Morning session: committee reports, a citation honoring a nonprofit founder, and several bills passed or assigned

The Utah House on Jan. 22 adopted a slate of standing-committee reports, took several floor votes and moved dozens of bills to committee or the third-reading calendar.

Committee chairs reported favorable recommendations across Business, Labor & Commerce, Economic Development & Workforce Services, Education, and Health & Human Services. Representative Jason Kyle reported the Business, Labor & Commerce committee recommended action on HB40 (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act amendments), HB65 (construction code amendments) and HB98 (residential notification amendments); the House adopted the report and placed those bills on the third-reading calendar.

Representative Lee presented a citation honoring Juanjel Harvey Robinson, founder of the Freedom Child Foundation, praising the foundation's work supporting children of incarcerated parents; the House authorized the speaker to sign the citation.

Representative Walter presented HB73, which adds a provision extending protections in the retaliatory-action statute to cover retaliatory reporting to licensing bodies; the House passed the bill by recorded vote, 71-0, and transmitted it to the Senate.

Representative Walter also moved lifting HB55 (privacy compliance for education technology vendors) from the consent calendar after a committee amendment produced a fiscal note; the House agreed and placed the bill on the third-reading calendar.

The House Rules Committee report was adopted and the Speaker Pro Tem announced committee assignments for many bills. Representative Bolander moved to adjourn; the House recessed until Jan. 26.

What happens next: Several bills passed by the House will be transmitted to the Senate; HB55 will return to the third-reading calendar for more floor consideration given the fiscal note discovery.