HB 165 Utah House · 2025 General Session

Process for Submitting Nonbinding Opinion Question

HB 165 establishes a formal process for Utah's Legislature to submit nonbinding opinion questions to voters. It modifies election laws to define terms, require the lieutenant governor to assign unique numbers to such questions, and specify how they appear on ballots (labeled "Nonbinding Opinion Question #___"). The bill also outlines duties for county clerks in handling these questions, including ballot formatting, public notice, and vote canvassing procedures. This procedural bill directly affects the Legislature, lieutenant governor, and county clerks in administering these nonbinding voter consultations. It does not create new policies or change voting outcomes, only setting the administrative framework for such questions.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Mar 8, 2025

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Amended Excerpts 2/21/2025 09:02:58 → Amended 2/21/2025 09:02:58 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah election laws to establish a formal process for the Legislature to submit nonbinding opinion questions to voters. It adds specific procedures for numbering ballot propositions, including nonbinding opinion questions, and outlines the lieutenant governor's duties in processing these questions. The changes clarify how these questions appear on ballots and ensure proper sequencing and numbering.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of election procedures to include a specific framework for nonbinding opinion questions, which were previously not explicitly detailed in the same manner as binding propositions.

REQUIREMENT

Establishes a new procedure for the Legislature to submit nonbinding opinion questions to voters, including specific duties for the lieutenant governor and county clerks.

Amends Section 20A-6-107 to include specific instructions for assigning unique numbers to nonbinding opinion questions and ensures sequential numbering based on receipt order.

DEFINITION

Adds formal definitions and numbering requirements for nonbinding opinion questions on ballots, specifying they will appear under the heading 'Nonbinding Opinion Question #___'.

TECHNICAL

Adds new Utah Code sections (36-16c-101 through 36-16c-303) to codify the nonbinding opinion question process.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

House/ comm rpt/ amended

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Favorable Recommendation

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Introduced

House Comm - Amendment Recommendation

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

House/ to standing committee

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors