Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 60 (2018GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Chew, S.

Final action

House/ filed 3/8/2018

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill: Ŝ→ [
• exempts the state engineer from Title 63G, Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code, for the purpose of Section 73-5-1.5; ] ←Ŝ
• requires the Division of Finance, in consultation with the state engineer, to establish a rule governing reimbursement for damages and wear and tear to a water commissioner's personal vehicle incurred while the water commissioner fulfills the water commissioner's official duties;
• states that the state engineer shall use money in the Water Commissioner Fund to:
• pay the expense of a water commissioner if a distribution system committee approves the expense; and
• pay a reasonable administrative expense of a distribution system committee;
• describes the requirements for a distribution system committee to approve an expense; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 11:16 AM by bbryner.
This document includes Senate 2nd Reading Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 3:49 PM by estauffer.
WATER COMMISSIONER AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Scott H. Chew
Senate Sponsor: 
 Margaret Dayton
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies the acceptable uses of the Water Commissioner Fund.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
Ŝ→ [
 ▸ exempts the state engineer from Title 63G, Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code, for
the purpose of Section 73-5-1.5;
] ←Ŝ
▸ requires the Division of Finance, in consultation with the state engineer, to establish
a rule governing reimbursement for damages and wear and tear to a water
commissioner's personal vehicle incurred while the water commissioner fulfills the
water commissioner's official duties;
▸ states that the state engineer shall use money in the Water Commissioner Fund to:
• pay the expense of a water commissioner if a distribution system committee
approves the expense; and
• pay a reasonable administrative expense of a distribution system committee;
▸ describes the requirements for a distribution system committee to approve an
expense; and
▸ makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
73-5-1.5
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapter 401
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
73-5-1.5
 is amended to read:
73-5-1.5.
Water Commissioner Fund.
(1) There is created an expendable special revenue fund known as the "Water
Commissioner Fund."
(2) The fund consists of assessments paid to the state engineer by water users pursuant
to Subsection 
73-5-1
(3).
(3) (a) The fund shall earn interest.
(b) Interest earned on fund money shall be deposited into the fund.
(4) (a)
Ŝ→ [
For the purpose of this section, the state engineer is exempt from Title 63G,
Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code.
(b)
] ←Ŝ
The state engineer shall, in accordance with this section and Title 63G, Chapter 3,
Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, establish rules governing the use of the fund.
Ŝ→ [
(c)
] 
(b)
 ←Ŝ
By July 1,
Ĥ→ [
] 
 ←Ĥ
, the Division of Finance shall, in
46a1 
consultation with the
46a 
state
engineer, establish a rule governing reimbursement for damages and wear and tear to a water
commissioner's personal vehicle incurred while the water commissioner fulfills the water
commissioner's official duties.
[
(4)
] 
(5)
 The state engineer shall use fund money to pay
:
(a)
 for salary and [
expenses of water commissioners and other
] 
benefits of a water
commissioner;
(b)
 expenses related to the distribution of water specified in Subsection 
73-5-1
(3)[
.
]
,
including general operating expenses, equipment repairs, purchasing, and other expenses
required for proper water distribution, if:
(i) the expense has been approved by the water commissioner's distribution system
committee, in accordance with Subsection (6);
(ii) the distribution system committee provides to the state engineer accurate
documentation of the expense; and
 (iii) there are sufficient funds to cover the expense; and
(c) reasonable administration expenses of the distribution system committee.
(6) A distribution system committee may approve an expense of a water commissioner
if:
(a) the distribution system committee finds that the expense is reasonable; and
(b) the water commissioner provides the state engineer and the distribution system
committee with adequate documentation of the expense.
(7) Subject to Subsection (8), an expense paid pursuant to Subsection (5)(b) shall be:
(a) distributed in a reimbursement check or direct deposit separate from a water
commissioner's regular paycheck, if requested by the water commissioner; or
(b) paid directly to the vendor approved by the distribution system committee.
(8) There is a rebuttable presumption that an expense budgeted for and approved by a
distribution system committee is a reasonable expense.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel