Representative Barlow Sponsors HB 212, Expungement Changes
SALT LAKE CITY (2/25/19) – Representative Stewart Barlow is sponsoring HB 212, Expungement Changes. This bill would prohibit public employers from asking about a job applicant’s expunged record. In addition, applicants that have expunged records would able to answer questions concerning their criminal record as though the action never occurred.
Currently, Utah law does not expressly prohibit companies from asking about an applicant’s expunged record as part of their application process. This legislation extends protections to people with expunged convictions by reaffirming Utah’s values of compassion and mercy and ensuring that people who qualify for expungement receive a proper second chance.
“People have to meet stringent requirements and demonstrate that they have made amends to receive an expungement,” said Rep. Barlow. “We need to make sure that when their crimes have been expunged, they can move forward without looking back.”
HB 212 passed the House unanimously and is currently in the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee.
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Governor Signs HB49
SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 26, 2019) – Gov. Gary R. Herbert signed one bill today. This brings the total number of signed pieces of legislation from the 2018 General Legislative Session so far to 11. Information on this bill can be found below:
Repatriation Transitional Tax Amendments, Eliason, S. HB49
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Bishop Lands Package Heads to President’s Desk
“The number of Utah victories in this lands package will do more for the people …”
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives passed S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) negotiated much of this legislation and voted for the bill. CLICK HERE for summaries of highlighted sections relevant to Utah public lands. Ahead of his vote, Bishop released the following statement:
“The number of Utah victories in this lands package will do more for the people of Utah than Congress has delivered in a long time. This legislation will expand access to public lands, while also shrinking the size of the federal estate. They’re are wins for America’s sportsmen, hunters, and fishermen.
Bishop continued: “This bill establishes monuments the right way and reforms LWCF to the benefit of state and local governments and sportsmen. This legislation promotes the richness of Utah’s history, empowers school children, and communicates a profound respect for local decision-making. While no legislation is ever perfect, I am perfectly content voting for this pro-Utah package.”
From the floor of the House, Rep. Bishop highlighted various strengths of S. 47 while managing floor debate. CLICK HERE for Bishop’s remarks.
In a LETTER to Rep. Rob Bishop and the rest of the federal delegation from Utah Senate President, Stuart Adams & Speaker of the Utah House, Brad Wilson, the Utah leaders wrote, “These provisions serve our long-sought goal of elevating the voice of Utahns in the management of our public lands, and we laud your efforts in shepherding them into law.”
S. 47 – Natural Resources Management Act
(Sections below originated as standalone legislation introduced by Utah Representatives)
Golden Spike National Historic Park -- Section 2205 (H.R. 5751 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress): Redesignates Golden Spike National Historic Site as Golden Spike National Historic Park in time for the 150th celebration of the driving of the final spike of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10th, 1869. The bill establishes a network of sites related to the history, construction, and legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad as a program of the National Park Service.
SITLA Land Selections to benefit Utah School Kids -- Section 1005 (H.R. 418 (Rep. Chris Stewart) from 116th Congress): Authorizes the State of Utah to select approximately 500 acres of BLM land available for disposal for the support and benefit of Utah schoolchildren through the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.
City of Hyde Park Land Conveyance -- Section 1013 (H.R. 4264 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress): Directs the Secretary of Interior to convey an 80-acre parcel of isolated BLM land to the Hyde Park, which the city intends to use for a new water tank and as a trail head for the future expansion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
Juab County Land Conveyance -- Section 1014 (H.R. 3777 (Rep. Mia Love) in the 115th Congress): Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey approximately 3 acres of Forest Service property that is currently unused and available for disposal to Juab County, which intends to use the land to house its Wildlands Fire Team and equipment and to construct a new fire station.
Outdoor Recreation Access and Enhancement via McCoy Flats Trail System Designation -- Section 1115 (H.R. 6843 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress):
Codifies the McCoy Flats Mountain Bike Trail System, 35 miles of interconnecting bike trails located west of Vernal, UT, ensuring that the trail-based recreational values it supports are protected indefinitely.
Uintah County Land Conveyance and Ashley Karst National Recreation and Geologic Area Designation -- Section 1117 and Section 1124 (H.R. 6843 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress): Establishes the approximately 170,000 acre Ashley Karst National Recreation and Geologic Area and directs the Secretary of Interior to convey approximately 791 acres to Uintah County to ensure the watershed (the primary water source for 20,000 people living in the Uinta Basin) and recreational values that this area provides will continue in perpetuity.
John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area Designation -- Section 1118 (H.R. 6843 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress): Establishes the approximately 29,868-acre John Wesley Powell NCA to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Powell’s unprecedented exploration of the Green River, an expedition that resulted in Mr. Powell’s naming of the most significant land and water features in the area. This area also contains important Greater Sage-Grouse habitat and has been designated by Uintah County as a sage grouse management area.
Emery County Lands Bill -- Subtitle C Part II (H.R. 5727 (Rep. John Curtis) from 115th Congress): This bill resolves decades-long controversy over federal land designations in Emery County by providing conservation, recreation, and economic certainty to close to a million acres in Emery County through a series of designations, conveyances, and cooperative management agreements.
Endangered Fish Recovery Program Reauthorization -- Section 8101 (H.R. 4465 (Rep. John Curtis) from 115th Congress): Extends the authorization for annual base funding of fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River basins, a priority of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
Extending the Duck Hunting Season -- Section 4301 (H.R. 6013 (Rep. Rob Bishop) from 115th Congress): designates January 31st as the end of the federal duck hunting season by modifying the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, adding an additional four days to the end of the 2018-2019 season. It also designates special hunting days for veterans, active military personnel, and youth.
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