Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 238 (2023GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Brammer, B.

Final action

House/ to Governor 3/13/2023

Outcome

House/ to Governor

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• amends the use of public meeting buildings by political parties to include public institutions of higher education.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

POLITICAL PARTY PUBLIC MEETING FACILITIES
AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Brady Brammer
Senate Sponsor: 
 Jacob L. Anderegg
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends the use of public meeting buildings by political parties to include
public institutions of higher education.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ amends the use of public meeting buildings by political parties to include public
institutions of higher education.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
20A-8-101
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 292
20A-8-404
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 255
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
20A-8-101
 is amended to read:
20A-8-101.
Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Continuing political party" means an organization of voters that:
(a) participated in the last regular general election; and
(b) in at least one of the last two regular general elections, polled a total vote for any of
its candidates for any office equal to 2% or more of the total votes cast for all candidates for the
United States House of Representatives in the same regular general election.
(2) "County political party" means, for each registered political party, all of the persons
within a single county who, under definitions established by the county political party, are
members of the registered political party.
(3) "Newly registered political party" means a statewide organization of voters that has
complied with the petition and organizing procedures of this chapter to become a registered
political party.
(4) "Public institution of higher education" means the same as that term is defined in
Section 
53B-16-301
.
[
(4)
] 
(5)
 "Registered political party" means an organization of voters that:
(a) (i) participated in the last regular general election; and
(ii) in at least one of the last two regular general elections, polled a total vote for any of
its candidates for any office equal to 2% or more of the total votes cast for all candidates for the
United States House of Representatives in the same regular general election; or
(b) has complied with the petition and organizing procedures of this chapter.
[
(5)
] 
(6)
 "State political party" means, for each registered political party, all of the
persons in Utah who, under definitions established by the state political party, are members of
the registered political party.
Section 2. Section 
20A-8-404
 is amended to read:
20A-8-404.
Use of public meeting buildings by political parties.
(1) The legislative body of a county, municipality, [
or
] school district
, or public
institution of higher education
 shall make all meeting facilities in buildings under its control
available to registered political parties, without discrimination, to be used for political party
activities if:
(a) the political party requests the use of the meeting facility before 5 p.m. no later than
30 calendar days before the day on which the use by the political party will take place; and
(b) the meeting facility is not already scheduled for another purpose at the time of the
proposed use.
(2) Subject to the requirements of Subsection (3), when a legislative body makes a
meeting facility available under Subsection (1), it may establish terms and conditions for use of
that meeting facility.
(3) The charge imposed for the use of a meeting facility described in Subsection (1) by
a registered political party may not exceed the actual cost of:
(a) custodial services for cleaning the meeting facility after the use by the political
party; and
(b) any service requested by the political party and provided by the meeting facility.
(4) An entity described in Subsection (1) shall, to the extent possible, avoid scheduling
an event in a government building for the same evening as an announced party caucus meeting.
(5) This section does not apply to a publicly owned or operated convention center,
sports arena, or other facility at which conventions, conferences, and other gatherings are held
and whose primary business or function is to host such conventions, conferences, and other
gatherings.