Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 6003 (2020S6)

Sponsor

Sen. Mayne, K.

Final action

Governor Signed 8/31/2020

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• removes a prohibition on new applicants to the Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program;
• provides for pro rata reimbursement distributions for eligible applicants in certain circumstances;
• repeals a repeal date; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

LAW ENFORCEMENT TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Karen Mayne
House Sponsor: 
Lee B. Perry
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill reopens the Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement
Program for new applicants.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ removes a prohibition on new applicants to the Public Safety Officer Career
Advancement Reimbursement Program;
▸ provides for pro rata reimbursement distributions for eligible applicants in certain
circumstances;
▸ repeals a repeal date; 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:
53B-8-112
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 444
53B-8-114
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 444
63I-2-253
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 7
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53B-8-112
 is amended to read:
53B-8-112.
Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program.
(1) The Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program is created.
[
(2) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions in this section, the board may not accept a new
application for a reimbursement described in this section for an academic year that begins on or
after July 1, 2019.
]
[
(b)
] 
(2)
 Subject to legislative appropriations and Subsection (7) the board shall
reimburse an applicant who:
[
(i)
] 
(a)
 is a certified peace officer, currently employed by a law enforcement agency
within the state;
[
(ii)
] 
(b)
 has been employed as a certified peace officer for three or more consecutive
years;
[
(iii)
] 
(c)
 is seeking a post-secondary degree in the area of criminal justice from a
credit-granting higher education institution within the state system of higher education,
described in Section 
53B-1-102
; and
[
(iv)
] 
(d)
 is employed as a peace officer for one year following completion of the
academic year for which the individual is seeking reimbursement.
(3) Individuals who qualify for reimbursement from the Public Safety Officer Career
Advancement Reimbursement Program may apply for reimbursement by July 1 one year after
each academic year for which they are requesting reimbursement.
(4) Subject to Legislative appropriations, of the funds appropriated for the Public
Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program:
(a) 25% of the annual appropriation shall be designated for applicants who are
currently employed by a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in a county of the third or
fourth class; and
(b) 12% of the annual appropriation shall be designated for applicants who are
currently employed by a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in a county of the fifth or
sixth class.
(5) (a) A qualified applicant may be reimbursed up to half of the cost of tuition and
fees.
(b) A reimbursement under Subsection (5)(a) is limited to:
(i) a maximum of $5,000 each academic year; and
(ii) a maximum of eight academic years.
(6) (a) The board shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
Administrative Rulemaking Act, to:
(i) set deadlines for receiving reimbursement applications and supporting
documentation; and
(ii) establish the application process and an appeal process for a reimbursement from
the Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program, including procedures
to allow for online application submittals.
(b) The board shall include a disclosure on all applications and related materials that
the amount of the awarded reimbursements may be subject to funding or be reduced, in
accordance with Subsection (7).
(7) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall make an annual
appropriation from the Education Fund to the board for the costs associated with the Public
Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program authorized under this section.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the appropriation under this
section is insufficient to cover the costs associated with the Public Safety Officer Career
Advancement Reimbursement Program, the board
:
(i)
 may reduce the amount of a reimbursement[
.
]
; and
(ii) shall distribute reimbursements on a pro rata basis to all eligible applicants who
submitted a complete application before the application deadline.
(c) Any individual who is denied reimbursement because of insufficient funds
appropriated may re-apply for reimbursement up to two years after the first year of eligibility.
Section 2. Section 
53B-8-114
 is amended to read:
53B-8-114.
Continuation of previously authorized scholarships.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Institution of higher education" means an institution that awards money through a
program described in Subsection (2)(a).
(b) "Scholarship term" means the length of time during which an individual is eligible
to receive award money through a program described in Subsection (2)(a).
(2) The board or an institution of higher education:
(a) beginning on July 1, 2019, may not accept a new application for an award described
in[
: (i)
] Section 
53B-6-105.7
, which describes engineering and computer technology
scholarships; [
or
] 
and
[
(ii) Section 
53B-8-112
, which describes a reimbursement for public safety officers;
and
]
(b) may pay, through the end of the scholarship term, an award through a program
described in Subsection (2)(a) to an individual whose application for the program was accepted
before the applicable date described in Subsection (2)(a).
Section 3. Section 
63I-2-253
 is amended to read:
63I-2-253.
 Repeal dates -- Titles 53 through 53G.
(1) (a) Section 
53-2a-217
, regarding procurement during an epidemic or pandemic
emergency, is repealed on December 31, 2021.
(b) When repealing Section 
53-2a-217
, the Office of Legislative Research and General
Counsel shall, in addition to the office's authority under Subsection 
36-12-12
(3), make
necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
(2) Section 
53B-2a-103
 is repealed July 1, 2021.
(3) Section 
53B-2a-104
 is repealed July 1, 2021.
(4) (a) Subsection 
53B-2a-108
(5), regarding exceptions to the composition of a
technical college board of trustees, is repealed July 1, 2022.
(b) When repealing Subsection 
53B-2a-108
(5), the Office of Legislative Research and
General Counsel shall, in addition to its authority under Subsection 
36-12-12
(3), make
necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
(5) Section 
53B-6-105.7
 is repealed July 1, 2024.
(6) (a) Subsection 
53B-7-705
(6)(b)(ii)(A), the language that states "Except as provided
in Subsection (6)(b)(ii)(B)," is repealed July 1, 2021.
(b) Subsection 
53B-7-705
(6)(b)(ii)(B), regarding comparing a technical college's
change in performance with the technical college's average performance, is repealed July 1,
2021.
(7) (a) Subsection 
53B-7-707
(3)(a)(ii), the language that states "Except as provided in
Subsection (3)(b)," is repealed July 1, 2021.
(b) Subsection 
53B-7-707
(3)(b), regarding performance data of a technical college
during a fiscal year before fiscal year 2020, is repealed July 1, 2021.
[
(8) Section 
53B-8-112
 is repealed July 1, 2024.
]
[
(9)
] 
(8)
 Section 
53B-8-114
 is repealed July 1, 2024.
[
(10)
] 
(9)
 (a) The following sections, regarding the Regents' scholarship program, are
repealed on July 1, 2023:
(i) Section 
53B-8-202
;
(ii) Section 
53B-8-203
;
(iii) Section 
53B-8-204
; and
(iv) Section 
53B-8-205
.
(b) (i) Subsection 
53B-8-201
(2), regarding the Regents' scholarship program for
students who graduate from high school before fiscal year 2019, is repealed on July 1, 2023.
(ii) When repealing Subsection 
53B-8-201
(2), the Office of Legislative Research and
General Counsel shall, in addition to its authority under Subsection 
36-12-12
(3), make
necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
[
(11)
] 
(10)
 Section 
53B-10-101
 is repealed on July 1, 2027.
[
(12)
] 
(11)
 Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 14, Uintah Basin Air Quality Research Project,
is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(13)
] 
(12)
 Section 
53E-3-519
 regarding school counselor services is repealed July 1,
2020.
[
(14)
] 
(13)
 Section 
53E-3-520
 is repealed July 1, 2021.
[
(15)
] 
(14)
 Subsection 
53E-5-306
(3)(b)(ii)(B), related to improving school
performance and continued funding relating to the School Recognition and Reward Program, is
repealed July 1, 2020.
[
(16)
] 
(15)
 Section 
53E-5-307
 is repealed July 1, 2020.
[
(17)
] 
(16)
 Subsection 
53E-10-309
(7), related to the PRIME pilot program, is repealed
July 1, 2024.
[
(18)
] 
(17)
 In Subsections 
53F-2-205
(4) and (5), regarding the State Board of
Education's duties if contributions from the minimum basic tax rate are overestimated or
underestimated, the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
, as applicable" is repealed July 1,
2023.
[
(19)
] 
(18)
 Subsection 
53F-2-301
(1), relating to the years the section is not in effect, is
repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(20)
] 
(19)
 In Subsection 
53F-2-515
(1), the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
, as
applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(21)
] 
(20)
 Section 
53F-4-207
 is repealed July 1, 2022.
[
(22)
] 
(21)
 In Subsection 
53F-9-302
(3), the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
, as
applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(23)
] 
(22)
 In Subsection 
53F-9-305
(3)(a), the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
, as
applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(24)
] 
(23)
 In Subsection 
53F-9-306
(3)(a), the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
, as
applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(25)
] 
(24)
 In Subsection 
53G-3-304
(1)(c)(i), the language that states "or 
53F-2-301.5
,
as applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(26)
] 
(25)
 Subsections 
53G-10-204
(1)(c) through (e), and Subsection 
53G-10-204
(7),
related to the civics engagement pilot program, are repealed on July 1, 2023.
[
(27)
] 
(26)
 On July 1, 2023, when making changes in this section, the Office of
Legislative Research and General Counsel shall, in addition to the office's authority under
Subsection 
36-12-12
(3), make corrections necessary to ensure that sections and subsections
identified in this section are complete sentences and accurately reflect the office's perception of
the Legislature's intent.
Section 4. 
Effective date.
If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
the date of veto override.