Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 273 First Substitute (2024GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Stevenson, J.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/21/2024

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• requires the district attorney's office in counties of the first class to track time spent on criminal cases;
• requires the district attorney's office in counties of the first class to provide an annual written report to the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee; and
• provides for a sunset review of the data collection and reporting requirement after five years.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

DISTRICT ATTORNEY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jerry W Stevenson
House Sponsor: 
 Karianne Lisonbee
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill requires the district attorney in counties of the first class to collect and report
specified information.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ requires the district attorney's office in counties of the first class to track time spent
on criminal cases;
▸ requires the district attorney's office in counties of the first class to provide an
annual written report to the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim
Committee; and
▸ provides for a sunset review of the data collection and reporting requirement after
five years.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63I-1-217
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 96
ENACTS:
17-18a-203.5
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
17-18a-203.5
 is enacted to read:
 17-18a-203.5.
District attorney data collection -- Report.
(1) In this section, "prosecution personnel" means:
(a) investigators;
(b) prosecutors;
(c) support staff; or
(d) other individuals paid for their work on the case.
(2) The district attorney in a county of the first class shall:
(a) track the time spent by prosecution personnel on each criminal case, calculated in
quarter of an hour increments, by the offense classification; and
(b) provide a written report to the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim
Committee by November 1, annually.
(3) The annual report required in Subsection (2)(b) shall include the following
information, organized by the offense classification, for the cases that were active during the
reporting period:
(a) the total number of hours, calculated in quarter of an hour increments, worked on
the cases by prosecution personnel;
(b) the average amount of taxpayer dollars spent per case, as calculated by the hours
worked and the salary of the prosecution personnel who worked on the case;
(c) the cumulative total hours worked and the number of cases, categorized by the
following:
(i) cases that were dismissed prior to the filing of charges;
(ii) cases that were dismissed after charges were filed;
(iii) cases in which a plea agreement was reached by the parties prior to the preliminary
hearing;
(iv) cases that were dismissed by the court after the preliminary hearing;
(v) cases in which a plea agreement was reached by the parties after the preliminary
hearing;
(vi) cases that resulted in a court ruling in favor of the state; and
(vii) cases that resulted in a court ruling in favor of the defense;
(d) the average number of days between:
(i) the filing of criminal charges; and
(ii) (A) the delivery of discovery information, including witness statements;
(B) the preliminary hearing; or
(C) the first day of trial; and
(e) the average number of attorneys assigned to each case.
Section 2. Section 
63I-1-217
 is amended to read:
63I-1-217.
Repeal dates: Title 17.
(1) 
Section 
17-18a-203.5
 is repealed on July 1, 2029.
(2)
 Title 17, Chapter 21a, Part 3, Administration and Standards, which creates the Utah
Electronic Recording Commission, is repealed July 1, 2022.
[
(2)
] 
(3)
 In relation to Section 
17-31-2
, on July 1, 2023:
(a) Subsection 
17-31-2
(1)(g), which defines "economic diversification activity," is
repealed;
(b) Subsection 
17-31-2
(2)(a)(iii), relating to establishing and promoting an economic
diversification activity, is repealed;
(c) Subsection 
17-31-2
(7)(b)(i) is amended to read:
"(i) for a purpose described in Subsection (2)(a) and subject to the limitation described
in Subsection (7)(d), the greater of:"; and
(d) Subsection 
17-31-2
(7)(d)(ii), relating to a limitation on the expenditure of revenue
for an economic diversification activity, is repealed.
[
(3)
] 
(4)
 Subsection 
17-31-5.5
(2)(a)(i)(E), relating to economic diversification activity,
is repealed July 1, 2023.
Section 3. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.