but they were very young and they lived here ever since, and they were now going to one of our colleges and hoped to live here after graduation, would they still be allowed, uh, under this bill to pay in-state tuition? Would they, You repeat, would they be able to pay intake in-state tuition or they would have to pay out of state tuition?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Asks whether a young person brought to Utah without legal status who attends college would still be able to pay in-state tuition under the bill.
▶ Watch at 1:21:30Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, Mr. Speaker, if a child had come here, um, when they were very young and it was illegal for them to come, but they were very young and they lived here ever since, and they were now going to one of our colleges and hoped to live here after graduation, would they still be allowed, uh, under this bill to pay in-state tuition? Would they, You repeat, would they be able to pay intake in-state tuition or they would have to pay out of state tuition?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says out-of-state tuition would cause many of these students to drop out and asks what other group would benefit from the change.
▶ Watch at 1:22:06Read what they said
Thank you. So, out-of-state tuition is much more expensive to the point that many of those students would have to drop out of school because they would no longer be able to benefit. They would not be able to afford it if we, if those folks cannot go to school. What other group of people do we expect would benefit by that?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says out-of-state tuition would force many of these students to drop out and asks who else would benefit.
▶ Watch at 1:22:06Read what they said
Thank you. So, out-of-state tuition is much more expensive to the point that many of those students would have to drop out of school because they would no longer be able to benefit. They would not be able to afford it if we, if those folks cannot go to school. What other group of people do we expect would benefit by that?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Notes there is no fiscal note on the substitute and asks whether the policy change would produce cost savings for the state.
▶ Watch at 1:22:40Read what they said
Thank. Thank you. I don't see a fiscal note either on this sub or on the language in the other bill from before in in house bill 88, sub seven, when that fiscal note is available, do you expect that this policy change would be a cost savings to the state?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Notes there is no fiscal note and asks whether the policy would save the state money.
▶ Watch at 1:22:40Read what they said
Thank. Thank you. I don't see a fiscal note either on this sub or on the language in the other bill from before in in house bill 88, sub seven, when that fiscal note is available, do you expect that this policy change would be a cost savings to the state?
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says the affected students would not be able to attend school and the schools would forgo tuition revenue.
▶ Watch at 1:22:57Read what they said
Thank you, uh, for that answer. Um, many of those students, in my mind, Mr. Speaker, would just simply not be able to go to school. The school would forego that tuition money. And it's not like there'd be some other amount
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says many students would not be able to attend school and the school would forgo tuition money.
▶ Watch at 1:22:57Read what they said
Thank you, uh, for that answer. Um, many of those students, in my mind, Mr. Speaker, would just simply not be able to go to school. The school would forego that tuition money. And it's not like there'd be some other amount
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says it is unclear what would replace the lost tuition revenue and that the policy would harm these students without clearly benefiting others.
▶ Watch at 1:23:24Read what they said
folks who pay in, in-state tuition, um, that money would just not come into the state, right? So the state would lose that tuition money. It's not clear to me what other money would replace that. So that would then be a loss of money to the state. If there's not a fiscal note savings from that policy, then it really isn't clear to me at all who else could possibly benefit if we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school, um, and getting an education. It is, it's really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It's not clear to me at all that we have benefited the rest …
H.B. 386 Immigration Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Says the state would lose tuition revenue and that the policy would harm these students without clear benefit to others.
▶ Watch at 1:23:24Read what they said
folks who pay in, in-state tuition, um, that money would just not come into the state, right? So the state would lose that tuition money. It's not clear to me what other money would replace that. So that would then be a loss of money to the state. If there's not a fiscal note savings from that policy, then it really isn't clear to me at all who else could possibly benefit if we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school, um, and getting an education. It is, it's really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It's not clear to me at all that we have benefited the rest …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 26, 2026
Presented HB 247 second substitute, which would redirect brine shrimp royalty revenue from the Species Protection account to the Sovereign Lands account and delay implementation by about a year and a half.
▶ Watch at 1:08:35Read what they said
Hey, thank you Mr. Chair and thank you committee. I do have a little graphic handout. Is that all right if my intern passes that Out? Yes, we can just bring that around the outside. And I, I see a third substitute online, or you, what's your intention with that? My Intention is to not move that substitute, and so there's been some, uh, discussions overnight and that will not move forward. So I'll just be speaking to the current version of the bill. Great, thank you. Which is the second substitute? Yep. Uh, so thank you committee. This bill is a continuation of some, uh, work that we've done, uh, the last couple of years, um, rearranging how we …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House floor debate (day 37) · Feb 26, 2026
Moves to amend HCR 14 with amendment two, which is in his name.
▶ Watch at 2:12:03Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Motion to amend. I would like to move amendment two, which is on the system in my name.
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House floor debate (day 37) · Feb 26, 2026
Explains that amendment two tightens the resolution's language to refer only to lands directly adjacent to populated areas.
▶ Watch at 2:12:33Read what they said
Uh, yes Mr. Speaker. The language in the amendment just tightens down the language in the bill to clarify. As much as I know how that in this resolution we are referring only to lands directly adjacent to populated areas.
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House floor debate (day 37) · Feb 26, 2026
Argues that the resolution asks the federal government to transfer small amounts of federal land within or next to cities for moderate income housing, and says the federal delegation supports a state statement to that effect.
▶ Watch at 2:13:09Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, colleagues. We have a difficulty with housing affordability and at least some portion of that is that land is more expensive than it used to be. We also have some areas in our state where we have cities that have land internal to them or directly adjacent to them that is still controlled by the federal government. Taking it out of consideration for use as housing or for individual property owners. We've taken some large shots in the past, uh, asking the federal government to turn back large amounts of land to us. And in this resolution, we're just coming at it from the other side. We're talking about a very small amount of land and asking …
H.B. 333 Adoption Records Access Amendments · Senate Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 25, 2026
Presents HB 333 as a request from the Department of Vital Statistics, making three clarifications: a parent of a closed adoption can request sealing before the child turns 18, parents' physical addresses are not given to the child, and the bill applies to current individuals becoming adult adoptees.
▶ Watch at 4:53Read what they said
And it has gone into effect. It's doing what it, uh, was meant to do. I've heard from a, a high school classmate of mine that he was able to go ask for his own, uh, birth certificate. And that, um, was important, uh, to, to him, it was meaningful to him to be able to do that. But in our Department of Vital Statistics, even though they're implementing a bill, they had a few small requests that they felt were important clarifications. And so that really is, are these changes? I bring this bill at their request. And the three small changes in the bill, um, are to clarify that a, a parent of a closed adoption, who feels …
H.B. 363 Water Easement Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 25, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend the second substitute.
▶ Watch at 1:48:15Read what they said
Uh, yes. Thank you Mr. Chair. I'd like to make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 360 3. Second substitute
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Ward supports the bill, saying medical payment rules had drifted over time into overpayment and the new rate is a fair way to provide inmate care while protecting the state.
▶ Watch at 1:28:12Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill and the good work the sponsor has done. Um, it is a, a murky field to wade into when you go, go into medical finances and the various accountants who will come tell you that it must only be this way or everything will fall apart. Um, and it, and it was a long path to get to the bottom of it. Um, but at the bottom of it, this was a very good way forward. And the, there, just over the course of years, this rule plus that rule, minus this rule, plus this new rule had drifted to a place where we were overpay, overpaying …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Supports the bill and urges ongoing work on tax increment tools, citing concerns about unelected boards making tax decisions and how much increment leaves taxing entities.
▶ Watch at 1:36:19Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise in support of the, of the bill and, and just with a wish that, um, the colleagues that this won't be, this will be the first time we talk about this, but that really will be willing to put some work into it in an ongoing fashion for, for several years in a row. We, we've kind of added these tools, added these tools, added these tools without ever stopping to think that the sum total of their effects might, may well not be the same when you kept adding and adding and adding them. I, I have many constituents who are concerned about unelected boards making decisions about taxes. Um, and each …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Says he supports the bill, expresses concern about cumulative effects of tax increment tools and unelected boards, and asks for ongoing work on these tools.
▶ Watch at 1:36:19Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise in support of the, of the bill and, and just with a wish that, um, the colleagues that this won't be, this will be the first time we talk about this, but that really will be willing to put some work into it in an ongoing fashion for, for several years in a row. We, we've kind of added these tools, added these tools, added these tools without ever stopping to think that the sum total of their effects might, may well not be the same when you kept adding and adding and adding them. I, I have many constituents who are concerned about unelected boards making decisions about taxes. Um, and each …
H.B. 468 Mobile Mammography Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked what coverage beyond the federal no-copay screening requirement the bill would add.
▶ Watch at 45:40Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, Madam Chair. So there are federal rules that require that screening tests be covered with no copay. Um, so I think all insurances that, at least that I'm aware of already, if something is considered screening, like which mammography is for a screening mammogram are already covered with no copay. So can you clarify for me what additional coverage past what is already required on a federal basis is covered by the bill?
H.B. 468 Mobile Mammography Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked whether the bill would apply to a specific mobile provider or to any provider, and whether insurers would have to cover all of them.
▶ Watch at 46:24Read what they said
Okay. So they said it was a covered, a covered service, but they said we won't cover it with the mobile unit. Right. Right. So we're trying, that's the issue. So we'll cover it if you go, you travel a couple of hours or you know, all this kind of stuff. It's just, it hasn't been with the mobile, not all insurances. There probably are some, but not all. So some insurances also do go through a certain provider. So they would say, look, we for sure cover a mammogram with no copay, but we don't cover it at this hospital 'cause we're not contracted with them. We do cover it at, these are the places where we cover it. …
H.B. 572 Behavioral Health, Mental Health, and Social Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks whether the sponsor will seek all items in the bill or only a few for appropriations.
▶ Watch at 1:37:20Read what they said
Representative Ward. Thank you. I do have one other question for the sponsor. So maybe it's just my same question from before. Is it the sponsor's intention to lobby in an all or nothing fashion for all of these items on, on here? Or are there really one or two that the sponsor will be lobbying for? And so really those are the one or two that we're voting for if we vote the bill through.
H.B. 572 Behavioral Health, Mental Health, and Social Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Moves to pass HB 572 second substitute out favorably.
▶ Watch at 1:41:41Read what they said
Um, thank you Madam Chair. Uh, I would like to make a motion that we pass House Bill 5 72 second substitute out with a favorable recommendation. That
H.B. 527 Pharmacy Pricing Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked what the contract between a pharmacy and a PBM requires and whether the pharmacy has any standard to rely on when appealing a price.
▶ Watch at 1:51:33Read what they said
And sorry to not, I'm just not as familiar with this portion of the bureaucracy. So what's the nature even of the contract with the PBM when you, you know, you say, well, look, I submitted it was this price it, and they say, well, you can appeal if you want. And the appeal goes to the same person who says, oh my, I mean, does the contract just say, you can ask us and we can still tell you no for any reason or no reason, or whatever we like? I mean, is there a contract that, that in the contract it says that you are, that it is supposed to be to a price that is actually available …
H.B. 527 Pharmacy Pricing Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked whether the contract lets the PBM set MAC prices without disclosing them. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 1:52:39Read what they said
For it. Okay. So the contract says we'll pay according to the Mac cost, but the Mac cost is also a list that the PBM on its own and in secret makes.
H.B. 527 Pharmacy Pricing Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked how the PBM contract defines MAC pricing and whether there is any external standard for judging the price.
▶ Watch at 1:55:22Read what they said
I think Representative Ward Yes. Thank you Mr. Chair. Can you just help me understand what is, from your perspective as the PBM, what is the nature of the contract? If it, if the contract just says, well Mac Price as best we judge it, does the pharmacy have anything that it can depend on? Or is the PBM completely at its liberty without disclosing any information at all to just say, well, we, we just think this was fair, but no one, is there no external standard to judge or what does the contract even mean then, really?
H.B. 527 Pharmacy Pricing Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked whether the contract guarantees that a pharmacy submitting an invoice showing its actual cost will have the appeal approved.
▶ Watch at 1:57:11Read what they said
Okay. But you're saying that your process, although there is an algorithm is complicated, would be that if a pharmacy submitted an actual receipt of invoice, invoice, then then your appeal process The hundred dollars anyways, it's a hundred pills, this is how much we Paid, would for sure approve that payment Approve and then have them rebill it at the approved price? Or we would just re we would rep process the process the claim for Them. Does the contract say that they can do that? If they submit a receipt, It says a Mac appeal is available and it gives timing around that. But does it the, but not just a Mac appeal, but does it say that …
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks whether Utah's current actuary, which certifies rates each year, is independent and whether a different actuary would need to be contracted.
▶ Watch at 2:15:05Read what they said
Thank you. So we do actuarily certify the rate each year here in Utah. Is it your, you or to the sponsor? Understanding that the actuary we use is not independent. Would we need to contract with the different actuary to do that? Or,
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Notes the state has some audit function and asks about that.
▶ Watch at 2:16:06Read what they said
Okay. And, and we do also have some degree of, uh, audit function is my understanding.
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks whether the Office of Inspector General interacts with the managed care organizations at all.
▶ Watch at 2:16:10Read what they said
Um, and we have, uh, the OIG right now that does some of these things mostly to see if there's proper payments. But is your understanding that OIG does not interact at all with the MCOs, Um, Or MCOs as We call 'em here? And, and I'm not sure on that.
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Says the Office of Inspector General's duties include confirming that services were actually provided and that this should happen.
▶ Watch at 2:16:43Read what they said
I mean, I've frustration, not a frustration, but I think just to think about with OIG is, I know OIG comes in and reports to us on the overpayments that they find or where pay, you know, money has to be given back if the service wasn't provided. Their description of what they're supposed to do does also include making sure that that services were in fact provided, um, uh, to people. And I wanna make sure that happens also. Yeah,
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Moves to adopt the first substitute of H.B. 566.
▶ Watch at 2:20:52Read what they said
And I'm moving a sub first it looks like. Yep. Yes. Thank you. Then I would like to, uh, move to adopt first sub house bill 5 6 6.
H.B. 566 Health Care Transparency Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Moves to favorably recommend H.B. 566 as amended by the first substitute.
▶ Watch at 2:21:30Read what they said
That'd be great. Uh, thank you. I'd like to make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 5 66 for substitute.
S.B. 96 Opioid Fatality Review Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked for an example of a policy change that came from the committee's work.
▶ Watch at 2:27:56Read what they said
Right. Yeah. But do you feel like you've seen some success changes to policy from your involvement that you could give an example of?
S.B. 96 Opioid Fatality Review Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend S.B. 96 as a substitute, calling the change small but central to the committee's work.
▶ Watch at 2:30:04Read what they said
Thank you. Then I would like to make a motion that we favorly recommend Senate Bill 96 for substitute. That motion is in order, would like to speak to it. This is a small change, but this is information that is central to the kinds of things that this committee looks at.
S.B. 98 Substance Use Rehabilitation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks for examples of specific employer policies the bill would encourage.
▶ Watch at 2:36:45Read what they said
Could you just give some examples of the, of a policy? I mean, you've used some beautiful language describing how we hope it turns out well, but nuts and bolts. What are some policies that you say, I wish employers had this policy in place?
S.B. 98 Substance Use Rehabilitation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks what an employee resource group for people in recovery means.
▶ Watch at 2:37:26Read what they said
Uh, three what, so what that thing is, what is just a, a 12 step program? What does that mean? What did you just what, what does that thing you just said?
S.B. 98 Substance Use Rehabilitation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks how the recovery process relates to the existing medical leave process.
▶ Watch at 2:38:31Read what they said
Is that different from a baseline FMLA process? I mean, all, whether that person has goes hand in Yeah.
S.B. 98 Substance Use Rehabilitation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asks what benefit a company receives after it is certified.
▶ Watch at 2:42:17Read what they said
Well, I do have one other question. So when the company gets certified, so this is telling the department to set up a certification process, and then the company's gonna do things, and then they're gonna get a stamp that says, you're certified. You did the things. Then what benefit accrues to the company because they got the stamp of approval. Does the department give them a thing or congratulate them? Or Wayne, what happens to the company as a result of going through the certification process?
S.B. 98 Substance Use Rehabilitation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Comments that certified workplaces may appeal to people in recovery, and introduces a question from another member. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 2:42:47Read what they said
Okay. And especially in those spaces where folks in recovery are particularly gravitating to, like I said, sober living and recovery centers that you would, I would think would be drawn to someplace that's gonna be a piece and a part of your continued recovery process. Um, doesn't have to be every business, doesn't have to be every single one. Certainly could be, but I think in this starting phase, that's what I envision. It's those spaces in particular where you have a lot of folks that would fit that mold. Okay. Thanks. And then representative fat,
S.B. 158 Recreational Therapy Program Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked whether the Camp K appropriation requests in Social Services appropriations relate to this bill and its fiscal note.
▶ Watch at 2:51:39Read what they said
Uh, I'm sorry, I'm just hogging all the questions. Hog away. So in Social Services appropriations, we did also talk about a couple of different requests from Camp K. Yeah. Um, and there was a, a request which was, I thought, prioritized fairly well by the committee at 500,000 ongoing. Yeah. And then there was a separate one time request of 700 that ultimately wa was at first for more, but ultimately was moved to 750,001 time. Yeah. Does this, does this bill and its fiscal note relate to those two? Or this is a separate issue than those two?
S.B. 158 Recreational Therapy Program Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Explained that most DSPD recipients also qualify for Medicaid, which covers medical services, while DSPD covers day programs and residential living support, and that the bill would let Medicaid cover care at a camp setting.
▶ Watch at 2:53:28Read what they said
So I think almost everyone who is on DSPD services would also qualify for Medicaid because they're disabled. So they would be on Medicaid, but in general, Medicaid covers medical services. And so the DSPD services then are like a day program or, or a place for them to live. So DSPD covers different kinds of things that aren't normally considered medicine, but that the person does need to live live because they're so disabled. This kind of goes back to Medicaid and says Medicaid will for, for this specific kind of service, in this case, getting care at a camp, in a camp setting, that Medicaid will cover this kind of service.
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 23, 2026
Presented H.C.R. 14, which asks the federal government to return certain unused federal lands inside or next to municipalities to the state for moderate income housing, citing land near Santa Clara as an example.
▶ Watch at 1:34:31Read what they said
Uh, yes, I do have an amendment, uh, on it that I hope to have moved when we get to that, that point. Uh, thank you Mr. Chair and thank you committee for the chance to, uh, present to you. I've been, uh, working on this resolution, uh, with Lance Haney. He's the government affairs, uh, for person for the city of Santa Clara. Santa Clara has some lands adjacent to it that would be able to be favorably considered with respect to this resolution. Uh, colleagues, we've talked a lot, a lot about housing affordability, um, and how it's been a difficulty for our state, um, at least some portion of this difficulty is that land is a lot …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 23, 2026
Explained that moderate income housing is generally defined as housing that a person earning the area median wage could afford by spending about 30% of income or less.
▶ Watch at 1:39:17Read what they said
In, in other, in our other, it is not, it's not defined internal to the resolution here, but in our other discussions that we've had about housing, it's, we've tried to define it to mean housing that can be afforded by someone of moderate income in that area. And there's formulas that I think are a little overly complicated, but they involve looking at how much the average median wage is, and then how much a percentage, often 30% of that wage. And if a person could afford a house with a mortgage payment of that size, if you, if that person could spend 30% or less of their wage to afford that house, then we call that moderate income …
H.C.R. 14 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Transfer of Federally Managed Lands · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 23, 2026
Asked for committee help to make the language clear so the resolution is not seen as a way to take other lands.
▶ Watch at 1:46:55Read what they said
Thank you. Um, I would very much appreciate, um, any help from the committee to nuance the language. Um, I would like the language to be clear so that we don't have people afraid that this is some Trojan horse that we're trying to get through this little bit to go after a bunch of other lands that, that are good to have in public use. Um, so whatever we need to do to help make that more clear, I, I would appreciate the help. Thank you.
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Asks whether a food pantry that receives some state funding must ID all adults and turn away those without proper documentation.
▶ Watch at 2:02:09Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield to a series of questions? Representative Lee, will you yield to a series of questions? Yes. Yes. Representative Ward. Thank you. Mr. Speaker would a, a food pantry that gets some of its funding from private donations, but does get some of its funding from the state be required to ID all adults who came in and turn away those who did not have proper documentation?
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Ward asks whether a food pantry that receives some state funding must check identification of all adults and turn away those without proper documentation.
▶ Watch at 2:02:16Read what they said
Thank you. Mr. Speaker would a, a food pantry that gets some of its funding from private donations, but does get some of its funding from the state be required to ID all adults who came in and turn away those who did not have proper documentation?
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Asks about the change from a class B misdemeanor to an infraction for an employee who serves food to seniors without ID, and what fine would apply.
▶ Watch at 2:03:04Read what they said
Got it. Okay. And I do appreciate the change that we have at line 77, uh, where we moved that penalty from a Class B misdemeanor down to an infraction. Um, my understanding is that that would, a place where that would apply would be at our senior centers where an employee might serve seniors, um, some food without IDing them. And if that employee did that, um, what sort of a fine do you think they should have to pay for serving that food to them without IDing them? Even if they did that over and over, what would be an appropriate fine for the person?
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Ward asks what fine would apply to a senior center employee who serves food without checking identification, and questions what reckless service would mean.
▶ Watch at 2:03:04Read what they said
Got it. Okay. And I do appreciate the change that we have at line 77, uh, where we moved that penalty from a Class B misdemeanor down to an infraction. Um, my understanding is that that would, a place where that would apply would be at our senior centers where an employee might serve seniors, um, some food without IDing them. And if that employee did that, um, what sort of a fine do you think they should have to pay for serving that food to them without IDing them? Even if they did that over and over, what would be an appropriate fine for the person? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, I think that what the fraction that we …
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Says it is unclear what reckless service means and argues the bill could keep people, including long-time residents without documents, from food pantries and senior centers.
▶ Watch at 2:04:00Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker for those answers. It colleagues, it's a little tough for me to understand what it even would mean to recklessly serve someone food. Um, I suppose you, you could do it willfully. You could do it over and over again. Uh, you could do it when you didn't. Id the people, but I'm, I'm not sure what it means to be reckless, to serve people food if they come into the senior center. Um, colleagues. To me, there's some services that if we choose not to provide them, and if we choose to come down and go after the people who do provide them, that makes a statement about who we are as a community. …
H.B. 88 Public Assistance Amendments · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Ward thanks Lee and argues against the bill, saying it could keep people, including long-time residents, from accessing food and senior centers and that safety nets are already thin.
▶ Watch at 2:04:00Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker for those answers. It colleagues, it's a little tough for me to understand what it even would mean to recklessly serve someone food. Um, I suppose you, you could do it willfully. You could do it over and over again. Uh, you could do it when you didn't. Id the people, but I'm, I'm not sure what it means to be reckless, to serve people food if they come into the senior center. Um, colleagues. To me, there's some services that if we choose not to provide them, and if we choose to come down and go after the people who do provide them, that makes a statement about who we are as a community. …
H.B. 359 Health Care Preceptor Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Asks whether the 3,000 additional preceptorships are open slots at one time or total rotations over a year, and whether the proposed stipend would cover the lost patient time for practices.
▶ Watch at 50:09Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Vice-chair. So you used a, a number, you said like 3000 and more preceptor ships per year. So does that mean 3000 more slots at any given moment, or does that, I mean, a preceptor ship in my experience is often four weeks long or six weeks long as a student rotates through different settings. So does that, I mean, if you have 3000 more slots that are all open simultaneously, that's maybe 3000 times 12 positions over the course of the year. Does that make sense? What does that mean? That we need 3000 more? Um, well, looking at a medical student needing eight separate different kinds of rotations, right. Uhhuh and an A PRN needing …
H.B. 359 Health Care Preceptor Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Asks whether students should pay higher tuition to fund preceptor payments, and what the drawbacks of that would be.
▶ Watch at 1:02:05Read what they said
Thank you. I do have one question for you, Representative Ward. Oh, sorry. My hit it, But it did go. Thank you, madam. By chair. I mean, the last thing you said, I mean, certainly rings true. Uh, private clinics don't get paid to do this. And, and even when they want to volunteer to do it, it becomes a difficulty. It is an extra thing to try and do. That's correct. A busy day, you know, that's already there. Um, there's is, I'm not saying it should be this way, but should the students just be paying an extra, um, $10,000 of tuition every year and have that money used to offer the, to pay? Or what would be …
H.B. 359 Health Care Preceptor Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Asks who tracks whether preceptorships give students meaningful clinical experience, citing anecdotal reports of unprepared residents.
▶ Watch at 1:05:01Read what they said
question. Representative Ward, Just using up my entire allotment of questions I have, I sort of, and I don't know if you're the right person, mark, but I just have a different sort of question. So, on at least an anecdotal basis, I have heard stories of, of students who have come out of medical school, gone to residency, and according to other folks there at the residency, were very unprepared to be there, um, in part because they had gone through preceptorships that did not really do much for them. Mm-hmm. Is it our department of licensing, or even if we're paying for these things to happen, who is tracking whether the experience is even meaningful or useful to …
H.B. 569 SNAP Funds Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Thanks the sponsor for the substitute and asks whether the definition in the underlying bill would be workable.
▶ Watch at 1:23:46Read what they said
Thank you Madam Vice chair. So thank you for the sub that you brought today. I see that in the sub, you kind of did just point to the federal definition, whereas in the underlying bill, you, you had had, you know, kind of an either or statement with the definition that you had there in the underlying bill. Do you think that that definition, if we were using that definition, would be workable?
H.B. 569 SNAP Funds Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Says the common definitions raise further undefined terms and that research has not settled on one definition, while agreeing that unnatural processed foods are a concern.
▶ Watch at 1:24:23Read what they said
Okay. Alright. So, so I guess my concern is that the definition that you had in the underlying one is a common one that I have seen, you know, in different things that you read about ultra processed food, which on the one hand is helpful. On the other hand to, to me it seems like it goes to a whole series of other terms that also are not completely defined. Um, 'cause even in this definition here, again, which is a common one that I've typed, one that I've seen, then you're wondering what is and isn't an additive. You're wondering what doesn't, doesn't count as high for saturated fat, what the cutoff will be. Mm-hmm. What does and …
H.B. 569 SNAP Funds Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Asks how many products would need review under a federal definition and how much work implementation would take.
▶ Watch at 1:35:06Read what they said
Thank you. And Josh, maybe this is a question to you or maybe Mr. Davis for before, but, so let's, let's think for a minute. If we had a federal definition, if we had one in our hand, if they came out with one next week, um, that based on the, the terms that are usually used about whether something's natural or unnatural or high in fat or not, operationally, when even with a good definition that included those things, how many, what would it take to implement it? How many different products are we talking about that might be involved that we, that would have to be sorted out? What would that look like? And I'll let Mr. Davis …
H.B. 569 SNAP Funds Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Says he is not ready to support the motion and wants a clear definition before passing a policy.
▶ Watch at 1:45:53Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. I'm not ready to support it yet. Um, and just to be in communication with the sponsor who works in Indeed Indefatigably on these issues uh, to try and make things healthier for us. A cutoff for me is gonna be a definition, so we know for sure what we're talking about before we pass a policy about it. So that's just where I'll be.
H.B. 257 Opiate Information Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Asked whether the bill was already substituted and moved to adopt the first substitute.
▶ Watch at 1:59:05Read what they said
Is it already subbed to one? Oh, no, we need to do that, I think. Okay. Then I would like to make a motion that we move for substitute.
H.B. 257 Opiate Information Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Said the change is workable and moves the pamphlet from printing to being easily available for people.
▶ Watch at 1:59:16Read what they said
Um, this change is workable. Uh, I think this is a, a good change in it. I mean, it, it basically moves it from printing out to being available easily for folks.
H.B. 257 Opiate Information Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 20, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend HB 257 as substituted.
▶ Watch at 1:59:44Read what they said
I do. I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 2 57 for substitute.
H.B. 333 Adoption Records Access Amendments · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Presents H.B. 333, which clarifies the information an adopted child can obtain from their birth certificate records, excludes information relating to the parent, clarifies which adoption dates are covered, and extends the time a parent may petition to keep records concealed.
▶ Watch at 10:01Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Colleagues. Last year we passed a bill that related to adoptions so that a child when they became an adult could request access to their own birth certificate and that bill has been implemented and is doing well. But Vital Records had requested a few small clarifications and so I bring this, this bill at their request. The clarifications are, um, that it, it says it clarifies which information the child can get and that they cannot get information, um, that relates to the parent instead of to them. Um, it clarifies also which dates of adoptions are required to be co covered. And when a parent is petitioning the court to have their records remain …
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Ward says the bill concerns substituting medications at the pharmacy and adds a term used in other states so prescribers can tell pharmacies they want such substitution.
▶ Watch at 44:13Read what they said
Uh, yes, briefly. Um, this is a bill about substituting medications at the pharmacy. Um, and it came to light that the, what we were trying to get at in some other states had a different, slightly different term that was used. And so just to make it easier, uh, for everyone to know what we were talking about, we decided to add that term also to the bill, um, as a way that the prescriber could communicate to the pharmacy that they wished for this kind of substitution to happen with their medications.
H.B. 405 State Purchasing Reserve Funding · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Asks whether the fee is meant to cover the cost of running a program or for general use, and why it would not be considered a tax.
▶ Watch at 1:20:31Read what they said
Ward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Typically when we do, we do try and make a distinction between taxes and fees, and usually our habit has been that a fee is to pay for the cost of running a program as opposed to some other purpose. Um, could the sponsor of the bill talk through with me if this fee is just for the cost of running a program or if this fee is just for a general use and why would we call it then not a tax?
H.B. 405 State Purchasing Reserve Funding · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Asks why the legislature would direct how this fund is invested instead of using the professional managers who usually invest state emergency funds.
▶ Watch at 1:21:28Read what they said
Thank, thank you for that answer. I do have a second question, which is also it seems we typically have the habit that when the state sets aside money to be used for emergencies, which we do in a number of different circumstances, and which is a good way to prepare, um, we turn the management of that money over to professionals to decide how best to invest it for the short term and long term. What is different about this fund of money that we would depart from that normal process and have the legislature itself directly decide how the money has to be invested? Why would we not trust their judgment in this case the same as we …
H.B. 405 State Purchasing Reserve Funding · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Says the bill appears to be a general-use tax rather than a fee for a specific cost, and expresses a preference for professional staff making investment decisions.
▶ Watch at 1:22:26Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, thank you for that answer, colleagues. To me, the, the description in this bill does seem like a tax. It, it's a general use. It does not seem to me like this money is paying for the specific cost of administering a program. So that is a concern for me. Um, and in general, I would hope that if a case has been made that this is the best way to save money, I would hope that we would be able to convince our professional staff, who in many different instances, make good decisions about how they should invest the money instead of us being the ones to direct them. Thank you.
H.B. 471 Social Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the state must follow federal law and the department is working with CMS on it, then asks what would change if the bill does not pass.
▶ Watch at 41:35Read what they said
Oh, thank you, Madam Chair. So, we are obligated to follow federal law, whether or not we like it or think that it's a good idea. And it's, I mean, you know, our department's been working hard together with CMS to follow this law. Um, 'cause they're still making their rules, you know, we'll for sure follow the statute, but the rules are a little bit, take some work to put together. What will be different if we don't pass this bill? We'll,
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Presents the third substitute of the bill and describes changes made after committee feedback, including excluding smaller counties, longer city response times, permitted-use status, a timeline for applicants, and limits on repeat applications.
▶ Watch at 2:19:29Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Chair and thank you committee, um, especially for the chance to present this bill, um, to you a second time. I will be speaking to the third substitute, which is what I prepared in response to committee comments. Um, I'll say just briefly that it's my belief that unless the legislature is willing to consider some larger ideas, we'll have a hard time making, uh, progress with our housing affordability problem. And it, it's my belief that just the way we have done zoning, um, over decades has made things slow, has made things more expensive, and most importantly has made it very difficult for small homes to be built. And it is in to be …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Responds that cities keep an opt-out by vote of the planning commission or city council, based on a belief that a project would be detrimental.
▶ Watch at 2:24:09Read what they said
It, it is not factual that the city will not have a choice. Uh, I've done the best I can. It, it becomes for this thing, it becomes an opt out instead of an opt-in. But I've done the best I can to make the city's ability to opt out as easy as I know how to make it. To say that, um, by a, a vote of the, either the planning commission or the city council, um, and not held to a standard of saying that they need to prove that it's detrimental. But the, the easiest standard I could think of was that they just believed that it would be detrimental if they have that belief that was …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Gives summation, saying zoning set decades ago limits housing options, that the bill is a small step, and asks for the committee's support.
▶ Watch at 2:41:31Read what they said
Thank you so much. Colleagues on the wall in the city Council chambers, uh, at Bountiful is a map of what the downtown city looked like on the day the city was incorporated. Uh, right around, uh, well late 18 hundreds. Um, on that map, it, there is a lot. That is my great, great grandfather's farm, very close to right where city hall is. It's five acres big. Um, looking at that map, you can see that there came a time that people realized that even though five acres was the norm and had served the people that are well up to that time, there came a time where they thought about it differently, where they changed how they …
H.B. 450 Data Privacy Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked the League of Cities and Towns what issues still need to be resolved.
▶ Watch at 1:01:54Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Chair. My question actually was for the League of Cities and Towns, just the last thing that you come back up, if you would for just a second. Thanks. Just the last thing you said was that you continued to, you hoped to continue to work with Representative Shallenberger on the process going forward. Did that mean that there are particular issues that you think need to still be resolved? And if there are, just could you say what they were?
H.B. 450 Data Privacy Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked the prosecutors' representative whether the public could still learn what surveillance technologies government uses through a different process.
▶ Watch at 1:10:17Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Chair. So the points that you brought up that this is a different process and, and create some other troubles for you. Is there a way still in your mind that the underlying objective of the bill that the public can know in general, which surveillance technologies the government is choosing to use, and where, is there a way that you feel that that objective could still be reached, uh, even using something different than this process? Or do you think that those two objectives of what law enforcement needs to do are just incompatible with the public knowing even what kinds of surveillance technologies are being used? Does that make sense?
H.B. 450 Data Privacy Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Began asking the sponsor about what must be disclosed in the public meeting.
▶ Watch at 1:23:48Read what they said
Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have one other question to the bill sponsor. So this part about what has to be disclosed in the open and public meeting, right? Uh,
H.B. 450 Data Privacy Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked how detailed the required disclosure must be, suggesting general wording could satisfy it without informing the public.
▶ Watch at 1:23:59Read what they said
Portion of the bill that talks about the open and public meeting, about, about what has to be disclosed here, um, about these different technology is, um, how detailed does that have to be? I mean, it seems to me that if you took those exact words on the page, um, at a pretty general sense, you could get through the meeting and meet the requirements when, and no one would be the wiser about what was happening. I mean, a description of the technology to be implemented, you say, well, we have some cameras that could do facial recognition, uh, somewhere somehow. And I mean, do you have to say which buildings you're gonna put them on, which cars …
H.B. 450 Data Privacy Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked how the public would be better informed if a generic purpose statement satisfies the requirement.
▶ Watch at 1:25:08Read what they said
So you could say the intended purpose is for law enforcement to do criminal investigations, and we'll use personal data as needed for criminal investigations. I could say that on every purchase of this equipment. And that would satisfy that subsection. Yep. How would the public be the wiser for having that put in every time they,
H.B. 400 Landscaping Water Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Moves to pass HB 400 out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
▶ Watch at 1:50:10Read what they said
Um, thank you. I'd make a motion that we pass a house bill 400 out with a favorable recommendation. The motion is to pass out a house bill 400 with a favorable recommendation.
H.B. 400 Landscaping Water Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill leaves broad room for cities to craft an ordinance while asking them to consider one.
▶ Watch at 1:50:24Read what they said
I think to leave broad ability to make an ordinance, but to say, to think about it is a fair line to draw, make some ordinance is a fair line to draw.
H.B. 422 Public Infrastructure Districts Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked how the bill discloses PID fees to a property purchaser, noting that some buyers did not realize the extra payment until after purchase.
▶ Watch at 1:54:59Read what they said
Oh, thank you Madam Vice chair. Could you just talk through the nature of the disclosure to a purchaser of the property? I mean, it is really, some of the fees that are paid in PS are quite high. They are right. Definitely something that a person would weigh before purchasing a property in. There have been at least some instances where people did not realize until afterwards they permanently would have this extra payment, um, as a part of their taxes. How is it disclosed in the bill?
H.B. 422 Public Infrastructure Districts Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Asked whether the disclosure must state the actual amount of the PID obligation or only that one exists.
▶ Watch at 1:56:33Read what they said
Would it be an actual amount that had to be paid or is it just noticed that there is an amount that has to be paid?
H.B. 422 Public Infrastructure Districts Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Suggested that if a substitute is needed, it should be done on the floor rather than leaving one definition in the section.
▶ Watch at 2:06:33Read what they said
Well, uh, I guess my discussion to that motion is that if it really does need a substitute to it, if there's agreement, then just do a substitute on the floor. If we're not able to take care of it here, I don't know that it makes sense to leave one definition dangling in a section, but either way.
H.B. 333 Adoption Records Access Amendments · House Judiciary Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Presented H.B. 333, a cleanup bill to the 2025 adoption records law, which would let birth parents petition the court before the child turns 18, redact parents' physical addresses before records are given to the child, and clarify that implementation starts now.
▶ Watch at 55:48Read what they said
Please proceed. Thank you Madam Chair. And, uh, thank you committee, um, colleagues, this is a small cleanup bill from a bill that we passed last year. That bill was House Bill 1 29, and, uh, this committee heard that bill last year. And thanks to the input from some of you that helped that Bill get into a, a very good place, uh, by the end. So I appreciate still that, um, discussion that we had last year. Um, just as a reminder, that Bill that we passed last year said that when a child of a closed adoption becomes an adult, um, they could then go and request their own personal medical records in this instance that meant …
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward presented H.B. 470, which would let homeowners doing remodels use qualified licensed third parties for plan review and inspections, arguing it would reduce delays and costs.
▶ Watch at 47:58Read what they said
Ahead. Um, thank you Mr. Chair and thank you committee. I do have a person online, Lori, saying, um, who I would like to have just give a part of my presentation when I get to that point. If she could be made to be a panelist. Thank you. Thank you. Um, this bill, uh, would allow homeowners who are doing a remodel on their home to go through a third party for the inspections or the plan review that's needed, um, for that process. So, pretty simple, um, idea, but an important one. Um, colleagues. Over recent years, we have thought about a number of services where we used to conclude that that service should be done by a …
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said he was unsure but that cities typically do not, and deferred to his online expert.
▶ Watch at 58:12Read what they said
I, I, I, I'm not sure about that. I would say by habit they don't, But they could. I mean, like this, I mean, is our expert online maybe could help us with that as well. Um,
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said cities have the power now, but homeowners cannot currently choose, and the bill gives homeowners that choice.
▶ Watch at 58:46Read what they said
Can I try and answer it again? Rip? Yeah, sure. Cities voluntarily have this power. Currently, the homeowner does not have any ability to choose this thing. This bill would allow to the homeowner to choose a thing they can currently not choose.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said in his experience that step has been slowest and argued a monopoly's own assessment should not be the standard for keeping it.
▶ Watch at 59:16Read what they said
So I feel like in my projects that, that I have worked on, which are not many, that that part of the process has gone slowest. I feel like when a monopoly provides a service and the monopoly tells you, well, I'm doing a good enough job, the standard should to, to decide whether to keep the monopoly doing it or to allow other individuals, qualified individuals to do that service should not be whether that Monopoly thinks it's doing a good job. I would not go to Comcast and say, oh, you did a survey that you were providing good service. You must be providing really good service. No one else can provide the service. The, if other providers …
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said the bill covers building code plan review and inspections for owner-occupied projects, while land use issues stay with the city.
▶ Watch at 1:00:30Read what they said
In general? My intention would be that if it's owner occupied, that for these issues, they be allowed to go through a third party. Um, for, and the issues are does the plan meet building code and has the, has it been carried out according to building code, if the project that's being taken care of may cross over into land use issues, if it meets a, a land use, whether it's too close to a setback or something else, the land use still needs to sit with the city to determine the, the issues that I want to deal with in the bill are, does it meet building code in the plan? And has it been done according to …
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said yes, but land use portions would still be handled by the city.
▶ Watch at 1:01:19Read what they said
Yes. But the portions of addition that crossed into land use would still be taken care of by the city.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward offered to clarify the bill language so land use stays with the city.
▶ Watch at 1:01:32Read what they said
Um, I'm happy to, to clarify that, uh, within the bill, if, if with language that would meet that. Okay. The land use, uh, so my intent is those two things. Is the, are the drawings according to building code and has the job been done according to building code, if there's issues of land use that still belongs to the city.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward cited healthcare as an area where safety matters and other licensed providers were allowed.
▶ Watch at 1:02:52Read what they said
Um, I, I think he, healthcare is an issue where safety is a paramount concern. Healthcare, whether someone lives or die matters a lot. And yet when we looked at that, we did choose to say these other licensed classes can provide equally safe healthcare, um, and changed how we did
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said he could not think of an example but the bill uses equally qualified licensed people.
▶ Watch at 1:03:15Read what they said
I can't think of an example off the top of my mind. Okay. But the intention is to use licensed people who have the same qualifications, um, to do the job.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said cities act in good faith but lack incentives to move quickly, and that experiences show this step is often slowest.
▶ Watch at 1:06:08Read what they said
Yeah, thank you for that question. So I am not here to argue that cities are acting in bad, bad faith at all. I think cities are acting in good faith and doing the best job that they can. I think that the way they're incentivized and the way they do their process does not lead to them having a deep seated interest in keeping low and making the project move quicker because nothing about how they do their job, it pays them more if they do those things. And nothing about them pays them less if they don't do those things because they are a monopoly that we have granted. And I don't, with regards to just whether or …
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward noted the city may still inspect anything it wishes.
▶ Watch at 1:07:59Read what they said
Although the bill also says that the city may still come inspect anything where they wish to, but what, just as I'm doing the job, I may choose a third party.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said it covers remodels only, for plan review before the permit and inspections afterward.
▶ Watch at 1:10:18Read what they said
So it is for plan. So it is only for remodels. Mm-hmm. And it is for plan review, which you must do before you get your building permit. And it is for the inspections to make sure that the building was done according to building code. It's for those two things.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward agreed, saying homeowners should have the option even when cities act in good faith.
▶ Watch at 1:11:30Read what they said
Uh, agreed. And to me, there's nothing that should stop a period of a person from being able to do that. Even if the city's responding fine. I, I don't think it, we should have to prove bad faith before allowing this to a person. 'cause I don't think there is bad faith. I just think it's slower sometimes, even with good faith.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said that is correct as the bill is written.
▶ Watch at 1:39:28Read what they said
That is correct. With the language in the bill at this time. I mean, that, that's just how the bill is written and that's correct.
H.B. 470 Building Inspection Amendments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Ward said the bill is for property owners rather than cities, argued the consensus-based land use task force gives any party a veto, and said owners deserve relief.
▶ Watch at 1:42:25Read what they said
You. Because I would like to respond a little bit to a couple of the points that have been made. Go ahead. Um, to Representative Thurston's comment, I, I am not bringing the bill on behalf of the cities to defend their right. They can do this. I come with the bill on behalf of the property owners who cannot, uh, do this so that they can, they will have a chance to do it all monopolies deeply and honestly believe that they're doing a good job. I have not come across a monopoly yet that thought it was a good idea for it to give up some of its power and let someone else do it. We say that …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Presents H.B. 248, which includes changes to spousal support collection, feedback meetings with ORS, TANF pass-through of child support, a driver's license action process for large arrears, divorce court information access, and 6% simple interest on unpaid child support.
▶ Watch at 2:04:39Read what they said
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair and committee. Um, I'm glad for the chance to present family law, um, modifications. This bill just has a bunch individually of fairly small policies to make, uh, payment of child support better. There were several different items that came up as we were, um, working on the issue. So I have a handout that I'd like to pass out if that, if staff could just help me with that. And this will just give you a list of the policies that are in the bill. Um, the first, uh, policy relates to spousal support and it just says that if, uh, if there's a judgment that includes spousal support and child support. And …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Responds that ORS already has this authority but rarely uses it, and that the bill makes license action a rebuttable presumption so the person must respond first and can propose a payment plan.
▶ Watch at 2:17:36Read what they said
Sure. Yeah, yeah. No, that's a really, that's a super important point. So the already today, the ORS can take this action, but functionally they essentially never do. Okay. They just don't. And this one still wouldn't make them carry through the action. It's a rebuttable presumption. They say to the person, this will happen if you don't come to us and tell us why you can't pay or that, or get on some low level payment plan. And that happens first. We don't want to cut someone off if that just their Ability. 'cause you gonna cut, you're gonna cut off the income potentially Correct. But the ab the person needs to come to the table. They either need …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Explains that continued support has an end point tied to the child turning 18 and that the bill lets ORS collect spousal support after child support ends, within the time already set in the original order.
▶ Watch at 2:19:01Read what they said
No, there is still an end point for, for both, both of these. What is that? Uh, there's a certain time limit after the child turns 18 when they can't collect it anymore and there's always an end point for alimony after children turn 18. Uh, the issue is that, and this was this case of one of the witnesses up here in her, when the decision was made for her, the amount of alimony that was recommended was lower than it otherwise would've been because child support was still a part of what she was owed. Then her ex did other things that were bad enough that his parental rights got revoked and so then she didn't get the …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Explains that the bill redirects the brine shrimp assessment from the Species Protection account to the Sovereign Lands account, to lease water rights for the Great Salt Lake or fund projects that protect brine shrimp.
▶ Watch at 1:02:22Read what they said
Representative Board. Thank You, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. This bill is a continuation of some work, uh, over the last couple of years regarding our species protection account here in the state, and will result in more appropriate use of the funds that we currently get from our brine shrimp assessment. There's a beautiful little blue handout on your desk that shows visually how these monies will be used if this bill passes. Um, a couple of decades back, the legislature was looking for a way to get some funds to use when a species was potentially going to be listed as threatened or endangered, to try and help that species out so that it didn't become, uh, threatened or endangered. …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Moves to adopt the second substitute for H.B. 247.
▶ Watch at 1:04:30Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to move se second substitute HB 2 47 in my name, Representative Snider.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Explains the substitute, which freezes tax liability for one year for companies affected by changed water use after U.S. Magnesium's bankruptcy, until a new state water agreement is in place.
▶ Watch at 1:04:44Read what they said
as an order. Would like to speak to it. Yeah, I would. I, uh, Mr. Speaker, this is a fantastic bill. I really appreciate what the good representative from Davis County is doing here. I also appreciate his willingness to entertain this debate. As many of you know, a couple of months ago, US Magnesium officially filed for bankruptcy and is a, as a function of them filing for bankruptcy, they, there is potential collateral damage on two other industries on this lake, uh, broken arrow, which provides most of the road salts for this state. And Cargill Minerals, which has one of its largest processing plant for fertilizers on the South Shore Lake. Those companies relied on water that …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Says he supports the motion and that the lake issue needs action this year.
▶ Watch at 1:06:25Read what they said
Thank you. I'm supportive of this motion. This is another issue that needs to get taken care of, uh, with the lake this year.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Answers that the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands already manages that account and reports to the legislature, and that the funds would go to leasing water rights or brine shrimp health projects.
▶ Watch at 1:08:44Read what they said
Yeah, sure. So in, in that, that account, um, already, um, with our division of Forestry, fire and Lands does make grants for different purposes where the legislature has by statute said, this money needs to be given out for this purpose. So they're good at managing that sort of fund and they report to the legislature regularly. So we're not putting the money in a new place where there isn't reports back to us. Having reports back from them is already a part of what they do by their statutory duties. And this will just say that these funds will then go into their keeping and that they will then use those funds for two specific purposes. And those …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Answers that the account is managed by the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands with regular legislative reporting, and that funds would be used to lease water rights or protect brine shrimp.
▶ Watch at 1:08:44Read what they said
Yeah, sure. So in, in that, that account, um, already, um, with our division of Forestry, fire and Lands does make grants for different purposes where the legislature has by statute said, this money needs to be given out for this purpose. So they're good at managing that sort of fund and they report to the legislature regularly. So we're not putting the money in a new place where there isn't reports back to us. Having reports back from them is already a part of what they do by their statutory duties. And this will just say that these funds will then go into their keeping and that they will then use those funds for two specific purposes. And those …
H.B. 270 Healthcare Worker Post-Employment Amendments · House floor debate (day 28) · Feb 17, 2026
Supports the bill, saying non-competes force workers to leave their communities to change jobs and that the bill applies only going forward while employers can still recoup costs.
▶ Watch at 1:39:54Read what they said
Oh, thank you Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of the bill. To me, it just seems so clear I should not have to give up my ability to change jobs in order to be hired into a job. Um, we, we have a couple of quite large employers in healthcare, um, here in Utah and along the Wasatch front. Um, and the non-competes that have been in place force you to leave your community in order to move to another job. So your, your family will need to give up their school associations, your neighborhood associations. You'll need to go far enough away that all the connections that you have built will be lost. Um, and that, …
H.B. 332 School District Project Financing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Asked whether the same restriction should apply to other local governments, such as a county building a courthouse.
▶ Watch at 58:34Read what they said
Oh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, so there are school buildings are some of the more common buildings that as a government, a government builds out in its community. Maybe the most familiar one. But our other local governments do build other kinds of buildings sometimes. I mean, in Davis County right now they're trying to figure out some way to get a new courthouse. There. Is, is this kind of a restriction something that you would equally place say on the county?
H.B. 332 School District Project Financing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Asked why the restriction is appropriate for school boards but not counties.
▶ Watch at 59:02Read what they said
And, and, and then what's the difference in your mind, why would this restriction be appropriate to put on a school board versus put not putting it on the county? I think
H.B. 332 School District Project Financing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Asked whether the reason is that schools have been built too luxuriously.
▶ Watch at 59:30Read what they said
Okay. So the reason you'd placed this restriction is just that you feel that the school, the schools in general have been built inappropriately, luxuriously,
H.B. 332 School District Project Financing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Asked about the benefit of banning public-private partnerships, noting the state has used them for transportation.
▶ Watch at 59:58Read what they said
And is that the, the same answer? 'cause on this other part about the public, public private partnership, there's a bunch of different settings. The state has done several things for transportation where it has found it advantageous to make that kind of a partnership. What is the benefit that comes from?
H.B. 332 School District Project Financing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Summarized that she would limit schools from using such partnerships.
▶ Watch at 1:00:40Read what they said
Okay. So as much as you could, you would limit it and in this case you'd limit the schools from being able to do it.
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Asked whether the bill makes any changes after July 1, 2026.
▶ Watch at 1:47:55Read what they said
Okay. So this is a one time decision now, and then after July, so this bill actually wouldn't make any additional changes after July 1st, 2026 then? 'cause then those decisions would've have to have been made in those four months.
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Moved to adjourn.
▶ Watch at 1:53:59Read what they said
Representative Ward. Thank you Mr. Chair. I would like to make a motion to adjourn.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Supports the bill as a needed reorganization of many programs, while saying that regulations on property owners also raise housing costs and should be considered later.
▶ Watch at 1:43:57Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro. Tim, I rise in support of this bill. The legislature has put a lot of different programs in place, and when you put program after program after program in place, at a certain point you need to come back and think, wait, how do they work together, um, as a whole. Um, and it's, it's time to do that with the number of different kinds of things that we've done so that it can make sense as a whole. But even as we do this, I, it is important to say, just doing a reorg chart and just wanting that our policies would make housing more affordable by itself, won't, won't help. There are things …
S.B. 89 Health Care Services Platforms · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Representative Ward restated his understanding that physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants could not functionally use the app because it would not provide their required credentialing process, and the bill states that.
▶ Watch at 1:13:07Read what they said
We go. Thank you. So, I, I mean, I just wanna state back to what I think you just said. So that previously a broad array of healthcare providers could go through the app, but realizing that certain healthcare providers did have to have a very different credentialing process, in particular physicians, nurse practitioners, and PAs, that those could not functionally go through the app because it wouldn't provide that credentialing process. So we just state that in this. That's correct. Very good. Thank you.
S.B. 89 Health Care Services Platforms · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Representative Ward moved that the committee favorably recommend Senate Bill 89.
▶ Watch at 1:13:48Read what they said
Uh, thank you. Um, I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 89.
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks who pays for extra security or staff needed when caring for inmates in a hospital.
▶ Watch at 1:21:43Read what they said
Thank you. May, maybe it's a, just a small question, but, so sometimes in caring for, um, patients from the correctional facility, there may be charges that are somewhat unique to the setting. So like having an extra guard in the room or extra staff that needs to be there. Who typically pays those for an inpatient? Does the U pay those or does CHS have someone there that covers that cost? Mr.
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether the hospital incurs additional costs from those security needs and then has no further questions.
▶ Watch at 1:22:20Read what they said
Okay. So there's not an additional cost of the hospital because of that portion of the Complexity, not on the security pieces. Okay. Thank you. Any further discussion?
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether the correctional facility has contracted with the university before and what the current relationship is.
▶ Watch at 1:24:29Read what they said
Sorry. Thank you for letting me have a second chance. So Dr. Wisner, just historically, has the correctional facility tried to contract with EU before? I mean, do, is this a current contract where we just, is this where we pay their full charge? Or is this just its own contract but the rates are so much higher? I mean, what's the nature of the relationship right now? And have we tried to do something different in the past?
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether the rates were benchmarked against PEHP and other state insurance contracts.
▶ Watch at 1:25:36Read what they said
Event. Do these numbers, these, do we kind of benchmark off PEHP to say, well, I mean, the state has other contracts that have rates set for how much you pay for different admissions or, you know, different services. Is this, I mean, this just graph here is just so stark on here. Does that represent A-P-E-H-P rate for those same services? Or are I, that looks to me like it would be higher than even an insurance company rate. I mean, what, it just is odd to me that there would've been a negotiation and that we still would've landed on something much higher than any other insurance contract that we have in the state.
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether rates were adopted as part of the contract or separately.
▶ Watch at 1:26:42Read what they said
Correct. But did, were there rates also adopted for the contract, or was that a separate piece? That
H.B. 321 Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Says he is still unsure how the current rates were reached.
▶ Watch at 1:26:54Read what they said
I'm still not quite sure how we got to where we are today, but thank you.
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether PEHP sees GLP-1 prices changing over the last one to two years.
▶ Watch at 1:58:57Read what they said
Oh, thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. I guess just a lay of the land question in as, as PEHP purchases, GLP ones for patients who currently qualify with diabetes, do you see the prices that you have to pay changing in the last one to two years? Are prices coming down by virtue of competition and other, I mean, there are, it's seems like it's a continuously changing market. Are the prices you have to pay down from one to two years ago, or really just as high as ever?
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether a health savings account can be used to pay for a compounded drug.
▶ Watch at 2:00:18Read what they said
Great. So the other question I would have is, right now, today, if a person has an HSA, then can they use that Manti? Can you use that money to get a, a compound? No Question. Okay, great. Thanks. I
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks the maker of the amendment what a one-year commitment to a choice would mean.
▶ Watch at 2:05:21Read what they said
Representative Ward. Yeah, Thank you. Mr. Vice. I do have a question for the maker of the amendment. So that would mean that, what does it mean to have a one year commitment to a choice?
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks to confirm that a patient could use GLP-1 treatment before losing access to bariatric surgery.
▶ Watch at 2:05:59Read what they said
I see. Okay. So the, so the idea would be that they could have GLP one for a year before basically losing the ability to subsequently request that a bariatric surgery be covered.
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks how the one-year and two-year time limits would work together.
▶ Watch at 2:06:51Read what they said
Right. So the idea would be that you could be on it, and if that didn't work for you, then, then, then we wouldn't foreclose the bariatric surgery track. So you could be on the GLP one for up to a year without losing your ability to get, or for up to two years without losing your ability to get the bariatric surgery. The way that I'm hearing Representative Acton is that, you know, you, you make a choice for a year, and then you can decide something else the next year, if, if it's not the GLP one, And it doesn't have to be one year, you said that currently they can be covered for two years and The …
H.C.R. 8 Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP to Establish the Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Moves to recommend HCR 8 favorably.
▶ Watch at 2:10:23Read what they said
Sure. Then I'm, I'd be happy to make a motion that, uh, we recommend HCR eight favorably.
S.B. 87 Naloxone Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Explains how the FDA sets expiration dates through shelf-life testing and argues that many products remain effective past their labeled dates.
▶ Watch at 2:33:16Read what they said
If I might just make a comment? Yeah. Mr. Re, vice chair, I think it's useful to understand how the FDA makes expiration date determinations. So in general, a company comes in and says, I got a medicine here. FDA says, if you showed it works, and they say, yep, here's my study. I show what it works. And the FD says, okay, well fine. Um, before we're gonna let you sell that, we need to have an expiration date. And the company says, all right, what would you like me to do? They say, well, we'd like you to take that and put it on a shelf and leave it there for one year. And then after one year, …
S.B. 87 Naloxone Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Moves that the committee favorably recommend Senate Bill 87.
▶ Watch at 2:34:35Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. I'd make a motion that we favorably like to recommend Senate Bill 87. That motion is in order. The, the motion is that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 87, um, to the bill sponsor on the motion.
H.B. 383 Department of Health and Human Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Moved to adopt the second substitute of HB 383.
▶ Watch at 2:40:27Read what they said
Uh, Representative Ward. Thank you. Uh, Madam Chair, I would like to move third second substitute house bill 3 83.
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · Senate Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Presented the bill as making three changes: allowing up to two-year prescription refills for some non-controlled medications at the prescriber's discretion, removing a pharmacy notification requirement for similar-drug substitution, and limiting standing orders to FDA-approved medicines for a specific diagnosis.
▶ Watch at 1:18:08Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Chair and Committee. Uh, this bill just has three small policy changes that I will make three small things better in the way that we do prescriptions and pharmacy. Um, and I'll just go through those. One of those is there are some prescriptions where it would be handy, both that the prescriber wants to, and the patient would like to receive a prescription that might be filled for longer than a year. Think of a prescription you get for cold sores in your mouth and you just need them once in a while. Um, not very often and, but there's a safe long-term medicine. It would be nice if the, you could write a prescription that …
H.B. 212 County Formation Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether a split could create more than two counties and whether a petition could seek a smaller county.
▶ Watch at 42:35Read what they said
Thank. Thank you. So, um, are there any rules, could they split into four counties? Could they propose to split into more than two? Um, the, the way it, it's set up, it, uh, it is, it's set to just be one county split, and that's similar to the way the current code is set up. So there isn't the, it doesn't contemplate the idea that you could split into a third. So you, what you'd probably have to do is split, and then the remaining county would split again. Okay. And is there, uh, do the cities that bring the petition, so to speak, um, all have to be together in the split? Or could cities bring a petition …
H.B. 212 County Formation Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether the whole county votes on a split and whether cities in a split could end up in different counties.
▶ Watch at 43:41Read what they said
Okay. And then it would go to the entire county that would have to vote and say, yes, we're, we're comfortable with just, you know, a a 10th of the county splitting into their own county. Okay. And then, and the, the cities, if two cities, each of a third signed onto the petition, they could be in different counties when they were done?
H.B. 212 County Formation Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether the petition must include a map of the new boundaries.
▶ Watch at 44:04Read what they said
when you bring the petition, you have to have like a map, or are you bringing a question of just, shall we split? Or are you, or is the question that you're bringing, shall we split it along? The map drawn here?
H.B. 212 County Formation Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks whether a subset of a county could petition to separate a portion with high taxes or debt.
▶ Watch at 55:51Read what they said
Yes, go ahead. Um, So could a subset of the county that just didn't like one other part, they thought that that part over there has got really high taxes and really high obligations and, but the other 80% of us don't want them anymore because they, they've got a lot of debt or high taxes or problems there. Could they then initiate a position, uh, a petition to keep the 80% of the county and basically kick out the 20%? They probably have enough votes 'cause they had 80% of the people in it. Uh, when, when you say that part of the county has really high taxes, There was some part of the county that they said that …
H.B. 212 County Formation Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks how unincorporated rural areas would be assigned to counties and whether the initial map must account for them.
▶ Watch at 57:14Read what they said
And there's, um, a part in here about, uh, there that rural areas get some say over which county they're in. So what it does say is in the unincorporated areas of the county, that they would be incorporated into the county that has the highest population in which they are contiguous. And does that process of deciding which one they get incorporated in, because we talked before about when this petition is created, it has to have a map drawn. 'cause you're presenting the map about the split. And does that have to already consider how you include the rural county so that, that description of how those rural areas is, How the initial map needs to, has to …
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asks how many officers the bill would affect; the number is described as small, across about 29 counties, with optional changes by each sheriff.
▶ Watch at 1:22:09Read what they said
Sometimes it's a little bit hard for me to just get the scale of the changes that are being proposed. So I don't know if the question is for the witness or for the sponsor of the total number of officers that we have throughout the state, would this proposal affect 30%? 1%? Is it a tiny number that are on the fence? Uh, it's a small amount because what it there? So there's 29 counties, uh, maybe 30 or something, uh, depending on that, based on that previous discussion, there's 29 counties and this rep represents, it could change the major commander, the captain and lieutenant. But this is optional. So the sheriffs can leave it like it is, …
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Notes that the sheriff's office has a different structure than other counties, with more lower-level and fewer upper-level ranks.
▶ Watch at 1:27:07Read what they said
I'm happy for you, but I just wanna point out that you have a different structure than some of the other counties. That's Yes. You have much more lower level and not as many upper Level. Right. And that's
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Says the bill should either move the level to captain or keep it within one level of the sheriff, so midlevel staff are not affected.
▶ Watch at 1:29:32Read what they said
Sure. And I guess this is discussion be before action. So I, I agree with, to me also, it would be important that we had it, that we either moved it to captain or had it with within one degree of the sheriff. So we really weren't catching midline folks. So to me the question is do we move, do we hold this and do that? It's the next committee. Do, uh, I don't know, uh, the discretion of the chair. If you have a comment on what you would like to do one way or the other, that is a change. I also would like to see made to be supportive.
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Moves to proceed to the next item on the agenda.
▶ Watch at 1:33:37Read what they said
Well, I, I'll make a motion to move to the next item on the agenda and I'll,
H.B. 335 County Employment Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Says the discussion shows some changes are wanted, and he would support the bill if they are sorted out.
▶ Watch at 1:33:45Read what they said
Sure. At least in our brief discussion here, it doesn't sound like we can easily know what change we want, but it sounds that there are some that wanna change. So I, I'm happy to see the bill again and if that gets sorted, I, I would be supportive of the bill, but I guess that's my motion for now.
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asked how taxes would be calculated if a county built homes on land it bought in another county.
▶ Watch at 1:50:20Read what they said
So I guess, I mean, just this hypothetical, so if I, not, it's not greenbelt or anything else, but if I buy, if a county buys land in another county and then builds just residential, they just build homes there, then do they, then what do they pay tax on? They pay tax on what the land was worth prior to building the homes, or they pay Juab, those homeowners just pay a regular tax, uh,
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Clarified he meant homes still owned by the county and occupied by its employees.
▶ Watch at 1:50:48Read what they said
Um, let, if the county has their employees and lets them live there, but they build homes on it, so now there are homes of a certain value, and before it was just land, then they pay the tax on the value of the land, or they pay tax on what it would be to have that many residences built on it. I
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asked whether normal tax processes would apply or the owning county's tax-exempt status would alter them.
▶ Watch at 1:51:27Read what they said
Okay. I guess I'm just trying to figure out, is it, would it be paid under the kind of the normal process to the county where it was, or would it still have some different process because the land was still owned by the other county and they were a tax exempt entity?
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Restated his question about whether the normal process applies.
▶ Watch at 1:52:01Read what they said
Yeah, I, I'm just trying to figure out if there's a, if going forward, if the process is just the normal process for the county where the land is, or if the tax exempt status of the county who owns the land still in some way, cha changes that process?
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Asked whether counties currently owning land in other counties pay property tax on it today.
▶ Watch at 1:53:36Read what they said
And I'm sorry for, but thank you for one more question. So in the instance that there are already currently perhaps, I don't know, 20 instances already where counties have purchased land in another county right now, today, do they pay that tax as though it were privately owned or they don't pay it because they're a tax exempt and so they don't pay it? So where are we today before the bill? I guess I'm asking four instances where this thing has happened.
H.B. 445 County Government Land Purchasing · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend the bill.
▶ Watch at 2:11:39Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend this bill.
H.B. 486 Fraudulent Deeds Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Said the change is not substantive and speaks to the meaning of the previous bill, so consent is appropriate.
▶ Watch at 2:19:06Read what they said
Doesn't seem like a substantive change and it does speak to the meaning of the previous bill, so it seems to be appropriate for consent.
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House floor debate (day 22) · Feb 10, 2026
Ward presents H.B. 248, outlining changes to child support collection including spousal support collection, feedback meetings with parents, TANF pass-through, a $35,000 arrears threshold for driver's license action, court database information for self-represented parties, and 6% simple interest on unpaid child support.
▶ Watch at 1:38:46Read what they said
Thank you, uh, Mr. Speaker ProAm colleagues, this bill just makes several changes to try and make our state system for getting, um, child support to work better. Um, child support is a very difficult issue. Uh, many times a single parent trying to take care of kids gets left in the lurch. We have a state system, ORS, which is their job, is to help with those collections. And sometimes that system works very well, but there's other times when that system doesn't work so well. So this bill is just really a collection of small policies to help that work better. Um, children have enough stacked against them already, um, when their parents are not together and when …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House floor debate (day 22) · Feb 10, 2026
Responds that the changes may help in some cases, that interest would be charged on unpaid support, and that the driver's license provision requires the department to take a set step while allowing the parent to explain inability to pay.
▶ Watch at 1:45:03Read what they said
So I think, um, each of the things in here in some small cases will help make that happen. Right now, for example, the part with spousal support ORS doesn't help collect that. Um, the part with interest, at least they'll be charged later. They may pay later, but right now they wouldn't even pay the interest. Um, and the part with the driver's license is just to draw some line three times the felony line to say, there here is a specific action. You, you can still come explain why you can't, and that's fine, then you don't. But it's time to take an action. This many, many times actions are not taken by ORS and they're doing the …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House floor debate (day 22) · Feb 10, 2026
Explains that the department rarely acts at $10,000 and that the bill sets $35,000 as the level at which the department must notify the person and take action unless the person arranges to pay or explains inability to pay.
▶ Watch at 1:46:19Read what they said
So currently it just says the department may take action, um, at 10,000, but in practice they almost never take that action at 10,000 or at any other number right now, the department almost never uses that for any reason. Um, and so this would just say at this much higher level of 35,000, the department would need to take action. They would need to go notify the person that unless that person came and spoke with them, um, and either showed why they couldn't pay or began to make some small payment, then they would proceed with that action if it was past 35,000.
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House floor debate (day 22) · Feb 10, 2026
In summation, says each change is small but together they would improve support for children and custodial parents.
▶ Watch at 1:47:17Read what they said
Um, by themselves. Each one of these is just a small change, uh, colleagues, but together they'll make a meaningful improvement. I believe in the number, uh, of children who do get some support. That's just so important. Also for the parent, the custodial parent who's taking care of them, um, they're in a very tough spot. Um, and we should have our laws set up to help them as best we can. Thank you.
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Presents HB 184 to let cities approve or deny a small-lot or starter home through a basic application without changing the whole zone, and says housing costs call for changes to the zoning process.
▶ Watch at 54:22Read what they said
Um, thank you Mr. Chair and committee. I do have a handout. May we pass that out? Yeah, That'd be fine. I will note that I do have a second substitute on the system. Those aren't big changes. They're small changes, but that I would hope to have adopted when we get to that point. Um, Colleagues, this bill, um, if I was just summarizing it, I would say this bill makes it possible for a city to say yes or no to building a small, less expensive home without having to change the whole zone where, where that home is built. We have a very difficult housing affordability problem. Uh, we've talked about it a lot. It's this problem …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says the zoning rights would apply only to the single project and that all other permitting steps would still apply.
▶ Watch at 1:06:41Read what they said
So the, so the zoning rights explicitly in the bill don't apply to anywhere else. They apply to the single project. And if, like, as you mentioned, the other things that come later that might show a problem if there was an easement or if there was a safety issue with what you brought in, all those other parts of the process are still in place. This is an additional step before you go through all the rest of those things that do routinely turn up problems that make it so you can't functionally build something there, but you would still have to get over all of those regular hurdles. But the question is just if I can get over …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says the 30-day clock is his best estimate of what is reasonable and he is open to other timing.
▶ Watch at 1:08:11Read what they said
So the, the 30 day clock on here is my best guess for what's reasonable. If, and I in talking with cities, if there, if there were some other kind of clock that then made it so that it was, uh, more agreeable to cities, I'm open to other ideas in that respect. Again, this is not in lieu of the normal process that you have to go through to get a permit. This is in addition to that. So I don't want it to be a long additional step in addition to the normally what you would have to, to get through to get a permit. But in, in ex I guess if you're balancing, I would think the …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says cities did not indicate that such changes would alter their view and that he would need a city partner to draft them.
▶ Watch at 1:09:52Read what they said
Um, in visiting with the cities, I, uh, before I tried to parse out if any of those change would changes would make a difference to how they looked at it. But at the end of those discussions, it didn't seem to me like it would, I would need, uh, so I would need a willing partner in the cities to be able to write language like that in order to get a provision like that that functioned well. Um, but at some point, I think to be able to even have that conversation, we need to decide if we're gonna consider the idea, which is what I hope the committee will vote to do.
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says the bill changes the balance by requiring cities to act to say no, while cities would keep final authority on each project.
▶ Watch at 1:16:32Read what they said
So that, I, I would say it changes a balance in some instances. And if what they want is to say no to all of these projects, it will make them do a little bit more work to say no. Um, if previous, right now, if they just say, no, that's, that's not zoned for that, then they never have to say anything else. No one at their office or the planning commission or even on the city council can really approve them one at a time. They're, in this instance, if the bill were to pass, then they would have equal final authority to have the final say. I want, if I need language to write it differently, to …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says cities would still retain the ability to honor their zoning and would have the final say in each case.
▶ Watch at 1:17:20Read what they said
No. Uh, the cities would still, in all cases, retain the ability to honor their zoning, if that's what they wish they would have the final say in each case.
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says cities keep the final say and new projects must still pay impact fees and other costs.
▶ Watch at 1:17:45Read what they said
I would say no. They still have the final say on each project. If something requires additional infrastructure, the the new addition still needs to pay its impact fee to it. Um, all, all of the costs, uh, need to be paid by the person building same as they normally would.
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says cities can vote no if they lack time or information, and projects must still pass the normal permitting process.
▶ Watch at 1:18:23Read what they said
I don't think so. Uh, if, if the city feels that this is just not enough time to consider it, then say no, it, it does not get around the per the permitting process that you would have to get through. You still have to go through the same permitting process. So if a project comes in and doesn't meet, um, an easement or doesn't meet, it doesn't meet a safety thing according to building code, you tell them no, same as you would tell that other project that came in that, that, hey, you didn't meet the easement and you didn't meet the building code. You would tell them no, because they were going through the same permitting process, …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says the bill requires a basic drawing of the lot and home placement, not a costly procedure, and does not short-circuit normal permitting.
▶ Watch at 1:19:28Read what they said
I think that the, what I'm shooting for in there is a basic drawing of the lot and where the home would sit on the lot, but not having to go through a costly long, um, procedure to be able to get an initial thumbs up or thumbs down to then go through your permitting process. This is, does not short circuit the normal permitting. This is an additional step prior to the normal, uh, permitting.
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Says he has met with cities many times, that the disagreement is fundamental, and asks whether the legislature is willing to consider changes to the underlying zoning process.
▶ Watch at 1:20:13Read what they said
I should not speak on their behalf. Yeah. They will soon come to the Table and Tie that out, tell you their reasons. And I mean, like, and, and has, like, I I, I'm assuming that you've done everything in your power to, I've met with them many times over a couple years, and they have treated me respectfully and I've treated them respectfully, and we've had a bunch of different discussions about these things. Um, in the end, we just have a fundamental, we, the reason we haven't negotiated something is 'cause we have a fundamental difference. I think this is the way we do zoning is a part of why our homes are expensive. So I'm looking for …
H.B. 184 Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asks whether local control includes property owner rights, questions whether small homes harm neighbors, and says he will meet with members about a possible path forward.
▶ Watch at 1:54:17Read what they said
The motion. Thank you. Yep. Um, thank you. So thank you for that feedback. If the answer is that we're holding it just because we just don't like it and we're gonna hold it, then that will be that If there are changes that can be made to it in some way. So I, I mean, I'll come to each of you afterwards to see if there are other changes that could be made that would make you see some, uh, pathway forward, um, to the issue that was brought up about the number of entitled units that haven't been built on. My question back to anyone who is holding that up is just to review first, which of those …
H.B. 390 Veterans PTSD Clinical Research Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asks why this study should be state-funded rather than funded through the usual federal grant process.
▶ Watch at 2:23:30Read what they said
Thank, thank you, Madam Chair. So there's a lot of different research that goes on in the United States. I guess many of those grants, uh, come from federal monies that are set aside for the grants. Um, what is it about this sit situation? And maybe you spoke to it, but maybe, maybe help me remember if you did. What is it about this situation that makes it, that, that normal way that studies are funded, I guess that is the most common way not work in this instance. If this, I mean, amongst all the other studies that could be funded, why is this, should the state pick this one out of all the others to put its …
H.B. 390 Veterans PTSD Clinical Research Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asks whether the Texas study could address Utah's needs and what makes this study different.
▶ Watch at 2:25:43Read what they said
One additional, if I may, Madam chair. So you had mentioned also that I think that a, a similar study may, you mentioned that there was some kind of study that had been funded in Texas. Yes. So is this kind of the same, the exact same study, but in our population here? Or is it by deliberate choice going to not be the same as what was done there? I mean, most medical studies of basic medical things are generalizable past the state boundary. So if you get a good study from Texas, does that solve our problem? What's different about this than that?
H.B. 390 Veterans PTSD Clinical Research Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asks what the procedure for a clinical trial like this involves and how often treatments occur.
▶ Watch at 2:26:46Read what they said
But I have one quick question. Just out of curiosity, what does one of these clinical trial, what would the procedure be for this? Is this done one time and then you're done? Is it like every month? Is it every week? Is it every day?
H.B. 390 Veterans PTSD Clinical Research Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asks Kyle Bingham whether he feels cured or expects he will need additional psychedelic treatments.
▶ Watch at 2:36:08Read what they said
Ward. Kyle, thank you so much for being here with us at this point. With what you have experienced so far with the treatment you received. Do you feel like you are now, I guess, cured, if we would say? Or do you feel like that you need, would need additional psychedelic treatments to, to continue to, um, get the benefit you need?
H.B. 96 Ivermectin Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked how medicines move from prescription to over-the-counter status normally and what makes ivermectin an exception to that process.
▶ Watch at 2:56:46Read what they said
Thank you. So in general United States, we do have a process for deciding which medicines should require a prescription and which should be available over the counter. Um, medicines that, um, start by prescription and wish to go over the counter, do have a process by which they can go through and say, well, this is a medicine that's safe enough to just have a person purchase it without having a discussion with the healthcare provider for its other interactions. Could you just speak a little bit, I mean, should we just break down all of those in general, or what makes this one medication enough different that we should say we're just gonna bypass that normal decision making …
H.B. 96 Ivermectin Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked whether ivermectin sold over the counter would be manufacturer-labeled prescription product or compounded product.
▶ Watch at 2:58:41Read what they said
Okay. One more question if I might. Madam Chair? Yes, please. Go ahead. So most medicines, uh, well, all of them I guess that, that I know of when they're manufactured in the United States are manufactured very clearly labeled by prescription only, right? I mean, ivermectin capsules or tablets. Now, if you got them from a manufacturer, they would say that right on the box that this is only, uh, for prescription. So is it, is the thought that we would take those just from a regular manufacturer, um, and then the pharmacist would say, nevermind, it says that on the box, but I'm just gonna sell those to you over the counter. Or would these be compounded products? …
H.B. 104 State Holiday Amendments · House floor debate (day 21) · Feb 9, 2026
Ward said the bill's estimated $8 million in lost state productivity on the holiday should be treated as a fiscal cost, and that adding holidays may lead to reduced output or the need to hire more staff.
▶ Watch at 50:21Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. There's one portion of this bill that just troubles me a little, a little. So the bill doesn't have a fiscal note in the sense of an an additional amount of tax money the state would have to pay, but the bill does estimate $8 million of lost state productivity, um, during that day. So if, if we're going to think about the cost to the state in terms of lost productivity, if, to me that is a valid way to think of it. To me that's like a fiscal note, um, of $8 million on the bill. We have several different state holidays. We've passed the Juneteenth holiday here recently. Um, to me we need …
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · House floor debate (day 18) · Feb 6, 2026
Presented H.B. 264, describing three changes: extending prescription refill periods from one year to two years, easing pharmacy substitution of similar medications without required notification to the prescriber, and revising how standing orders in the Department of Health are defined.
▶ Watch at 37:58Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker, uh, colleagues. This bill has, um, just a couple of small policy changes in it. The rate relate to how we do prescription drugs. Um, one policy will just make it easier for a prescriber, a physician or nurse practitioner to write a prescription that will last longer if that's what they want. Right now, if you write a prescription with refills, even if you meant for it to last longer, after a year goes by and even if you haven't used your refills, they will vanish off the, the pharmacy computer and you will have to call back to your provider's office. And typically you, you might have to make another visit, but if you …
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · House floor debate (day 18) · Feb 6, 2026
Answered that chronic medications are still limited to one year unless the prescriber allows a longer-term refill, such as for a seasickness patch used for a future trip.
▶ Watch at 40:19Read what they said
Thank you for that question. That's a good question. So for most chronic, uh, medications where, especially where it's a medicine that the person takes, um, every day, then you would write a number of pills that really only added up to one year. So you would say, here's here's a 90 day supply and I put three more refills that only adds up to one year. Then you cannot fill any more than that number of fills. So that one where the intention was that you followed up in a year, you'd write it in a way that it went one year and then you had to follow up again. But if, uh, you were riding like seasickness patches …
H.B. 342 Federal Grant Process Amendments · House floor debate (day 18) · Feb 6, 2026
Supports the bill, linking it to federal Medicaid changes and rural health transformation funds and to the need for legislative oversight of those decisions.
▶ Watch at 1:21:26Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanna rise in support of this bill. Um, to me, just when I think about this bill, I, I think this bill is in response to, um, what happened with the big beautiful bill in, in Congress. And as a part of that, um, money, there was a rural health transformation money that was set aside. Some of the changes that were made to Medicaid in that bill were thought to and may and may yet still hurt rural hospitals and rural communities. So to ensure that that didn't happen, some money was set aside, particularly to help rural communities, particularly with their healthcare needs with hospitals and the clinics and things there. And …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward confirms he will speak to the substitute and offers a handout to the committee.
▶ Watch at 1:17:53Read what they said
Will be. Thank you. Yes. And I do have a handout if we could have that passed out. I think it's a really good handout. It's gonna be helpful to you.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward thanks the committee for the welcome and makes brief remarks about the water bills on the agenda.
▶ Watch at 1:18:14Read what they said
Thank you. It's nice to be here, you know, every now and again, you kind of stray outta your pathway and look For, for some new place. You know, it's a great committee. Everybody brought their waiters today. That's right. We had a lot of water bill. That's Right. Um, thank you committee.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward explains that HB 247 would redirect the brine shrimp tax to the Sovereign Lands account for water rights leases and brine shrimp projects, while the substitute delays the new renewables tax change to July 2027 after Mining Association concerns.
▶ Watch at 1:18:26Read what they said
So some couple of de decades ago, I don't know, maybe two decades or three decades ago, there came a time when the legislature thought to itself, we need some money for our protected species account. Um, in particular that the use of that account is in general, when there is a species that the state is afraid is going to be listed as a threatened species or going to be listed as an endangered species. And the state wants to take action to protect that species as best as it can before it gets that listing on a federal level. But then that in order to do something useful, that account would need some money. You know, and the …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says a delay is not preferred, argues the brine shrimp assessment should fund lake projects, and says the projected revenue leaves ample cushion even if it is lower.
▶ Watch at 1:23:50Read what they said
So I don't think so. I think it's, to me, it's time to have the brine shrimp assessment go to really what, to me makes more sense, which is projects that directly benefit the brine shrimp and that benefit the lake. To me, that's a, a very important purpose that we have put a significant amount of one-time money into. But, uh, we haven't really made an ongoing commitment. And although this is a small amount, it's a really important step to have some ongoing commitment, um, to get some water rights into the lake. I think there's a lot of, um, redundancy built into it. I mean, the amount that was projected to go into it was quite a …
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward explains the assessment amount does not change and the substitute only gives a delayed start to implementation.
▶ Watch at 1:24:53Read what they said
Yeah. The assessment is the, as the amount of the assessment doesn't change, and really we just say we are, we're gonna, we are, we're fully planning to make this change. We've said we're gonna make this change, but we've just given ourselves a runway. See how it goes before it goes. And then there's chance to change our mind if not, but I think it is time in my mind to start making some kind of ongoing commitments to water that goes into the lake. And this is the impetus for the bill.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says he has spoken with the departments, which are comfortable using the money and accept the changes.
▶ Watch at 1:25:36Read what they said
The, I have spoken with our different departments and my understanding is that they, they're good at using the money in these different circumstances and that they're okay with these changes.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says the species protection account is not required to spend on the lake and its purpose is endangered species statewide.
▶ Watch at 1:26:31Read what they said
Well, the species protection account doesn't have anything about it that is specific to the lake. It, it, it's not Required to be spent there. Oh no, it is, I mean its purpose is endangered species writ large anywhere across the state.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says some projects near the lake may already receive funding at the division's discretion, while others are far away.
▶ Watch at 1:26:47Read what they said
There, there could well be, but each project just comes up one at a time. Projects that, some projects where there's a species on the lake, it may, may well go there at the discretion of the, the division managing the account. Others would go to places far away from the lake and the endangered species protection account would, would still be rightfully at their discretion to decide which projects were of the highest importance to the state.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says he is not certain which portion of the funding went to species near the lake.
▶ Watch at 1:27:19Read what they said
So representative, I'm not sure which portion of that may have been going to species that were close to the lake.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward says some funding may have protected small amounts of individual species' habitat.
▶ Watch at 1:27:29Read what they said
To the lake. Right. So there, ah, there could have been some individual species that you did something to protect some small amount of their habitat.
H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Feb 5, 2026
Ward confirms the tax came from Representative Snyder's bill and covered all renewables, and that it was suggested as a reasonable follow-up to last year's action.
▶ Watch at 1:28:08Read what they said
Yes. I just wanted to clarify your chart. Yes, it was, it was from Representative Snyder's bill and it was all renewables. And it was kind of at his suggestion that this would be a reasonable thing to do subsequent to that action that we took last year. That, um, this, I just wanted to make the committee aware of that.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Moves a second substitute to the bill.
▶ Watch at 1:18:53Read what they said
Thank you, uh, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to move a second substitute on the system in my name.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Moves to adopt a second substitute to the bill in his name.
▶ Watch at 1:18:53Read what they said
Thank you, uh, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to move a second substitute on the system in my name.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Argues the substitute keeps surgical procedures in the bill while removing hormonal treatments, because hormones add no cost and are used for both transition and non-transition reasons.
▶ Watch at 1:19:01Read what they said
Um, yes, I would. Thank you. Um, colleagues in this bill, there are are two parts that to me i I would like to consider separately. Uh, for me, this is important to what I would like to be able to support this. There are two broad categories of treatments that we're talking about here. One is hormonal treatments, uh, that can be given and one, and the other category is surgical, uh, treatments that can be given. If the reason for the bill, which is a very valid reason to consider, is that taxpayers in general should not pay more for a given insurance plan. The extra cost that comes from covering these treatments comes exclusively from the surgical …
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Explains that the substitute keeps surgical procedures covered, removes hormonal treatments from the coverage requirement, and argues that hormone medications are used for both transgender and cisgender reasons, with the same cost and prior-authorization burden on insurers.
▶ Watch at 1:19:01Read what they said
Um, yes, I would. Thank you. Um, colleagues in this bill, there are are two parts that to me i I would like to consider separately. Uh, for me, this is important to what I would like to be able to support this. There are two broad categories of treatments that we're talking about here. One is hormonal treatments, uh, that can be given and one, and the other category is surgical, uh, treatments that can be given. If the reason for the bill, which is a very valid reason to consider, is that taxpayers in general should not pay more for a given insurance plan. The extra cost that comes from covering these treatments comes exclusively from the surgical …
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Estimates the substitute's fiscal impact would look identical, based on a conversation with the PEHP chief executive that the fiscal note came from surgical procedures.
▶ Watch at 1:24:30Read what they said
Sure. So my estimate is that it will look identical. And the reason that is my estimate is from speaking, um, with our CEO of PEHP and asking him why did you know, where did this fiscal note come from? And, and what he told me was that the fiscal note came entirely from the surgical procedures, that none of it came from the hormones so that it wouldn't change if you took that portion out. I expect it to look identical.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Answers that the substitute's cost estimate should look identical to the original, because the fiscal note came entirely from surgical procedures according to the PEHP CEO.
▶ Watch at 1:24:30Read what they said
Sure. So my estimate is that it will look identical. And the reason that is my estimate is from speaking, um, with our CEO of PEHP and asking him why did you know, where did this fiscal note come from? And, and what he told me was that the fiscal note came entirely from the surgical procedures, that none of it came from the hormones so that it wouldn't change if you took that portion out. I expect it to look identical.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Closes on the substitute, saying adults should be able to make their own choices about treatment without losing insurance coverage.
▶ Watch at 1:25:04Read what they said
Thank you. Um, a line that was said right here on the floor just a few minutes ago was, as an adult they can do what they want. Um, to me, if that is really how we're thinking about it and if it really is the case that this can be done for equal costs that we don't estimate that there are any other co additional costs that we can measure put on anyone else, then I hope that we would be in a position to really honestly say that's a, a choice that we might not agree with, but a choice that they as an adult can make and we would not try and take away, uh, a portion …
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Gives summation, arguing that if the substitute has equal cost and no added costs to others, adults should be allowed to make their own coverage choices without losing insurance coverage.
▶ Watch at 1:25:04Read what they said
Thank you. Um, a line that was said right here on the floor just a few minutes ago was, as an adult they can do what they want. Um, to me, if that is really how we're thinking about it and if it really is the case that this can be done for equal costs that we don't estimate that there are any other co additional costs that we can measure put on anyone else, then I hope that we would be in a position to really honestly say that's a, a choice that we might not agree with, but a choice that they as an adult can make and we would not try and take away, uh, a portion …
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Moves to adopt the first substitute under his name.
▶ Watch at 1:33:53Read what they said
Thank you. Uh, Mr. Speaker, um, motion to move first substitute on the system in my name.
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Explains that the first substitute separates hormonal and surgical treatment rules so that coverage for transition treatments requires parallel coverage for detransition.
▶ Watch at 1:33:54Read what they said
Speaker, um, motion to move first substitute on the system in my name. That motion is an order. Would you like to speak to it? Yes, I would. Perhaps I'm a slow learner, but I'm gonna try again here. Um, and I do think it'll become apparent. I think my, I agree with the intended outcome of this bill and the substitute that I have on here, I, I hope meets also with the sponsor's intention. Um, and it just simply, again, it splints out the two treatments just to be thought about separately. But it says if you're covering hormonal treatments for the region of making a transgender, uh, a transition, then you need to cover hormonal treatments for …
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Explains that the substitute requires coverage of hormonal and surgical detransition treatments when transition treatments are covered, keeping the two in parallel.
▶ Watch at 1:34:00Read what they said
Yes, I would. Perhaps I'm a slow learner, but I'm gonna try again here. Um, and I do think it'll become apparent. I think my, I agree with the intended outcome of this bill and the substitute that I have on here, I, I hope meets also with the sponsor's intention. Um, and it just simply, again, it splints out the two treatments just to be thought about separately. But it says if you're covering hormonal treatments for the region of making a transgender, uh, a transition, then you need to cover hormonal treatments for a detransition. And if sep then it puts as a separate line. If you are covering trans surgeries for the purpose of transition, then you …
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Says most hormone treatment effects reverse when treatment stops, but some, such as a lower voice, cannot be reversed surgically.
▶ Watch at 1:35:47Read what they said
Not that I can easily think of. Uh, I mean most, many of the effects of hormone treatments reverse just when you stop taking the hormone treatments. Some of them do not. Um, but the ones that I can think of that, that don't easily reverse such as a, a biological female's voice becoming lower when she takes testosterone to my knowledge, are not able to be reversed with a surgical procedure.
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Says procedures for such cases are not well defined and have low success rates, and prefers that if one treatment is covered the other is covered too.
▶ Watch at 1:36:49Read what they said
My understanding, Mr. Speaker, is that many of the, those types of procedures, um, for those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the position where they want that surgery done are still not well defined at all with a much lower successful surgical rate and just very unclear if that's gonna be helpful or, or injure the person, um, to go through that procedure. So I guess to me, I would prefer to just have if you do the one, you do the other.
H.B. 70 Correctional Health Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 4, 2026
Ward asked for an explanation of the fiscal note and whether the one-time amount is for purchasing the EHR or for ongoing costs.
▶ Watch at 42:22Read what they said
Thank you. Can you just talk me through again, the fiscal note that's on the bill? It, I mean, I see a very large o ongoing amount and a onetime amount. Is the onetime amount the amount for purchasing the EMR or is it the on ongoing amount?
H.B. 70 Correctional Health Services Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Feb 4, 2026
Ward asked what medication-assisted treatment is meant to accomplish for inmates with long sentences, including whether the goal is a taper or continued treatment.
▶ Watch at 44:04Read what they said
So medication assisted treatment is, and, and we talk about substance abuse treatment. Um, so the one portion of that is giving opioids to people who have a problem with opioids. So they won't be in withdrawal, which sounds a little weird 'cause we're just giving them opioids. Um, in an outpatient setting, you see people do very, very well. Their lives are outta control. You get them on Suboxone and they keep their job, they take care of their children. They, you know, things go really well for them. They're still stuck on the opioids, but the rest of their life is going really well. I, it has been a little bit harder for me to parse out exactly …
H.C.R. 6 Concurrent Resolution Regarding the Utah Housing Strategic Plan · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Rep. Ward asks what difference passing or not passing the resolution would make, given the work already done on the plan.
▶ Watch at 1:17:13Read what they said
Thank you. Um, so could you talk me through, if the, I mean the commit, this group has done a lot of work, right? A lot of people have done a lot of work to bring this plan in over a long period of time with a bunch of different, um, metrics and goals and themes and different objectives in it. With all that work that's already been done, what do you think the difference to the state will be if we pass this resolution or if we don't pass this resolution?
H.C.R. 6 Concurrent Resolution Regarding the Utah Housing Strategic Plan · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Rep. Ward says the state should focus on actions that make building housing faster, easier, or less expensive, and says he will still vote for the resolution.
▶ Watch at 1:18:44Read what they said
Thank, thank you. Can I, we pass resolutions about things that are important and this is a thing that's important. I do think that, I guess there's a comment I guess that I just wanna make to it and that I, I feel like in this particular issue, which is a very difficult and a hard issue, and that's why we focus on it, I feel like there is some very real danger that because we so badly want to do something, we will substitute things that won't help a lot in exchange for making actual hard decisions that I think will help. So I, I worry some about, about this, about passing this kind of thing. To me, if …
H.B. 324 Utah Marriage Commission Fee Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Moved to pass H.B. 324 as amended out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
▶ Watch at 1:42:19Read what they said
Thank you. Um, Madam Vice chair, I would like to make a motion that we pass House Bill 3 24 as amended out with a favorable recommendation. The motion is to pass out HB 3 24 as amended with a favorable recommendation.
H.B. 324 Utah Marriage Commission Fee Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Said they feel comfortable with the balance and hope it is a step in the right direction for the commission.
▶ Watch at 1:42:36Read what they said
I feel comfortable with the balance, um, and hopefully that's still a step in the right direction, uh, for the commission, I hope.
H.B. 246 Local Government Drug Testing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Ward asks what substances are included in oral fluid that are not saliva, since the bill replaces the word saliva with oral fluid.
▶ Watch at 1:47:37Read what they said
That all sounds pretty good. I do have one question online, 64, it crosses out the word saliva and puts in the phrase oral fluid. So I'm wondering if you could help me understand which things are oral fluid that are not saliva.
H.B. 246 Local Government Drug Testing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Ward moves to pass HB 246 out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
▶ Watch at 1:48:39Read what they said
Um, I would like to make a motion that we pass house bill 2 46 out with a favorable recommendation. This is a great bill. Oh, sorry, I already spoke to it. Now. Oh, The motion is to pass out house bill 2 46 with a favorable recommendation.
H.B. 246 Local Government Drug Testing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Ward declines to speak further on the motion.
▶ Watch at 1:48:53Read what they said
Uh, I would not like to speak further to that, Uh, to the sponsor. I'll waive. Thank you. All right.
H.B. 246 Local Government Drug Testing Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Feb 3, 2026
Ward moves to place HB 246 on the consent calendar.
▶ Watch at 1:49:48Read what they said
Thank you. I would make a motion that we place this on the consent calendar.
H.B. 97 Medical Waste Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Asked whether the bill's purpose is to allow facilities to do this or to require them to.
▶ Watch at 6:52Read what they said
Can I, I just have one other question that I wanted to ask to the sponsor. Sure. So is this the, is the point to allow facilities to do this, or is the point to mandate that they must
H.B. 97 Medical Waste Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Moved to adopt the second substitute to HB 97.
▶ Watch at 7:17Read what they said
Well then I would love to make a motion. Go ahead. Um, I'd like to move second substitute, uh, representative Bollinger's name.
H.B. 97 Medical Waste Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Said the substitute includes a provision he had questioned in the original bill.
▶ Watch at 7:30Read what they said
Well, it sounds like his substitute had the thing in it that I wondered about from the underlying
H.B. 97 Medical Waste Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend HB 97 second substitute.
▶ Watch at 7:57Read what they said
Yes. Uh, I would like to, uh, make a motion that we favorably recommend, um, house bill 97 second substitute medical waste amendments.
H.B. 117 Organ Donation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Says there is an amendment and moves Amendment No. 1 to the bill.
▶ Watch at 16:29Read what they said
There is a sub, please. Yeah, I would appreciate a motion to, it's an amendment. I would like to move amendment number one on the system. Sub sub one. Is it amendment? Oh, I beg your pardon. Uh, it is an amendment representative amendment number one? Yeah. Yes. I would like to move that amendment. Okay.
H.B. 117 Organ Donation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Moves that the committee favorably recommend the bill as amended.
▶ Watch at 17:26Read what they said
I I would be happy to make another motion. Um, I would like to move that we favorably recommend House Bill one 17 as amended.
H.B. 117 Organ Donation Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Says the bill is a good step to raise awareness so more people may choose to become organ donors.
▶ Watch at 17:45Read what they said
Um, I think this is a good step. We're just looking for any quiet little way we can to get a larger knowledge of people about this in, in hopes that we'll get a few more folks who are willing to be donors. They just didn't know that, that, that chance was there for them.
H.B. 152 Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Asked whether the state has any role in giving parents positive information about vaccines when they have sought mostly negative information.
▶ Watch at 39:08Read what they said
Thank you. Um, you know, thinking about informed consent, there's a lot of different things to, to think about what it means to be informed, how, how informed to be before you, uh, consent to something. Um, and there's a lot to think about with vaccines. Um, you know, each I is different, each vaccine is different. If, um, if folks have chosen to get information that is mostly negative towards vaccines, is there any role to say that they ought to have some information about what the state feels like is important, positive information about vaccines? Is there any role for that? Or if the person has chosen this other, what they feel is the information they want, you …
H.B. 152 Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Asked whether the video must be watched to the end or can be fast-forwarded.
▶ Watch at 53:25Read what they said
I, I do, and it might be for this witness, or it might be for the department that's in the room here. I'm, I have a couple of very granular questions about the nature of the video. I, in my profession, I get asked to watch a lot of training videos. Um, and, and there are a whole bunch of different ways that they kind of are put together. So do you know, or if there's someone from the department is here as you know, I, is it set up right now that you have to watch the video all the way to the end, or can you just fast forward the video all the way to the end? Because …
H.B. 152 Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Confirmed questions are interspersed and asked whether the module is loaded for a specific child.
▶ Watch at 54:22Read what they said
There's questions interspersed mm-hmm. Throughout. Mm-hmm. Okay. Yes. Um, and then, and then you probably also know this one, and I don't know, so is it in fact the case that you have to have it loaded up for one particular child before you watch it? Or if you did have four or five kids Yes. That you, so
H.B. 152 Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Asked how often the video must be watched.
▶ Watch at 55:21Read what they said
Thank you, Caitlyn. And then maybe even one more if I, so the video would have to be watched, um, how many times per year is it each year or is it,
H.B. 179 Milk Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Says the department's answers helped and asks that both raw milk bills be heard together before a decision.
▶ Watch at 1:45:01Read what they said
That cleared up a lot. Uh, a lot of it. I guess my other question is really just to the universe about, it would've been nice to maybe to hear the two bills together to kind of understand. I mean, in the end it's a d it's a certainly a different, it sounds like a different approach, but between the two bills, I mean, if, uh, we, We would love to have that happen and we've asked for that. If, if this could just be held off until we can get them all together.
H.B. 179 Milk Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Asks Russell Kohler whether he prefers parts of the other raw milk bill.
▶ Watch at 1:59:21Read what they said
Yeah, I do have a question. I mean, I, I feel like this discussion is a little bit hard for me because we have another bill that is clearly in the same space that has at least some things are incompatible. Um, so to your testimony there, are you familiar enough with, um, representative Kohler's bill to say that there are particular parts of it that you prefer over this bill? Or, or not yet? I mean, either I,
H.B. 179 Milk Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Moves to hold the bill so both raw milk bills can be considered together.
▶ Watch at 2:04:45Read what they said
Um, th Thank you Mr. Vice-Chair. Um, I'd like to make a substitute motion to hold the bill and I'd like to speak to that if I could. That is in order and I'll let you speak. So my preference would be to hear both of the bills at the same time. I don't know how to easily, I mean, I know there's some different policies that are pretty different about how heavily it's gonna be regulated between the Two bills. They're pretty much opposite. Well, there you go. Um, but I still would like the chance to think of them in the context of thinking about them, um, at the same time to make a decision about it. So …
H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Presents HB 248, which makes several child support and Office of Recovery Services changes, including alimony collection, frontline feedback meetings, TANF pass-through, license consequences for large arrears, access to case records, and interest on arrears.
▶ Watch at 2:11:30Read what they said
Um, Mr. Vice Chair, I have just a handout. Can my intern pass that out? Yeah. Um, I'll be speaking to the first substitute and hope to have that moved, um, at the correct time. It has a, a few changes, not many from the underlying bill. Yes. Great. Um, uh, colleagues, this bill has several different policy changes in it all. I would, to me, in my mind there, all the policy changes are small ones and all of them point in the direction of getting a more robust and more reliable and a more fair system for the way that we do, um, child support payments. And in particular, um, when child support is owed, uh, an option …
S.B. 14 Utah Commission on Aging Sunset Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend SB 14 to the bill sponsor and praised the commission's work.
▶ Watch at 2:35:50Read what they said
Representative Ward. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Um, I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 14. That motion is in order. Um, so the motion is that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 14, um, to the bill sponsor. Thank you. They're doing such great work and, uh, have, uh, so much more to do for, for all of us as as we age. Thank you.
S.B. 14 Utah Commission on Aging Sunset Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 30, 2026
Said the commission's staff are steadily working to improve things for Utahns as they age and expressed appreciation for their work.
▶ Watch at 2:36:21Read what they said
Um, they really are just out there working away, doing their job, trying to make things a little bit better for the, for the state a little bit at a time. And we, we appreciate their work. Thank you.
H.B. 38 Local Government Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Asks whether changing the auditor office name to finance officer changes how that person is elected or chosen.
▶ Watch at 56:21Read what they said
Uh, another thing, if I might just one other topic. So the bill looks at changing the name of an office from a, an auditor to a finance officer. Oh, That's a great Question. And so that is right now in many places, I mean, Davis County made a change even recently in this respect to trying to describe the office more accurately. Mm-hmm. But does anything about what is in this bill change how the person who does that thing is elected or not elected or chosen by the legislative body of the county or not?
H.B. 38 Local Government Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Moves to adopt the second substitute of House Bill 38, which passes unanimously.
▶ Watch at 1:13:19Read what they said
Thank you Madam Vice Chair. I would like to move second sub house bill 38. The motion is to, uh, adopt House second sub of House Bill 38. Um, would you like to speak to that motion? No, thank you. And the sponsor. I'll waive. Is there any discussion to that motion? All right. Uh, back to Representative Ward. All waive. Okay.
H.B. 38 Local Government Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Asks whether any important duties moved from the auditor and whether the fee was set through the recorder standards board process.
▶ Watch at 1:13:57Read what they said
And back to Representative Ward. I do have a, a question for me that came up with the testimony. Could you speak maybe a minute to whether or not there were any important duties that you feel like got moved from the auditor? And it is another, I guess it's a small thing, but the, the setting of the fee itself was something, was an item that was previously, I, I think statutorily designated to the recorder standards Board. Did did they then do that thing the statute said they should do to come up with this fee, or this was a different way to set the fee than, than that other statutory requirement that they Had? I'll make
H.B. 38 Local Government Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Moves to favorably recommend House Bill 38 second substitute.
▶ Watch at 1:16:51Read what they said
I would, uh, make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 38 second substitute. Okay. The motion is to favorably recommend House Bill 38 second substitute. Would you like to speak to that motion?
H.B. 13 Municipal Services Fees and Political Subdivision Lien Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Moved to adopt the first substitute for HB 13 that is in Rep. Cutler's name.
▶ Watch at 1:41:07Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Chair. Um, I'd like to move first substitute that is on the system in Representative Cutler's name.
H.B. 13 Municipal Services Fees and Political Subdivision Lien Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Moved to favorably recommend the first substitute for HB 13.
▶ Watch at 1:42:12Read what they said
Uh, thank you. Uh, Mr. Chair, I'd like to move that we favorably recommend House Bill 13. First substitute.
H.B. 13 Municipal Services Fees and Political Subdivision Lien Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 29, 2026
Asked that the sponsor answer the question raised by a public commenter, and said he sees the bill as a fair sharing of a burden that already exists rather than an added burden.
▶ Watch at 1:42:37Read what they said
Thank you. Um, I, I guess my, my speech really is, um, to request that if the PON to the sponsor that in, in his sum, if he would speak to the question that was brought up to me, I don't, um, I see this bill not as an, an additional burden, but as a fair sharing of a burden that is already there. But I would also be curious to have the sponsor answer the question that was asked by the commenter in the sum
H.B. 7 Social Services Base Budget · House floor debate (day 9) · Jan 28, 2026
Presents HB 7, which appropriates the base budget for Department of Health and Human Services agencies overseen by the Social Services Appropriations Committee, reducing 2026 appropriations by $90 million mainly due to lower Medicaid caseload growth, for a total of $8.6 billion with about $1.6 billion from the General Fund.
▶ Watch at 30:35Read what they said
Thank you, uh, colleagues. This Bill appropriates the base budget for the all the agencies that are directly overseen by Social Services Appropriations Committee and that essentially is our Department of Health and Human Services. Um, this bill, uh, does a great thing. It reduces our appropriations for the 2026 year by 90 million. So that is a big, uh, cut of 90 million. So we're glad for that. That largely is because of reduced Medicaid, uh, caseload growth, people doing well enough that they no longer, uh, needed Medicaid services. Um, the Bill Appropriates 8.6 billion in total funds. Um, as is usual for our budget that from social services, uh, the smaller amount of that 1.6 billion is …
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Asked how private insurers handle these procedures and what options exist for patients who pay for such care themselves.
▶ Watch at 2:44:05Read what they said
Uh, thank you Madam Chair. Um, these kinds of decisions are, are decisions that insurance companies make all the time, um, about what is, uh, elective, uh, versus medically necessary. What is considered cosmetic versus medically necessary for context in the lay of the land? Could other private insurance companies that are not governed by the state, do they generally cover these procedures now or generally not, or what? I think there's maybe a mix, you know, as far as Daggett trans procedures, no. Um, we'll talk about that probably a little bit more when it comes to the, the next bill. 'cause that does relate more to the private insurance sector. Um, but there, there's kind of a, an …
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Requested to hear from PEHP representative Chet Loftus for context.
▶ Watch at 3:05:49Read what they said
Oh, thank you. Uh, Madam Chair, I want to make a, a request if I could, there's some other, um, comment that I would value, which would be from Chet Loftus, who is with PEHP, just to help with context, if that's okay. That would be great. Thank you.
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Asked whether covering these services is standard across the insurance industry.
▶ Watch at 3:06:11Read what they said
I, I would appreciate it if you could help us understand whatever it is that you understand about how PEHP does this currently versus how other insurance companies that are trying to provide good service to their people do it. Is it generally standard of care across the industry to provide these services? Or is it generally not the standard of care to provide the services?
H.B. 193 Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Said they did not yet support the motion, citing other cisgender hormone treatments lacking clear medical recommendations and the need to treat patients equally.
▶ Watch at 3:10:37Read what they said
Sure. Uh, thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I do not support that motion yet. I mean, this is a, uh, difficult thing to think about. Um, I feel like, um, there are a, a fairly large number of other cisgender hormone treatments that are given that don't have clear cut medical recommendations for them really at all. And if you go to the, the medical recommendations, they, they say, well, you, there's not a reason to give these cisgender hormones, but people choose to use them for their own personal perceived benefit. And, uh, so we write the prescriptions for them for their perceived benefit. Um, so to me that that's still an important line that I would want to …
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Moves Amendment 1 to the bill sponsored by Rep. Peck.
▶ Watch at 3:30:53Read what they said
Thank you Madam Chair. I'd like to move amendment one on the na uh, system in Representative Peck's name.
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Explains that Amendment 1 sets a later effective date so insurers have more time, starting at the beginning of next year.
▶ Watch at 3:31:00Read what they said
I mean, it just sets a future starting date so we know when it's starting it. I think it's a good clarification. Great. Yeah, so it, yeah, and that date change basically makes it so that the insurance companies can have, uh, a little bit of a time. So normally new insurance programs start at the beginning of the year, and that effective date was gonna make it very difficult for them. And so we moved it to the start of next year instead, just for convenience there.
H.B. 258 Insurance Coverage Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Says he is not ready to support the motion and would like the bill changed so parity applies by treatment category rather than requiring all detransition coverage after covering one transition treatment.
▶ Watch at 3:32:13Read what they said
Thank you. So I'm not ready to support that motion today, but I did want to just kind of say, I, the thing that I would like to see in the bill is, is not have it not set that if you cover even one over here, you have to cover all of 'em over here. So, in my mind that something along the lines that if you cover hormones here, you cover hormones here, separate from if you cover surgeries here, here, you know, on, on the, on the two sides. So it really was more toward parity. But I'll work with you afterwards, and if we come to some agreement then, then maybe we'll come to an agreement, …
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Presents the bill as three pharmacy changes: longer refill windows, removing a reporting requirement for prescriber-authorized substitution, and clarifying the criteria for state standing orders, which a first substitute adds.
▶ Watch at 3:57:24Read what they said
Thank you Madam Chair and committee for your indulgence. This bill has just three small changes to pharmacy policy. I don't perceive any of them as large. Um, there are different ones. So one of them will just make it easier for patients to get things that have been prescribed to them for a bit longer period of time. If the prescriber orders it right now, even if a medicine is very safe and the prescriber writes refills 12 months and one day later you can't get those refills. This, this bill will just extend that out to a longer period of time. If the prescriber meant it, the patient could still get it for a longer period of time. …
H.B. 264 Prescription Medication Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 27, 2026
Explains that nearly identical medicines such as insulin glargine can be substituted when the prescriber writes substitution authorized on the prescription.
▶ Watch at 3:59:41Read what they said
So there are medicines that are very, very close to identical, but that the federal government refuses to identify as close enough for the pharmacy to substitute. Okay. Insulins is the best example. There are five forms of insulin glargine. There's Lar and Traba and Lantus that are all functionally the same. Every prescriber wishes they would be substituted when the insurance wants it, the other brand of it. But the pharmacies right now won't slash can't substitute it. Even if we, according to those normal rules, if the prescriber explicitly writes, not identical, but similar substitution authorized, they write that on the script. This just allows the pharmacy to then make that substitution per the instruction on the script.
H.B. 126 Micro-Education Entity Facility Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 26, 2026
Ward asked whether groups other than the city were involved in drafting the language, and Defay said Libertas worked with the city to set the balance.
▶ Watch at 52:31Read what they said
Thank Thank you Madam Vice chair. So you kind of had said at the beginning of your presentation that different groups were involved in setting up this language here. Could you speak a little bit, was it, was the city the only group that you were worked with? Were there other groups? Is there a group that lobbies specifically for micro schools that had wanted to have some input or what groups' input was considered? Yeah, So we worked with Libertas, um, and they were, so last year when this bill passed, um, they helped kind of flesh out that language. Um, and when, when we started working on us, they contacted us and so we worked with them to …
H.B. 126 Micro-Education Entity Facility Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 26, 2026
Ward moved to adopt the first substitute and asked for discussion, then asked the sponsor to respond.
▶ Watch at 1:01:45Read what they said
Uh, thank you Madam Vice chair. Um, I'd like to move first substitute, Can we have a motion to move first, the first substitute, is there a discussion to that motion? Um, and to the sponsor?
H.B. 126 Micro-Education Entity Facility Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 26, 2026
Ward moved to favorably recommend HB 126, first substitute.
▶ Watch at 1:02:57Read what they said
Thank you. Um, I'd like to make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 1 26. First substitute.
H.B. 211 Real Property Recording Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 26, 2026
Moves to favorably recommend House Bill 211.
▶ Watch at 1:11:10Read what they said
Thank you Madam Vice Chair. I would like to make a motion that we favorably recommend
H.B. 164 Health Care Patient Reporting to the Division of Professional Licensing · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Asks how broadly unprofessional or unlawful conduct is covered by the bill and whether office staff would understand what qualifies, and says this is not a reason to oppose the bill but may need thought from office HR staff.
▶ Watch at 39:52Read what they said
Thank you. Madam Chair. Can you just think through with me for a minute? So the case that you mentioned is a particularly egregious case. Um, what's the larger world of these kinds of complaints? Like, right, so here it's unprofessional conduct and unlawful conduct. Is this really mainly, which is enough to pass the bill a about a sexual approach? Um, or are there other kinds of things that were, it's not, maybe even office manager doesn't know what constitutes unprofessional conduct or, or unlawful conduct? Again, I'm not saying against the bill, I'm saying what all does, is there a larger world in that case that really would be included? And, and would it for sure be clear …
H.B. 71 Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Shares his experience as an employee of a multi-specialty clinic, says he does not recall receiving such insurer requests, and hopes staff handle them.
▶ Watch at 1:31:02Read what they said
Well, I just might not partially wanted to respond to your question is, and because every situation is quite different, right? We've heard from a bunch of behavioral health folks. I'm just telling my own experience. So I am employed by Ogden Clinic, so it's a multi-specialty group, but we've got probably hundreds of these contracts, um, in general, especially because each insurance company nowadays has 10 or 15 or 20 flavors. There's not just one Blues cross, there's a dozen blue crosses. So if you walked into me with a name, I, I would have no idea. I would say in general, we take most Blue Cross. That would be all I would know to tell you. Um, I, …
H.B. 71 Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Asks that time be given back to the sponsor to address the concerns raised.
▶ Watch at 1:38:51Read what they said
Yeah, I mean, I do, I would like to just give some time back to the sponsor to speak a little bit to the concerns that have been raised, if you would.
H.B. 71 Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Asks whether a citation alone could still lead to action against a license.
▶ Watch at 1:41:19Read what they said
And Representative Ward, did you have Another, could you speak to the concern that one that was expressed here, that even a citation by itself could cause action to be taken against your license? Is that a correct way to see it, or?
H.B. 71 Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Asks whether failing to follow the federal No Surprises Act would itself constitute unprofessional conduct under state code.
▶ Watch at 1:42:02Read what they said
D does the, does the federal law itself that you cited, the No Surprises Act is, is it in our code such that if you don't follow the federal law, that that by itself constitutes unprofessional contact because you didn't follow a federal
H.B. 71 Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments · House Health and Human Services Committee · Jan 22, 2026
Asks whether the substitute's fiscal note will differ from the original.
▶ Watch at 1:47:58Read what they said
Sorry to for one more question, and I apologize if you said this and I didn't catch it. The substitute doesn't have a fiscal note yet. It will that be markedly different or We would expect it to be the same as the underlying fiscal note. Mm-hmm.
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asked how large the defensible space zone is under the wildland urban interface code.
▶ Watch at 10:43Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Chair. Just a couple of background questions to help those of us who don't know it as well as you do already. What, what's the size of the zone that the Whoopi Co says you need to make defensible space. How big is that?
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asked what remained to be worked out with cities.
▶ Watch at 11:08Read what they said
And then you had said, I think that you were still intending to work with cities on something. What was the nature of the, what they were still hoping to have sorted out?
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asked whether the bill would leave a city's zoning and regulation of unzoned areas unchanged.
▶ Watch at 11:44Read what they said
So it, the city, if it's not in that what we zone, this will not change the way a city may Regulate it. That would be the correct direction. We're heading.
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asked Peterson to address concerns that wildland urban interface maps are outdated. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 11:58Read what they said
Uh, her concern that the maps are old and and out of date. Can you address that concern?
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asked why a city would not want to let property owners clear vegetation for defensible space.
▶ Watch at 13:22Read what they said
Can I ask one more question? Yes. It, it seems like it would be in the best interest of cities to allow, um, property owners to, um, clean up that vegetation and provide that area defense. Why would a city not want to allow a property owner to do that?
H.B. 215 Landscaping Restrictions Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Moved to go to the next item on the agenda.
▶ Watch at 19:52Read what they said
Represe board. Thank you Mr. Chair. I'd like make a motion to move to the next item on the agenda.
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asks the sponsor how often a public infrastructure district board typically meets and whether a board could meet only once a year at its retreat.
▶ Watch at 29:07Read what they said
Yes. I I have an additional question for the sponsor. If I might go ahead. Might go ahead. Um, can you just remind us what is the usual habits about how often a PI board has to meet? Is it, I mean, is it possible that a PI board would meet, say, Hey, we meet exactly once a year and that's our retreat? Or, I mean, I'm just not familiar with underlying statute about,
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asks what decisions a district board makes after bonds are issued and what it does at meetings.
▶ Watch at 29:33Read what they said
What is there? I mean, PIDs are interesting because once they're set in, I mean there's some decisions that are made up front and once those, the results of those decisions fall on the homeowners Correct. At that point a bond has been issued and the homeowners are through their taxes responsible for paying this additional tax to pay that bond back. Once that happens, what other things does a pit board even do at a meeting? I mean, what other decisions are there even to be made other than wells are you gotta pay these taxes for the next 30 years?
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asks whether a board would meet only once a year if its main task is collecting taxes to repay bonds.
▶ Watch at 30:27Read what they said
Alright. It just is a a little bit of a question if over time it will just be a once a year meeting that they have. 'cause there's nothing else to decide is that people pay their taxes, but
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Says that if a board meets only once a year as a retreat, that would undercut the purpose of the bill.
▶ Watch at 30:39Read what they said
And yeah. And if that ends up being the case, then I think the re the retreat questions a good question as to whether you have it or not. If they only have to meet once a year and it's a retreat, then that does kind of undo the purpose of the bill. Um, right.
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Asks whether any other decisions are made after bonds are issued.
▶ Watch at 30:53Read what they said
I mean, the other question is, is if there are any other decisions to be made at all by anyone or if it's, I mean, what, once that bond is issued, what else is there for
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Comments that the board has work to do while lots are sold and bonds repaid, and asks whether the board keeps meeting during the bond term.
▶ Watch at 31:05Read what they said
Okay. So I'm going to offer a comment. So as the development goes forward, there's a lot for them to do. 'cause you're gonna, as each lot or structure is closed on and occupied, the bonds got to be repaid. So I can easily see how they, they need to meet to administer that during the process. You know, once the pit is complete is completed, then that's dissolved. The board is dissolved and there's a dissolution process does not go on forever For PIs or for infrastructure districts. I mean, that's certainly the case for infrastructure districts, but I thought the PID does the PI board, I mean, does that bond is going for up to 30 years after …
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Says there is no automatic dissolution process for a public infrastructure district board.
▶ Watch at 32:57Read what they said
What I described as for an ed, There's no Automatic dissolution Process. There's no automatic dissolution process for a pit. Okay. Okay. So you're, you are, you're correct. Okay. And Ed is dissolved. Okay.
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Moves to adopt amendment number one, which is in the sponsor's name, and waives speaking to it.
▶ Watch at 37:19Read what they said
Uh, thank you Mr. Chair. Um, I'll go. Would like to move, um, amendment one that's on the system in the sponsor's name. Okay. The motion is to adopt amendment number one. That's in order. Would you like to speak to that? I'll Waive.
H.B. 17 Public Infrastructure District Meeting Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Explains that amendment one adds new underlined language, that the verbal amendment to strike lines 41 through 45 still applies, and that the committee report will show both amendments.
▶ Watch at 38:19Read what they said
I, uh, the chair brought up a good point. I just wanna clarify for the members that the amendment one shows that language that we struck in Representative Peterson's verbal amendment. That doesn't put the language back in. That's just existing language. So for the record, we're adopting Amendment one, which adds in the, uh, the new language that is underlined on the amendment. The rest of the language is just there for informational purposes. Represent, represent Peterson's verbal amendment to strike lines. 41 through 45 still would apply. So what we'll show on the committee report is you'll see two amendments, the new language being added in, in amendment one and the 41 through 45 struck out in the …
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward said executives keep full powers if they cite a local emergency and asked when anyone would follow an international guideline without believing there was a local reason.
▶ Watch at 46:30Read what they said
Thank you. So if I'm understanding it right, that any chief executive could, if they felt like there were a local reason to have an emergency, then their powers are not diminished. They would say, that's correct. I'm doing this because I believe there'd be, there is a local emergency, but they could not say I, I mean, what would they even say if they said, I don't think there's a local emergency. I, but I'm just doing what the World Health Organization recommends. Even they, there's, even though I don't, but then they would, all they would have to do if they believe there was an emergency is say that they thought there was a local emergency and then …
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward agreed those organizations lack authority in Utah but said he still struggles to imagine the scenario the bill addresses.
▶ Watch at 48:15Read what they said
Sure. I mean, I agree with that. Right? Yeah. I mean, the executives do what they do in service of the people here and, and they're not subservient in any, I mean, those organizations don't have, um, statutory authority nor moral authority to have our office holders respond out to, to those absent a local decision to make the decision. Yeah. Um, is, I'm still just trying to wrap my head around what circumstance it could be where the person didn't think there was a local cause, but still wanted to follow a another body's instruction, if you will. That's just a little hard for me to think.
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward noted Utah's recent measles outbreak was its worst in years and the state ranked second in per capita cases last year.
▶ Watch at 49:32Read what they said
Which we, which we have had and still do have in recent times. Right. I mean, it's been event our worst outbreak in many years, this last year we're the second highest state for per capita number of measles cases of all 50 states this last year.
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward asked whether he could make a substitute motion to adjourn since this was the last agenda item.
▶ Watch at 54:40Read what they said
Can I make a substitute motion to adjourn only because I believe this is our last item on the agenda. I don't
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward said he did not think the bill should be tabled.
▶ Watch at 54:57Read what they said
I, I would prefer to, I don't think the bill should be tabled. OOO. Okay. I guess I'm Speaking Against that ad motion.
H.B. 85 State Sovereignty Amendments · House Political Subdivisions Committee · Jan 21, 2026
Ward said he shares doubts about the bill's usefulness but opposed tabling because it would make it very hard for the sponsor to bring a revised bill back.
▶ Watch at 55:15Read what they said
Sure. Um, I, I think, uh, to me, I have some of the same questions as Chair Dunnigan about what, whether it would create something useful or whether it's just kind of a statement about the international organization. So I'm not at the point where I write at this moment would wanna work, move forward. Tabling makes it very, very difficult for a bill to ever be heard again. And I don't want to just hang that extra thing, um, around its neck. I don't, I don't think the bill's detrimental in a way to say that she, that the sponsor would not have a chance to bring it back to the committee if she made some other changes and …
H.B. 29 Unfair and Deceptive Pricing Amendments · House floor debate (day 1) · Jan 20, 2026
Asks how facility fees charged to patients, which are often unknown in advance, would be disclosed to patients.
▶ Watch at 1:03:07Read what they said
Uh, thank you for this presentation. I see one of the things on the handout that you passed out talks about patients being charged a facility fee. Um, and typically in medicine, that is a fee that gets added on. If care takes place in what is considered a hospital that is not there. If, what if it takes place in an outpatient clinic? And it is very difficult or impossible, um, for a patient to know maybe how that building gets considered. Um, but what is the way in which you see, I mean, often when a patient walks in to receive healthcare, they don't know what the bill is gonna be ahead of time. And the bill might …
H.B. 29 Unfair and Deceptive Pricing Amendments · House floor debate (day 1) · Jan 20, 2026
Asks to follow up with a series of questions.
▶ Watch at 1:05:05Read what they said
Okay, so, so not necess, may I follow up Mr. Speaker? Just, Is that okay? Do will you yield to a series of questions?
H.B. 29 Unfair and Deceptive Pricing Amendments · House floor debate (day 1) · Jan 20, 2026
Asks to confirm that a facility fee would appear on the final bill for care, after the services are shown.
▶ Watch at 1:05:13Read what they said
Maybe just if I could repeat back. So, uh, when a patient walks in for care, it may not be disclosed at that time 'cause no one knows what the service will be. But when the bill, I guess, is then shown to the patient, then when that bill is shown, that includes the services that have been rendered, then it also at that time would include the facility fee.
From the official recordings' automatic captions, with speakers and summaries identified by AI. Use the ▶ links to check the recording before you rely on a quote.