Governor Signs Prison Development Bill, Enhancements to Benefits for Fallen Police, Firefighters
SALT LAKE CITY (March 25, 2015) – Gov. Gary R. Herbert signed 56 bills into law today bringing the total number of bills signed from the 2015 General Legislative Session to 200. The Legislature passed 528 bills this session, 495 of which require action by the governor.
Among the bills signed by the governor today is HB 454, Prison Development Amendments. This bill establishes the process to finalize the location of the new state penitentiary and enacts a local option sales and use tax for a city or town where the prison will be located. No site has been chosen for the site of the new prison at this time.
“The state prison facility in Draper is outdated and needs to be replaced,” said Gov. Herbert. “The construction of a new prison–regardless of where it is located–provides us with a tremendous opportunity to build a facility that will help us reduce recidivism while enhancing public safety.”
The bill also ensures both the legislative and executive branches will play a role in the final decision. Once the Prison Relocation Commission makes a recommendation, the full Legislature will vote on the recommendation. The governor will then have the opportunity to review the bill and sign or veto it.
The governor also signed HB 288, Line-of-duty Death Benefits for Peace Officers and Firefighters. This bill clarifies and enhances the amount of money paid to the surviving spouses of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty, as well as allowing their health coverage to continue.
“When police officers and firefighters are lost in the line of duty, we owe them more than just a debt of gratitude,” said Gov. Herbert. “I am pleased to see such strong support for their family members who have paid such a heavy price.”
The full list of bills signed by the governor today is as follows:
| Bill Number | Bill Name | Bill Sponsor |
| HB 36 | Veterans Definition | Ray, P. |
| HB 39 | Emergency Placement of Children | Anderson, J. |
| HB 65 | Workforce Services Amendments | Edwards, R. |
| HB 80 | Transportation Project Amendments | Snow, L. |
| HB 141 | Insurance Related Inducements | Knotwell, J. |
| HB 160 | Drive-through Service Usage Amendments | Anderson, J. |
| HB 184 | Victim Restitution Amendments | Wilson, B. |
| HB 193 | Continuing Education for General Contractor Licensing | Gibson, F. |
| HB 198 | Strengthening College and Career Readiness | Arent, P. |
| HB 213 | Safe Technology Utilization and Digital Citizenship in Public Schools | Stratton, K. |
| HB 214 | Misrepresentation of Telephone and Text Identification | Lifferth, D. |
| HB 217 | Uniformed Services Amendments | Ray, P. |
| HB 228 | Appellate Bond Amendments | Sagers, D. |
| HB 229 | Air Quality Modification | Edwards, R. |
| HB 239 | Human Resource Management Market Research Amendments | Hutchings, E. |
| HB 242 | State and Local Government Employee Policies | Miller, J. |
| HB 245 | Incorporation Process for Cities and Towns | Brown, M. |
| HB 246 | Amendments to Fire Code | Kennedy, M. |
| HB 249 | Rights of Children Conceived Through Artificial Insemination | Pritcher, D. |
| HB 252 | Human Trafficking Amendments | King, B. |
| HB 254 | Livestock Branding Amendments | Noel, M. |
| HB 256 | Revenue Review for Certain Funds | Eliason, S. |
| HB 259 | Amendments to Powers and Duties of State Parks | Powell, K. |
| HB 273 | Interest Rate Swap Amendments | Knotwell, J. |
| HB 284 | Minor Alcohol or Drug Related Offenses and Driving Privileges | Redd, E. |
| HB 288 | Line-of-duty Death Benefits for Peace Officers and Firefighters | Ray, P. |
| HB 292 | Emergency Medical Service Providers Amendments | McCay, D. |
| HB 299 | Attorney Lien Amendments | Hawkes, T. |
| HB 310 | Vintage Motorcycle Amendments | Peterson, J. |
| HB 311 | Private Investigator and Bail Recovery Licensure Amendment | Oda, C. |
| HB 314 | Money Management Act Amendments | Cunningham, R. |
| HB 317 | Destruction of Livestock | Nelson, M. |
| HB 321 | Vote by Mail Revisions | Westwood, J. |
| HB 338 | Resolving Government Record Disputes | Chavez-Houck, R. |
| HB 341 | Constitutional Debt | Knotwell, J. |
| HB 347 | Retirement Window Amendments | Cunningham, R. |
| HB 349 | School and Institutional Trust Lands Budget Amendments | Brown, M. |
| HB 361 | Investigation Protocols for Peace Officer Use of Force | Roberts, M. |
| HB 379 | Underground Storage Tank Amendments | Eliason, S. |
| HB 390 | Local Health Department Emergency Funding | Ray, P. |
| HB 410 | State and Local Energy Efficiency Programs | Draxler, J. |
| HB 454 | Prison Development Amendments | Wilson, B. |
| HCR 3 | Concurrent Resolution Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the Settlement of Clarion, Utah | Cox, J. |
| HCR 8 | Concurrent Resolution on Carbon Sequestration on Rangelands | Noel, M. |
| SB 10 | Compact for Interstate Sharing of Putative Father Registry Information | Escamilla, L. |
| SB 16 | Certificate of Stillbirth Amendments | Vickers, E. |
| SB 22 | Fire Code Amendments | Bramble, C. |
| SB 26 | Occupational Therapy Practice Act Reauthorization | Harper, W. |
| SB 27 | Health Facility Administrator Act Reauthorization | Mayne, K. |
| SB 31 | Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act Amendments | Weiler, T. |
| SB 42 | General Assistance Program Changes | Escamilla, L. |
| SB 47 | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families | Christensen, A. |
| SB 54 | Credit Monitoring for Minors | Osmond, A. |
| SB 68 | Eminent Domain Amendments | Hillyard, L. |
| SB 73 | Office of State Debt Collection Amendments | Hillyard, L. |
| SB 101 | Adoption Amendments | Weiler, T. |
