Rep. Norm Thurston

Maddy summaryHB 505 reorganizes Utah's vehicle tax and fee structure, affecting all vehicle owners in the state by changing how registration fees and taxes are classified and collected. Key provisions include redesignating service, regulatory, and vehicle taxes; creating a new restricted account for Motor Vehicle Division funding; and eliminating six-month vehicle registration options. The bill also reorganizes related code sections and appropriates $9.88 million in capital project funds from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027. These changes streamline administrative processes but do not introduce new taxes or fees.

Maddy summaryHB 231 repeals Utah counties' authority to tax food and alcoholic beverages sold at restaurants, as well as "customized prepared food" sold at convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. It allows counties to instead impose a tax on other taxable transactions (like non-food items) at a rate that generates equivalent revenue. The bill directly affects restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores that sell prepared food for immediate consumption. It makes no new spending and shifts the tax base without changing overall revenue levels for counties.

Maddy summaryHJR 10 is a procedural resolution that establishes rules for Utah legislators to provide supplementary "sponsor's supporting information" about their bills. It defines this as a PDF document (max two pages) containing the sponsor's policy goals, expected impacts, or other relevant details, but clarifies this information is not part of the official legislation. The bill requires sponsors to include a specific disclaimer stating the information hasn't been reviewed for accuracy and isn't evidence of legislative intent. It mandates that the Senate secretary or House chief clerk make this information publicly accessible on the bill's webpage. This resolution affects all Utah legislators introducing bills, streamlining how they share context without altering the bill's legal text.

Maddy summarySJR 7 is a joint resolution urging Utah's Governor to formally review the state's designation of the Disability Law Center (DLC) as its official Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for individuals with disabilities. It does not change current law but encourages the Governor to assess whether the DLC effectively advocates for all disability types and functional capacities, including underserved groups, per federal requirements. The resolution outlines specific steps for a transparent review process, including public notice, a 45-day comment period, public hearings, and ensuring service continuity. It directly affects the Governor, the DLC, and Utah's disability advocacy system, with no funding or legal changes proposed.

Maddy summaryHB 74 amends Utah's rules for gathering signatures on initiative and referendum petitions. It requires that petition signers had the opportunity to read the full statement in the petition packet, and that signature gatherers believe signers read the law being petitioned. The bill also allows using spiral binders for petition packets and permits signature gatherers to remove individual sheets during collection. These changes directly affect individuals signing or collecting signatures for voter initiatives and referendums.

Maddy summarySB 5 is the General Government Base Budget bill for Utah's fiscal years 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) and 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). It appropriates a total of $538.3 million for state agency operations in FY2026, including $387.1 million for FY2027, primarily from the General Fund and Income Tax Fund. The bill allocates specific funds to agencies like the Department of Commerce (for business licensing and AI policy development), Insurance Department (for autism coverage and fraud programs), and Tax Commission (for license plates and tax administration). These funds cover ongoing operations, system upgrades, and program activities without specifying new policy changes or eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 1004 amends Utah's election record rules to improve transparency and standardization. It requires election officers to keep certain records for specific periods, share voter contact information used to fix ballots with authorized individuals, and clarify public access to video recordings of ballot processing. The bill also mandates new data in election reports submitted to the board of canvassers, including specific ballot statistics and results database details, and requires public posting of these reports in electronic formats. These changes directly affect election officers (like county clerks) and the public by making election record handling more consistent and accessible.

Maddy summarySB 1011 establishes statistical standards to evaluate Utah's congressional and legislative redistricting plans for partisan fairness. It requires the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and Legislature to use ensemble analysis - simulating at least 4,000 possible district maps - to check if proposed plans show partisan bias. The bill defines key terms like "partisan bias test" and mandates that maps passing these statistical checks cannot be deemed to "unduly favor" any political party. This directly affects how district lines are drawn in Utah, aiming to prevent gerrymandering by requiring objective, data-driven compliance with fairness standards. The law amends existing redistricting statutes without appropriating new funds.

Maddy summaryHB 257 amends Utah's health insurance laws to regulate pharmacy benefits, directly affecting health benefit plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies. It requires health plans to use drug rebates exclusively to lower enrollees' costs (through reduced deductibles, lower premiums, or enhanced coverage) and mandates pharmacy benefit managers to offer specific options to self-funded health plans. The bill also directs the Insurance Commissioner to assist pharmacy associations in creating a form outlining pharmacies' rights regarding benefits and managers. These changes aim to increase transparency and ensure rebates directly benefit consumers, without appropriating new funds.

Maddy summaryHB 263 amends Utah election record requirements to increase transparency and standardize retention. It requires election officers to preserve chain-of-custody documentation for 12 years, make recorded video of ballot processing a public record under GRAMA, and retain electronic copies of election materials (like databases and cast vote records) for 22 months. The bill also shortens the public announcement period for certified canvasser reports from seven to three days and clarifies that county clerks must provide electronic copies to authorized government entities for election research. These changes apply directly to county election officials and county clerks managing election records.