Sex education, GRAMA, hookah and e-cigarettes hot topics of Legislature

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Legislature continues looking at issues across the board, including those addressing sex education, GRAMA, vehicle inspections, the Indoor Clean Air Act, parental rights in adoption, official Utah symbols and I-15.

HB363: Health Education Amendments

A bill proposing reforms to Utah's health education curriculum was amended and passed by a House committee Thursday.

The bill would allow districts to opt out from teaching human sexuality classes, whereas current law requires that districts must teach the class as part of core curriculum for a few days in junior high and high school.

Under the proposed bill, those districts that choose to teach human sexuality classes would be required to teach abstinence-only curriculum.

Currently, schools are only required to advocate abstinence. Teachers may talk about contraception as long as they don't advocate its use.

The amendment offered by Rep. Kraig Powell, R-Heber City resembles current law. The amendment doesn't prohibit talk of contraception, rather that instruction "may not include instruction in the advocacy or use of contraceptive methods or devices."

GRAMA Ombudsman ProposalGov. Gary Herbert is advocating an ombudsman to handle requests for government records, and saying that he may put it into place through executive order if lawmakers don't get on board with the proposal.

Last year, Legislature attempted to restrict GRAMA and the public protested. Lawmakers repealed changes and set up a committee to look at the law, which came up with the proposal.

HB298: Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Amendments

The House Revenue and Taxation Committee passed a bill that would eliminate most annual auto safety inspections, opting instead for inspections on cars and light trucks when they are 4, 8 and 10 years old. Once they hit the 10- year mark, inspection would be required every year.

Current law requires inspections every two years until the vehicle is eight years old, then each year after that.

The Utah Department of Public Safety supports the measure said department director Lance Davenport. The proposal would reduce safety inspections each year from 1.7 million to 1.1 million, he said. By freeing up those funds, Utah could put more troopers on the road.

HB245: Amendment to Definition of Smoking in Utah Indoor Clean Air Act

A bill that expands the definitions of those set out in the Utah Indoor Clean Air act passed a House committee Thursday.

The bill would ban hookah pipe and e-cigarette use in public places, including businesses which are currently unclear on the matter.

The bill would allow hookah in designated public spaces that meet its criteria, and would require hookah bars to have existed as of Jan. 1, 2012, sell the products used in the pipes, admit only those 21 or older and have at least 10 percent of its sales related to hookah.

HB308: Parental Rights of Biological FathersRep. Christine Watkins, D-Price says that fathers are "shut out" by birth mothers who wish to give their child up for adoption, and her proposed bill would give fathers due process in the manner.

The bill requires unmarried pregnant women to give written notice to biological father of a pending adoption, after which the father would have 30 days to assert his parental rights. Utah law does not currently require birth mothers to notify the father, including those which may be responsible if given the chance, according to Watkins.

The bill, which raises questions about the safety of mothers escaping abuse, among others concerns, was voted 5-3 to hold it.

HB201: Utah State Winter Sports

Senate approved a bill Thursday which would make skiing and snowboarding Utah's official winter sports.

Sponsor Rep. Steve Elisaon, R-Sandy, noted the ski/snowboard industry brought $1.2 billion to Utah last year, up 67 percent since the 2002 Winter Olympics. Utah is the third most visited ski destination in the country and 40 percent of Utah homes have a skier or snowboarder, he said.

This legislation comes just in time for Utah's possible Olympic bid. According to Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, Utah's chances at being accepted as the host for the 2022 Winter Games is "less than 25 percent," though Herbert argues it's closer to 50 percent.

Salt Lake City will likely face Denver and Reno-Tahoe as challengers for the bid.

HCR7: Concurrent Resolution Designating Veterans Memorial Highway

A resolution that would rededicate I- 15 as Veterans Memorial Highway was approved by the House on Friday. The resolution is intended by its sponsor, Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo to promote greater appreciation for the contributions of the nation's veterans.

The resolution is headed to the Senate after passing 71-0.