Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 181 First Substitute (2022GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Harper, W.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/22/2022

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• creates the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program within the Utah Indigent Defense Commission;
• creates reporting requirements;
• includes a sunset date; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

PARENTAL REPRESENTATION AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Wayne A. Harper
House Sponsor: 
Jon Hawkins
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill creates the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ creates the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program within the Utah
Indigent Defense Commission;
▸ creates reporting requirements;
▸ includes a sunset date; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2023:
▸ to Governor's Office -- Indigent Defense Commission -- Child Welfare Parental
Defense Program, as an ongoing appropriation:
• from General Fund, $170,000.
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63I-1-278
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 154
ENACTS:
78B-22-805
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
63I-1-278
 is amended to read:
63I-1-278.
Repeal dates, Title 78A and Title 78B.
(1) Section 
78B-3-421
, regarding medical malpractice arbitration agreements, is
repealed July 1, 2029.
(2) Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 2, Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, is repealed July 1,
2026. 
(3) Title 78B, Chapter 12, Part 4, Advisory Committee, which creates the Child
Support Guidelines Advisory Committee, is repealed July 1, 2026.
(4) Section 
78B-22-805
, regarding the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot
Program, is repealed December 31, 2024.
Section 2. Section 
78B-22-805
 is enacted to read:
 78B-22-805.
Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Program" means the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program
created in this section.
(b) "Social worker" means an individual who is licensed as:
(i) a clinical social worker;
(ii) a certified social worker;
(iii) a marriage and family therapist; or
(iv) a clinical mental health counselor.
(2) (a) There is created within the commission the Interdisciplinary Parental
Representation Pilot Program.
(b) The purpose of the program is to enhance the legal representation of a parent in a
child welfare case by including a social worker as a member of the parent's interdisciplinary
legal team.
(3) (a) A county may submit a proposal to the commission for a grant to develop a
social worker position to provide services to parents involved in a child welfare case in the
county.
(b) A proposal described in Subsection (3)(a) shall include details regarding:
(i) how the county plans to use the grant award to fulfill the purpose described in
Subsection (2);
(ii) any plan to use funding sources in addition to a grant awarded under this section for
the proposal; and
(iii) other information the commission determines necessary to evaluate the proposal
for a grant award under this section.
(c) In evaluating a proposal for a grant award under this section, the commission shall
consider:
(i) the extent to which the proposal will fulfill the purpose described in Subsection (2);
(ii) the cost of the proposal;
(iii) the extent to which other funding sources identified in the proposal are likely to
benefit the proposal;
(iv) the sustainability of the proposal;
(v) the need for social worker engagement in child welfare cases in the county that
submitted the proposal; and
(vi) whether the proposal will support improvements in indigent defense services in
accordance with the commission core principles described in Section 
78B-22-404
.
(4) Before October 1, 2023, the commission shall provide a written report to the Health
and Human Services Interim Committee regarding the program that includes information on:
(a) the number of grants awarded under the program; and
(b) whether the program had any impact on child welfare case outcomes.
Section 3. 
Appropriation.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2022, and ending June 30, 2023. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2023. Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures
Act, the Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts
indicated for the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
ITEM 1
To Governor's Office -- Indigent Defense Commission
From General Fund
$170,000
Schedule of Programs:
Child Welfare Parental Defense Program $170,000
The Legislature intends that:
(1) the appropriations under this item be used for the Interdisciplinary Parental
Representation Pilot Program; and
(2) under Section 
63J-1-603
, appropriations provided under this section not lapse at the
close of fiscal year 2023 and the use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to the purpose
described in Subsection (1) of this item.