36-12-23. Legislative committees -- Staffing.

444 words·~2 min read·/ut/title-36/chapter-12/36-12-23

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 7/1/2025

(1)As used in this section:

(a)"Chair" means a presiding officer or a co-presiding officer of a committee.

(b)"Committee" means a standing committee, interim committee, subcommittee, special committee, authority, commission, council, task force, panel, or board in which legislative participation is required by statute or legislative rule.

(c)"Legislative committee" means a committee:

(i)formed by the Legislature to study or oversee subjects of legislative concern; and

(ii)that is required by statute or legislative rule to have a chair who is a legislator.

(d)"Legislator" means a member of either chamber of the Legislature.

(e)"Professional legislative office" means the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, or similar office of the Legislature.

(a)Except as provided in Subsections

(3)and (4), a professional legislative office shall provide each legislative committee's staff support, regardless of whether statute or legislative rule directs another entity to provide the staff support.

(b)Unless a legislative committee's enacting statute or legislative rule names a particular professional legislative office to provide the legislative committee's staff support, the professional legislative offices shall select, based on subject matter expertise, which professional legislative office will staff the legislative committee.

(a)Subject to Subsection (3)(b), the provisions of this section control over any conflicting provision of statute or legislative rule.

(i)If another provision of statute or legislative rule directs an entity other than a professional legislative office to provide a legislative committee's staff support, notwithstanding Subsection (2), a legislator who is a chair of the legislative committee may elect to have the other entity provide the legislative committee's staff support.

(ii)If the legislative committee has more than one chair who is a legislator, the chairs who are legislators shall collectively make the election under Subsection (3)(b)(i).

(iii)A chair or chairs who make an election under Subsection (3)(b)(i) may change the chair's or chairs' election no more than once each calendar year.

(4)This section does not apply to:

(a)the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority created in Section 11-59-201 ;

(b)the Utah Broadband Center Advisory Commission created in Section 36-29-109 ;

(c)the Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force created in Section 36-29-110 ;

(d)the Public Safety Data Management Task Force created in Section 36-29-111 ;

(e)the Constitutional Defense Council created in Section 63C-4a-202 ;

(f)the House Ethics Committee established under Legislative Joint Rule JR6-2-101 ; or

(g)the Senate Ethics Committee established under Legislative Joint Rule JR6-2-101 .

Amended by Chapter 512 , 2025 General Session