Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 131 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Peterson, Val L.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/26/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• clarifies the allowed membership of an advisory council and types of talent initiatives.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

3
53B-34-110
Talent Ready Utah Program Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Val L. Peterson
Senate Sponsor: Ann Millner
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill clarifies the allowed membership of an advisory council and types of talent 
initiatives.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
clarifies the allowed membership of an advisory council and types of talent initiatives.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53B-34-110
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 378
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53B-34-110
 is amended to read:
53B-34-110. Talent advisory councils.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Advisory council" means an advisory council the talent board creates under 
Subsection (10).
(b)
"Institution of higher education" means the same as the term is defined in Section 
53B-1-102
.
(c)
"Talent initiative" means an initiative the board creates under Subsection (2).
(2)
(a)
Subject to legislative appropriations and in accordance with the proposal process 
and other provisions of this section, the board shall develop and oversee one or more 
talent initiatives that include providing funding for expanded programs at an 
institution of higher education related to the talent initiative.
(b)
The board shall ensure that a talent initiative the board creates:
(i)
uses a name for the talent initiative that reflects the area the initiative is targeting;
(ii)
contains an outline of the disciplines, industries, degrees, certifications, 
credentials, and types of skills the talent initiative will target; and
(iii)
uses a corresponding advisory council created in Subsection (10).
(3)
In creating a talent initiative, the board shall facilitate collaborations between an 
institution of higher education and participating employers that:
(a)
create expanded, multidisciplinary programs or stackable credential programs offered 
at a technical college, undergraduate, or graduate level of study; and
(b)
prepare students to be workforce participants in jobs requiring skills related to a 
talent initiative.
(4)
(a)
An institution of higher education seeking to partner with one or more 
participating employers to create a program related to a talent initiative shall submit a 
proposal to the talent board through a process the talent board creates.
(b)
An institution of higher education shall submit a proposal that contains:
(i)
a description of the proposed program, including:
(A)
implementation timelines for the program;
(B)
a demonstration of how the program will be responsive to the talent needs 
related to the talent initiative;
(C)
an outline of relevant industry involvement that includes at least one 
participating employer that partners with the institution of higher education; and
(D)
an explanation of how the program addresses an unmet regional workforce 
need related to a talent initiative;
(ii)
an estimate of:
(A)
projected student enrollment and completion rates for a program;
(B)
the academic credit or credentials that a program will provide; and
(C)
occupations for which a graduate will qualify;
(iii)
evidence that each participating employer is committed to participating and 
contributing to the program by providing any combination of:
(A)
instruction;
(B)
curriculum review;
(C)
feedback regarding effectiveness of program graduates as employees;
(D)
work-based learning opportunities; or
(E)
mentoring;
(iv)
a description of any resources a participating employer will provide within the 
program; and
(v)
the amount of funding requested for the program, including:
(A)
the justification for the funding; and
(B)
the cost per student served as estimated under Subsection (4)(b)(ii).
(5)
In reviewing a proposal, the talent board shall provide a proposal to the relevant 
advisory council described in Subsections (10) and (11).
(6)
The relevant advisory council shall:
(a)
review and prioritize each proposal the advisory council receives; and
(b)
recommend to the talent board whether the proposal should be funded and the 
funding amount based on:
(i)
the quality and completeness of the elements of the proposal described in 
Subsection (4)(b);
(ii)
to what extent the proposed program:
(A)
would expand the capacity to meet state or regional workforce needs related 
to the talent initiative;
(B)
would integrate industry-relevant competencies with disciplinary expertise;
(C)
would incorporate internships or significant project experiences, including 
team-based experiences;
(D)
identifies how industry professionals would participate in elements described 
in Subsection (4)(b)(iii); and
(E)
would be cost effective; and
(iii)
other relevant criteria as the relevant advisory council and the talent board 
determines.
(7)
The board shall review the recommendations of an advisory council and may provide 
funding for a program related to a talent initiative using the criteria described in 
Subsection (6)(b).
(8)
In a form that the board approves, each institution of higher education that receives 
funding shall annually provide written information to the board regarding the activities, 
successes, and challenges related to administering the program related to the talent 
initiative, including:
(a)
specific entities that received funding under this section;
(b)
the amount of funding provided to each entity;
(c)
the number of participating students in each program;
(d)
the number of graduates of the program;
(e)
the number of graduates of the program employed in jobs requiring skills related to 
the talent initiative; and
(f)
progress and achievements relevant to the implementation timeline submitted under 
Subsection (4)(b)(i)(A).
(9)
On or before October 1 of each year, the board shall provide an annual written report 
containing the information described in Subsection (8) to the:
(a)
Education Interim Committee; and
(b)
Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
(10)
The talent board shall create a talent advisory council for each talent initiative created 
under Subsection (2) to make recommendations to the board regarding the 
administration of a talent initiative including:
(a)
a deep technology initiative;
(b)
a life sciences workforce initiative; 
(c)
engineering and computer technology; 
and
(c)
(d)
health professions initiatives including a nursing initiative.
(11)
An advisory council shall consist of the following members:
(a)
a minimum of 
four members who have extensive experience in the talent initiative's 
subject matter from the private sector whom the chair of the talent board appoints and 
the board approves;
(b)
a representative of the board described in Section 
53B-1-402
 whom the chair of the 
board appoints;
(c)
a representative of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity whom the 
executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity appoints;
(d)
a representative from Talent Ready Utah;
(e)
one member of the Senate whom the president of the Senate appoints;
(f)
one member of the House of Representatives whom the speaker of the House of 
Representatives appoints; and
(g)
any other specialized industry experts whom a majority of the advisory council may 
invite to participate as needed as nonvoting members.
(12)
Talent Ready Utah shall provide staff support for an advisory council.
(13)
(a)
Two advisory council members appointed under Subsection (11)(a) shall serve 
an initial term of two years.
(b)
Except as described in Subsection (13)(a), all other advisory council members shall 
serve an initial term of four years.
(c)
Successor advisory council members upon appointment or reappointment shall each 
serve a term of four years.
(d)
When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the initial appointing 
authority shall appoint a replacement for the unexpired term.
(e)
An advisory council member may not serve more than two consecutive terms.
(14)
A vote of a majority of the advisory council members constitutes an action of the 
advisory council.
(15)
The duties of the advisory council include reviewing, prioritizing, and making 
recommendations to the board regarding proposals for funding under the talent initiative 
created in accordance with Subsection (2) for which the council was created.
(16)
An advisory council member may not receive compensation or benefits for the 
member's service, but an advisory council member who is not a legislator may receive 
per diem and travel expenses in accordance with:
(a)
Sections 
63A-3-106
 and 
63A-3-107
; and
(b)
rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 
63A-3-106
 and 
63A-3-107
.
(17)
The board may discontinue a talent initiative and the related talent advisory council by 
majority vote.
Section 2. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
1-7-25 4:32 PM