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SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert signed 92 bills into law Wednesday, including one that will allow the Utah Inland Port Authority to expand its reach outside of its current 16,000-acre jurisdiction.
HB433 will allow the port to expand out of Salt Lake County into rural areas of the state, which bill sponsor House Majority Leader Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, said would make it possible for exports such as hay or coal to clear international customs without being hauled all the way to Utah's capital.
The Utah Inland Port — a global trade hub made up of an import-export network of shipping yards, rail, truck and air connections — is expected to be the largest economic development project in Utah's history. It has faced opposition since its inception, now including a lawsuit from Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski.
Herbert also passed several bills designed to help victims of domestic violence.
HB243 allows victims of domestic and sexual violence who have an approved protective order to temporarily carry a concealed weapon without a permit. HB214 would make state reparations money available to victims of bigamy. The felony offense in Utah is defined as a married person living with someone else they consider a second spouse. HB53 seeks to boost confidentiality for victims in court cases by ensuring their conversations with victim advocates will be kept private, with some exceptions.
A gun safety measure, HB152, clarifies Utah's law that allows spouses, blood relatives and other people who live with a gun owner to voluntarily surrender a firearm to law enforcement if the cohabitant believes the owner is at risk of harming themselves or others.
Another bill provides privacy protection for digital storage users.
HB57 extends Fourth Amendment protections to personal information and/or documents stored in remote computer servers, commonly referred to as "the cloud." It requires law enforcers to obtain a search warrant to gather certain electronic data.
Some bills signed Wednesday were on the lighthearted side.
HB144 designates the gila monster as the state reptile. HCR15 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the golden spike ceremony and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, which takes place this May.
