February 19, 2021 - Newsletter Week 5 (of 7)

rom the desk of Representative Cheryl Acton:

This session is flying by! Five weeks down and it’s really picking up speed. Maybe that’s because my bills are on the move, so I’m actively revising them and presenting them in committees and on the floor, often running from building to building. I’m gearing up for the final two-week sprint of the session. 

Thank you for all your emails, texts, and participation in town hall meetings.  I appreciate the input and feedback.  It’s an honor to serve HD 43.

Update on Two of My Bills This Session

HB219 Inmate Phone Provider Amendments – We now know that the antidote to addiction is connection, but when people go to prison (often for drug offenses) connection is difficult because of predatory phone rates. This bill facilitates family relationships by capping the cost of inmate phone calls, which are ultimately paid by inmate families, not the inmates themselves. The bill passed unanimously out of the Health & Human Services Committee, then passed 68-1 on the House floor. Now it will be assigned to a Senate committee, after which Sen. Derek Kitchen will floor sponsor it in that chamber. 

            This bill has been a great learning experience for me. The Utah Sheriffs Association initially opposed it, but we found common ground and created a bill they could support. It’s very satisfying knowing that inmate families will be helped!

HB77 Aviation Liability Insurance – After the tragic accident in July, when a West Jordan woman was killed when a plane crashed in her back yard, I learned that airplanes in Utah (and 38 other states) do not have to carry public liability insurance. That’s right – you can’t drive a car without insurance, but you can fly a private airplane. Most private aircraft are insured, but 10-20% are not. There have been many incidents nationally and some locally involving uninsured aircraft, and sometimes the victims of these accidents are never compensated at all. This bill requires all aircraft registered in Utah to carry a minimal amount of public liability insurance, which costs even less for an aircraft than for a vehicle. This bill passed the Business & Labor Committee 10-3 and should be heard on the floor Monday.  

A Few Other Bills We Passed This Week

H.B. 82 Single-family Housing Modifications – will make it permissible for more residences to have ADUs (accessory dwelling units, aka mother-in-law apartments) with certain requirements, which will immediately improve Utah’s affordable housing crisis. 

H.B. 93 Youth Suicide Prevention Programs Amendments – Rep. Brian King passed this bill out of Health & Human Services Committee, where I was the only dissenting vote. I created a substitute to address my concerns (because I liked the underlying concept of the bill), and to his credit, the minority leader incorporated those ideas. Now I am very excited about the bill! 
H.B. 248 Mental Health Support Program for First Responders – This bill allows grants to first responder organization to provide more mental health care. I learned during the presentation of this bill that more first responders die from suicide than in the line of duty. First responders have high-stress jobs and often witness the worst side of humanity, which sometimes takes a toll. 
H.B. 277 Child Care Eligibility Amendments – This bill will use Cares Act funds to expand childcare subsidies to some families who are not currently eligible, putting a little more money in family budgets at no cost to the state. 
S.B. 97 Charitable Prescription Drug Recycling Program Amendments – Allows medically indigent people (under specific conditions) to receive sealed, unused pharmaceuticals from people who donated them for their use.  

Visits by Congressman John Curtis and Senator Mike Lee

Each session, we look forward to visits from our congressional delegation. This week, Congressman John Curtis joined the House Majority Caucus and spoke of his role in Washington D.C. and how we can work in unison to better the lives of Utahns. 

We also enjoyed a visit from Senator Mike Lee, my ideological idol, who spoke to us about his policy priorities and the work he’s doing for Utah. 

Vaccine Update

Utahns 70 years and older are successfully vaccinating against COVID-19. With these efforts underway and an increase in doses, those 65 and older will now be eligible for vaccines. To sign up for the vaccine, go to this link: https://slco.org/health/COVID-19/vaccine/seniors/