Utah House priorities are mental health, tax refief, economics, housing and volunteerism
2-24-2021
This last week, I was able to present two of my bills to the House floor. The first bill, HB 185 Laboratory Equipment Amendments creates a restricted fund that Utah Department of Agriculture and Food can use to repair and replace lab equipment. The second one, HB 241 Seeds Amendments updates seed language to match surrounding states and federal seed law.
Other important House policy priorities are:
Mental Health
This week the House Health and Human Services Committee passed HB 288 Education and Mental Health Coordinating Council. This bill creates a new council of educators, mental and behavioral health experts and other advocates to advise the governor and the Legislature. The council will provide action-oriented guidance to state leaders on how to meet the behavioral and mental health needs of children and family in our state.
Tax Relief
Several bills are making their way through the legislative process that will provide tax relief to many Utahns. Last week, HB 86 Social Security Amendments passed the House unanimously and if passed by the Senate, will benefit many living on a fixed income. Additionally, HB 161 Military Retirement Tax Amendments passed the House this week, which removes the tax on military retirement, benefiting those who have served our country. Finally, a bill is in the works to help restore the child dependent exemption.
Housing Affordability
HB 82 Single Family Housing Amendments passed out of the House Business and Labor Committee this week. This bill helps increase housing availability and relieve pressure on prices by decreasing regulations in housing.
Vaccine Volunteers
Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson announced their goal to have all adult Utahns receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of May. In tackling this goal, there is a large need for willing and able volunteers.
Podcast – Economic Development Incentives
Utah’s economic growth has been incredible these last few decades, but that growth and economic strength are far from reaching their peak. Representative Hawkes joins us on the show this week to talk about more ways Utah is staging itself to be the country’s economic leader.
Sarah’s Bill
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sarah Frei and her parents to the House Floor. Sarah was involved in a car accident over the summer, resulting in the loss of her legs. Sarah’s optimistic outlook is truly inspiring. HB 20 Driving Under the Influence Sentencing Amendments, nicknamed “Sarah’s Bill,” will create stricter bail terms for DUI offenses.
