UTAH STATE 2015
LEGISLATIVE
SESSION
An Overview of Legislation Passed In the 2015 Utah
Session Impacting the Law Enforcement Officers
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
While the last year has spurred tremendous debate and
controversy over the use of force and negative publicity of
the law enforcement profession in general by the media
and press, the 2015 Utah State Legislative Session was one
of the most favorable in recent memory for those in blue.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
Over 85 laws were presented which in some way altered
the way in which officers policed.
Most, like House Bill (HB) 79, alter existing law slightly by
changing the requirement to wear seat belts from a
secondary offense to a primary offense.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
But several, like HB 176, created new rights allowing a
parent, who is not subject of the investigation, to be
present during an interview of their minor child.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
This presentation focuses on those bills which passed the
session and specifically impact officers and their families.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 85, Peace Officer Training Amendments, sponsored by
Representative Marc Roberts allows the Utah Legislature to
appropriate up to $500,000 each year from the Uninsured
Motorist Identification Restricted Account for law
enforcement training through 2020.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
FOP was responsible for securing the sponsor for this
important legislation which allows POST to be properly
funded to continue to provide the necessary training to
assist and prepare Utah’s law enforcement officers for the
challenged presented by the profession.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 288, Line-Of-Duty Death Benefits, sponsored by
Representative Paul Ray, required all employers of public
safety officers to provide continuing health coverage for a
surviving spouse and dependent children (up to age 26) in
the event of a line of duty death of an officer.
The legislation requires employers to assist officers in
applying for other death benefits from other agencies.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 288, also revised the lump sum settlement from the Utah
Retirement System from $1000 flat award to a sum equal to
the fallen officer’s six month salary.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 361, Investigation Protocol for Peace Officers Use of
Force, by Representative Marc Roberts, created statewide
protocols of how critical shooting incident would be
investigated.
It is now required that department not investigate
themselves in these types of incidents to eliminate potential
conflict of interests.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
SB 65,In-State Tuition for Families of Public Safety Officers, by
Senator Curt Bramble, the legislation waives in-state tuition
for children of a fallen officer who attends a state-run
institution of higher education.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 325, Utah Law Enforcement Memorial License Plate, by
Representative Lee Perry, a Utah Legislators and a working
highway patrol trooper, creates a special license plate to fund
the operation of the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial for
fallen officers.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
SB 115, Assault Offenses Amendments, by Senator Dan
Thatcher, makes it easier to charge a criminal with an assault
on a police officer by changing existing code from “an
attempt to do violence” by a bad guy to “a substantial risk”
which may or may not include an attempt.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
Legislation which didn’t pass, but was considered and may be
moved upon in future sessions include, HB 77, Post
Retirement Employment, by Representative Rich
Cunningham, which proposes to allow retiring public
employees to be able to reemploy in other agencies of state
or local government without forgoing their retirement
benefits earned in their first public employee profession.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
HB 386, Body Cameras for Law Enforcement Officers, by
Representative Dan McCay, which would have required all
street officers to wear body cameras.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2015 UTAH LEGISALTIVE
SESSION OF LAWS IMPACTING OFFICERS
PREPARED BY THE UTAH FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
© All rights reserved
For a more detailed and complete report on all legislation
which passed the 2015 Utah Legislative Session please go to
http://le.utah.gov/ or visit the Legislation tab at
http://www.utahfop.com/ for more details on legislation
specific to the profession of law enforcement.