Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 238 First Substitute (2016GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Bramble, C.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/21/2016

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• transfers the administration of the Safety Net Initiative from the Office of the Attorney General to the Department of Workforce Services; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

SAFETY NET INITIATIVE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble
House Sponsor: 
John Knotwell
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions related to the Safety Net Initiative.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ transfers the administration of the Safety Net Initiative from the Office of the
Attorney General to the Department of Workforce Services; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
35A-1-104
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
67-5-1.5
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 350
ENACTS:
35A-3-801
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
RENUMBERS AND AMENDS:
35A-3-802
, (Renumbered from 67-5-26, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter
116)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
35A-1-104
 is amended to read:
35A-1-104.
Department authority.
Within all other authority or responsibility granted to it by law, the department may:
(1) adopt rules when authorized by this title, in accordance with the procedures of Title
63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act;
(2) purchase, as authorized or required by law, services that the department is
responsible to provide for legally eligible persons;
(3) conduct adjudicative proceedings in accordance with the procedures of Title 63G,
Chapter 4, Administrative Procedures Act;
(4) establish eligibility standards for its programs, not inconsistent with state or federal
law or regulations;
(5) take necessary steps, including legal action, to recover money or the monetary value
of services provided to a recipient who is not eligible;
(6) administer oaths, certify to official acts, issue subpoenas to compel witnesses and
the production of books, accounts, documents, and other records necessary as evidence;
(7) acquire, manage, and dispose of any real or personal property needed or owned by
the department, not inconsistent with state law;
(8) receive gifts, grants, devises, and donations or their proceeds, crediting the program
designated by the donor, and using the gift, grant, devise, or donation for the purposes
requested by the donor, as long as the request conforms to state and federal policy;
(9) accept and employ volunteer labor or services;
(10) reimburse volunteers for necessary expenses, when the department considers that
reimbursement to be appropriate;
(11) carry out the responsibility assigned by the State Workforce Services Plan
developed by the State Council on Workforce Services;
(12) provide training and educational opportunities for its staff;
(13) examine and audit the expenditures of any public funds provided to a local
authority, agency, or organization that contracts with or receives funds from those authorities or
agencies;
(14) accept and administer grants from the federal government and from other sources,
public or private;
(15) employ and determine the compensation of clerical, legal, technical, investigative,
and other employees necessary to carry out its policymaking, regulatory, and enforcement
powers, rights, duties, and responsibilities under this title;
(16) establish and conduct free employment agencies, and bring together employers
seeking employees and working people seeking employment, and make known the
opportunities for employment in this state;
(17) collect, collate, and publish statistical and other information relating to employees,
employers, employments, and places of employment, and other statistics as it considers proper;
(18) encourage the expansion and use of apprenticeship programs meeting state or
federal standards for apprenticeship programs;
(19) develop processes to ensure that the department responds to the full range of
employee and employer clients; [
and
]
(20) carry out the responsibilities assigned to it by statute[
.
]
; and
(21) administer the Safety Net Initiative as described in Section 
35A-3-802
.
Section 2. Section 
35A-3-801
 is enacted to read:
Part 8. Safety Net Initiative
 35A-3-801.
Title.
This part is known as the "Safety Net Initiative."
Section 3. Section 
35A-3-802
, which is renumbered from Section 67-5-26 is
renumbered and amended to read:
[
67-5-26
].
 35A-3-802.
Safety Net Initiative -- Staff.
(1) As used in this section, "individuals in underserved communities" means [
men,
women, and children
] 
individuals
 living in culturally isolated communities [
of Utah and
northern Arizona
] 
in the state
 who may lack access to [
justice, safety, and services
] 
public
assistance and other government services
.
(2) There is created within the [
Office of the Attorney General
] 
department
 the Safety
Net Initiative to:
[
(a) address and prevent the crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking,
incest, and child abuse relating to individuals in underserved communities; and
]
[
(b)
] 
(a)
 implement strategies to increase awareness and [
to
] reduce risk factors in
order to improve the safety and well-being of individuals in underserved communities[
.
]
;
[
(3) There is created within the Office of the Attorney General the Safety Net Task
Force, which is a statewide multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional task force focused on
accomplishing the following objectives:
]
[
(a) coordinating
] 
(b) coordinate
 with government agencies, nonprofit organizations,
and interested individuals [
in order to work
] to provide open communication with individuals
in underserved communities; and
[
(b) coordinating
] 
(c) coordinate
 efforts to give individuals in underserved
communities [
equal
] 
needed
 access to [
justice, safety, and services
] 
public assistance and other
government services
.
[
(4)
] 
(3)
 The [
attorney general
] 
department
 may employ or contract with individuals,
entities, and support staff 
as
 necessary to administer the duties required by this section.
Section 4. Section 
67-5-1.5
 is amended to read:
67-5-1.5.
Special duties -- Employment of staff.
(1) The attorney general may undertake special duties and projects as follows:
(a) employment of child protection services investigators under Section 
67-5-16
;
(b) employment of an Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman under
Section 
67-5-18
;
(c) administration of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force under Section
67-5-20
;
(d) administration of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit under Section
67-5-21
;
(e) administration of the Identity Theft Reporting Information System (IRIS) Program
under Section 
67-5-22
;
(f) administration of the Attorney General Crime and Violence Prevention Fund under
Section 
67-5-24
; 
and
[
(g) administration of the Safety Net Initiative as provided under Section 
67-5-26
; and
]
[
(h)
] 
(g)
 administration of the Mortgage and Financial Fraud Unit under Section
67-5-30
.
(2) As permitted by the provisions of this chapter, the attorney general may employ or
contract with investigators, prosecutors, and necessary support staff to fulfill the special duties
undertaken under this section.
Section 5. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on July 1, 2016.