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MINUTES OF THE HOUSE
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE
Room WO25, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex
January 17, 2007


Members Present:    Rep. DeMar "Bud" Bowman, Chair
            Rep. Curt Oda, Vice Chair
            Rep. David Litvack
            Rep. Becky Lockhart            
            Rep. Michael Morley
            Rep. Paul Ray            
            Rep. Jennifer Seelig
            Rep. Ken Sumsion
            Rep. Larry Wiley
            Rep. Carl Wimmer
Members Absent:    Rep. Brad Dee

Staff Present:    Mr. Stewart Smith, Policy Analyst
            Ms. Linda Black, Committee Secretary

note: A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Rep. Bowman called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. He introduced the members of the committee.

H.B. 15     Driver License Privilege Suspension for Failure to Pay Child Support (Rep. Julie Fisher)

Rep. Fisher explained the bill with the assistance of Mr. Mark Brasher, Office of Recovery Services. (handout)

Spoke to the bill:    Pamela J. Atkinson, Community Advocate
            Lori Russell, Parent
            Doreen Brown, Citizen
            Jennifer Kershaw, Citizen

MOTION:    Rep. Ray moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously         with Rep. Morley absent for the vote.

H.B. 202    Medical Recommendations for Children (Rep. M. Morley)

Rep. Morley introduced the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Litvack moved to amend the bill as follows:






1.    Page 2, Line 30 :    

             30          
{   78-3a-305, as last amended by Chapters 13 and 281, Laws of Utah 2006   }


2.    Page 7, Line 183 through Page 8, Line 214 :    

             183          
{   Section 3. Section 78-3a-305 is amended to read:

             184          78-3a-305. Petition filed.
             185          (1) For purposes of this section, "petition" means a petition to commence proceedings
             186      in a juvenile court alleging that a child is:
             187          (a) abused;
             188          (b) neglected; or
             189          (c) dependent.
             190          (2) (a) Subject to Subsection (2)(b), any interested person may file a petition.
             191          (b) A person described in Subsection (2)(a) shall make a referral with the division
             192      before the person files a petition.
             193          (3) If the child who is the subject of a petition is removed from the child's home by the
             194      division, the petition shall be filed on or before the date of the initial shelter hearing described
             195      in Section 78-3a-306 .
             196          (4) The petition shall be verified, and contain all of the following:
             197          (a) the name, age, and address, if any, of the child upon whose behalf the petition is
             198      brought;
             199          (b) the names and addresses, if known to the petitioner, of both parents and any
             200      guardian of the child;
             201          (c) a concise statement of facts, separately stated, to support the conclusion that the
             202      child upon whose behalf the petition is being brought is abused, neglected, or

dependent; and
             203          (d) a statement regarding whether the child is in protective custody, and if so, the date
             204      and precise time the child was taken into protective custody.
             205          (5) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (5)(b), a court or the Division of Child and
             206      Family Services may not remove a child from the custody of the child's parent or guardian on
             207      the sole or primary basis that the parent or guardian refuses to consent to:
             208          (i) the administration of a psychotropic medication to a child;
             209          (ii) a psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral treatment for a child; or
             210          (iii) a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation of a child.
             211          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (5)(a), a court or the Division of Child and Family
             212      Services may remove a child under conditions that would otherwise be prohibited under
             213      Subsection (5)(a) if failure to take an action described under Subsection (5)(a) would present a
             214      serious, imminent risk to the child's physical safety or the physical safety of others.   }

The motion passed unanimously.

Spoke to the bill:        Rhonda Rose, Utah PTA
                Dr. Tom Metcalf

Spoke in favor of the bill:    Gayle Ruzicka, Utah Eagle Forum

Spoke in opposition
of the bill:            Dr. Jeff Schmidt
                Jake Short, Student

MOTION:    Rep. Ray moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed         with Rep. Seelig and Rep. Wiley voting in opposition. Rep. Litvack was absent         for the vote.


H.B. 205    Public Demonstrations At Funerals (Rep. R. Bigelow)
                
Rep. Bigelow introduced the bill with the assistance of Mr. Terry Schow, Chairman, Utah Division of Veterans' Affairs.

MOTION:    Rep. Wiley moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously
        with Rep. Litvack and Rep. Morley absent for the vote.

H.B. 207    School Truancy and Compulsory Education Amendments (Rep. E. Hutchings)

Rep. Hutchings introduced the bill.

Spoke in favor of the bill:    Tifny Iacona, Student Services, Granite School District
                Rhonda Rose, Utah PTA
                Steve Petersen, Superintendents' Association, Utah School Board

MOTION:    Rep. Ray moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:    Rep. Wiley moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Bowman         adjourned the meeting at 9:55 a.m.


            
                        ___________________
                        Rep. DeMar "Bud" Bowman, Chair