Committee clears a slate of governance and vacancy bills including e‑form, metrics and municipal vacancy fixes

SALT LAKE CITY — In addition to its major policy items, the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Standing Committee favorably recommended several governance and administrative measures during its meeting.

HB147 (government form submission amendments) — Representative Tischer said the bill requires state and local governments to provide an electronic option for submitting forms or records unless specific exceptions apply (federal or state law, court rule, fingerprinting, incarcerated persons, or notarization). The committee favorably recommended the third substitute unanimously.

HJR23 (joint rules resolution on policy metrics) — The resolution would formalize asking sponsors for measurable policy goals and relevant metrics when opening a bill file to improve later evaluation. The sponsor and supporters said it would reduce back-and-forth drafting and help legislative auditors assess policy outcomes; the committee favorably recommended the resolution.

HB391 (vacancy replacement amendments) — Representative Shepherd presented a third substitute clarifying appointment authority for vacancies in various offices and requiring appointees come from the same political party as the prior officeholder; the committee recorded a favorable recommendation (floor tally recorded 4–1 with Senator Buss the lone recorded no, and a later request to change a recorded vote that did not alter the outcome).

HB420 (municipal office vacancy modifications) — Representative Stoddard explained the first substitute refines tie-breaking methods for municipal vacancies (replacing a vetoed "game of chance" phrase with defined "lots") and retains local control with a 30-day backstop that could lead to a gubernatorial appointment; Justin Lee of the Utah League of Cities and Towns supported the fix. The committee favorably recommended the substitute unanimously.

These measures were presented as technical or procedural improvements intended to modernize processes, improve transparency, and reduce drafting and operational friction across state and local government. The committee adjourned following a final recorded vote-change request and the motion to adjourn.