Melva Gifford

I hope you and your loved ones have been enjoying the beautiful, spring weather. As we approach the end of May, we have the opportunity to celebrate Memorial Day. I feel deep gratitude for the valiant members of our military who offered their lives to protect our country. The members of our military fight for each of us to have access to the rights and opportunities we enjoy in the United States. I am also grateful to the families of military members who make sacrifices at home while their loved ones fulfill their duties. To any of you who have served or will serve, thank you.

The Legislature met this month for our first interim meetings since the conclusion of the 2023 General Session. We discussed many important issues, several of which are outlined below. I look forward to hearing from you about your thoughts regarding our work on Capitol Hill. Please continue to be involved and informed about the political process.

What is Interim?

Throughout the rest of the year, interim committees then study the identified key issues facing the state. We listen to expert and public testimony to determine whether or not to recommend legislation, and we vote to prioritize particular bills for the upcoming general session and occasionally for future special sessions.

Unlike during the general session, when the Senate and House each have standing committees comprised of only their own members, interim committees are made up of both senators and representatives. Interim meetings are held throughout the year, generally on the third Wednesday of the month, are open to the public, and can be streamed live or listened to at a later date.

Utahns can join live interim meetings virtually or in person. To do so, you will need to go to le.utah.gov and select the page of the committee you are interested in joining. There, you will see a location, date and time listed for any upcoming meetings. Watch a tutorial on how to join virtually here.

See the list of proposed 2023 interim study items here. A list of committees can be found here.

Special Session Update

H.J.R 101 Joint Resolution Extending Emergency Powers for Flood Mitigation & Infrastructure Rehabilitation

Because of the state’s record-breaking snowpack year, Gov. Cox declared a state of emergency due to the increased risk of flooding. A state of emergency expires 30 days after being issued by the governor unless the Legislature chooses to extend it. Certain funds can only be accessed during a state of emergency, and emergency managers have depleted the money appropriated by the Legislature during the 2023 General Session for flood mitigation efforts. As such, the Legislature passed H.J.R 101 which extends the state of emergency and allows the state access to additional emergency response funding for flood mitigation and infrastructure rehabilitation. The state of emergency will now expire on August 15, 2023.

H.B. 1001 Emergency Response Funding  

The state needed to provide additional funds to ensure state agencies have the necessary resources to address ongoing flooding. H.B. 1001 is complementary to H.R.J 101 and reallocated and appropriated $40 million from existing budgets to address flooding avalanche control, slide mitigation, other emergency flood impacts and snow removal cost overruns.

H.B. 1002 Restricted Persons Amendments  

During the 2023 General Session, the Legislature passed H.B. 225, which inadvertently changed the definition of a Category II restricted person to include an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States with a nonimmigrant visa. This definition change made the firearm restrictions for an individual with a nonimmigrant visa more stringent than federal firearm laws. H.B. 1002 reverses the changes enacted by H.B. 225 by removing an individual with a nonimmigrant visa from the definition of a Category II restricted person. An individual who is not a citizen can now possess a firearm under state law if, in accordance with federal law, the individual possesses a valid hunting license or permit or was admitted to the United States for lawful hunting or sporting purposes.

H.B. 1003 Firefighter Death Benefit Amendments  

In 2018, the Legislature increased retirement benefits for the surviving spouse of active public safety member under multiple retirement programs. Recently, the Legislature was recently notified that the benefits of one retirement system (Tier 1 Firefighters’ Retirement System – Division B) were not increased in 2018. H.B. 1003 increases the death benefits available to the surviving spouse of a firefighter enrolled in Tier 1 Firefighters’ Retirement System – Division B, aligning this retirement system with the increase established in 2018.

Utah Ranked No. 1 Best State Overall

​​Utah’s emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and education, as well as its creation of diverse industries, has resulted in a robust economy with increased opportunities for Utahns. Utah truly is the best state in the nation. As your state senator, I will continue to work to strengthen our state and ensure Utah’s future is brighter tomorrow than it is today.

Great Salt Lake Commissioner Announcement

Utah’s Guiding Our Growth Survey

Our state launched the “Guiding Our Growth” informational campaign and survey to allow Utahns to share their opinions about how to guide our state’s growth. We want to hear from you! What do you think Utah’s biggest challenges are in terms of growth? I invite you to participate in this statewide conversation about Utah’s future and our effort to safeguard our quality of life. Survey results will direct conversations to ensure the best outcomes possible for future generations. Take the survey here.

Unique to Utah – This Month 154 Years Ago

Best Practice Handbook

The handbook is intended to help organizations better serve the citizens of Utah. When used proactively by government organizations, it can increase effectiveness, efficiency and mitigate risk. You can read the full handbook here.

Water Conservation Reminder

The Utah Division of Water Resources has created a new online form where communities in our state can share ways in which they have been wise with water use. Utah residents are encouraged to report water-saving actions to the website, including waterwise landscaping, creative water reuse or major upgrades in commercial water systems. Each of these water conservation efforts and others not listed, are referred to as “water wins.” It takes all of us doing our part to conserve water to ensure we have abundant water storage. You can report your water wins here. Thank you for your individual efforts so far!