[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6231993,"mediaKeyId","3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664","parentId",3427004,"title","Government Operations committee adopts interim study list, adds voter ID, registration, signature‑gathering and tech topics","audioSeconds",1186,"startMs",2854000,"endMs",4040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664&start=2854&end=4040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664/thumbnail_2854000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6231993/Utah/Government-Operations-committee-adopts-interim-study-list-adds-voter-ID-registration-signaturegathering-and-tech-topics","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231993-e9610d56c86ce7b511faa1c85a1d596c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444381&Signature=V2GF8tgpn7D6mrALhLriCg~~RnFU5j9JYSmGO2Yvnx5VXviIkXGukZ8mZMWBCFpY~x6fy-gCb81U99atfTozfKDsTEnuWaj-gxwkr4CGkuze0yqhZnedu2PXcMV4h0ihfZPYn2AZxRxpObIOMGisTYgeJM8ARGei84R~Da8LEdBQ4wBO1TWB5MEEXhO3ZXov-s-bST5i8oCP1PSChaKo6tBAfd0eAM2P2IdPSMfH7VzKONZEF3T1Jcz3nNbQ5ipuLxPXgmJlWMSLJESqpvvW0oFcBe73YEiIiFoVg9xHQVPtv7I8Tt0eKRnq2vu~dzG576l2NIbEgbVkKQ0hxVhAUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah Legislature","date","2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Utah Government Operations Interim Committee adopted its 2025 interim study list, prioritizing detailed reviews of voter identification, voter registration maintenance, signature‑gathering verification, election administration and a set of government‑operations topics including state facilities and digital identity.

Megan Bolin, senior policy analyst with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, presented the list and explained the committee will use the items to structure interim meetings and staff research. She said the voter‑ID and registration items will include legal history, recent court challenges, cross‑state comparisons and relevant data.

The voter‑ID item will examine which forms of identification are valid and when they must be presented. The voter‑registration study will look at list maintenance, the handling of private voter records, and the availability of voter‑registration information. The signature‑gathering study will review candidate petition and ballot‑initiative verification processes, including recent audits.

The committee also listed non‑elections subjects under its purview: the Department of Government Operations’ Division of Facilities and Construction Management will be reviewed for overhead and contracting practices; the division of technology services will present its statutorily required study on state‑endorsed digital identity; and the committee will receive updates on artificial intelligence and its statewide use.

Members asked for specific additions: Representative Paul Cutler asked the staff to include study of ‘‘private’’ voter‑record classifications that complicate party lists; Representative Lisa Shepherd requested examining decentralizing signature verification and the posting of verified petition names. Chairs agreed to fold those suggestions into the study plan.

The committee then voted to adopt the interim study list as presented. Members also approved a procedural motion permitting the chairs to open committee bill files during the interim without a full committee vote for each file; the committee later clarified that chairs would present new bill files to the committee and that open‑file authority is intended to speed drafting and coordination.

The adopted study agenda provides staff direction for hearings, documents and vendor or county briefings over the summer, and establishes the topics that will generate the committee’s bill development during the interim.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Government Operations Interim Committee - May 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Utah Government Operations Interim Committee adopted its 2025 interim study list, prioritizing detailed reviews of voter identification, voter registration maintenance, signature‑gathering verification, election administration and several government‑operations topics.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6231988,"Committee hears national and federal election law developments including NVRA cases, SAVE Act and presidential executive order",2854,1106000,3960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664&start=1106&end=3960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664/thumbnail_1106000.jpg","/articles/6231988/Utah/Committee-hears-national-and-federal-election-law-developments-including-NVRA-cases-SAVE-Act-and-presidential-executive-order","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231988-af15e1276b769b2d2d399213652de35f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444381&Signature=l~g2tM8R4vwZbBRFRl-87Z6kFWhWZoEdS75rNGnzzpU~IHD9MXx6ZHEOOH1C3Ky7RE8x9fMbsHeEGEjkc~oivbTqExlFqts1io0HBm6r-PuiP~GSwb7wmJSvX7gxVoeoGmGfBqkA6A87XWcYwtUnEreiTKQfqAir8RuT1xSExE64xGjQHW9Qp6JR0WgE-AdHbwIXLdJhToV2ZSiq6oppPdzyz0HvOXDuIaluxVptRf5gLLmLWAnj~HzAARzFTg2JjRvFogY9gueD57xW6rYXhtS-2GdUt-8zhtXCmkAWfJta5DqVBpWWfTyoD3rT2k5objnB8Gu1wc5zKyNX38-cCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Staff with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel briefed the Government Operations Interim Committee on recent national and federal developments in election law and policy, including a U.S. Supreme Court precedent on the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a 2025 Ninth Circuit decision challenging Arizona restrictions, the House‑passed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, and a March 25, 2025, presidential executive order.

Megan Bolin summarized national legislative activity and said voter registration, absentee and mail voting, election‑security statutes and voter identification have been among the most active topics in state legislatures this year. She noted 3,080 election‑related bills had been introduced nationally and that 210 had been enacted in 33 states, per NCSL data presented to the committee.

Michael Cipriano of the legislative counsel’s office reviewed relevant case law and the NVRA background. Cipriano explained the NVRA requires states to accept and use the uniform federal voter registration form, which asks applicants to attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens without requiring documentary proof. He summarized the legal history involving Arizona and noted a recent Ninth Circuit decision in Mia Familia Vota v. Fontes (Feb. 2025) that preliminarily held Arizona could not require federal‑form applicants to provide documentary proof of citizenship to vote by mail; litigation is ongoing.

Thomas Vaughn reviewed federal actions. He said the SAVE Act, which passed the U.S. House on April 10, 2025 by a 220‑208 vote, would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for any application to register to vote in a federal election; it also would require states to implement verification programs and would add enforcement provisions. Vaughn also summarized a March 25, 2025, presidential executive order directing the Election Assistance Commission to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal form and to support state verification efforts; the order has prompted litigation and implementation questions because of separation‑of‑powers and statutory‑authority issues.

Committee members asked whether Utah’s legislation already aligns with those federal initiatives. Staff noted Utah enacted HB 300 this session, which requires mail ballots to be received by election day and includes other changes; some committee members signaled support for preserving state prerogatives while considering federal direction. Staff flagged a separate Utah Court of Appeals decision on public record access to ballot images and cast‑vote records, holding that Title 28 governs the records and that those election returns are sealed and destroyed after 22 months under state election law.

Presenters emphasized the evolving national landscape and that the committee’s interim work items on voter identification, voter registration and signature verification would allow the committee to consider litigation risks, statutory alignment and practical implementation issues before the next legislative session.

No formal committee action was taken on federal proposals; the presentations were informational and fed into the committee’s adopted interim study list.","Staff with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel briefed the Government Operations Interim Committee on recent national and federal developments in election law, including federal court rulings, pending federal legislation and an executive order concerning documentary proof of citizenship.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6231997,"Audit: state payment contract competitive; committee opens bill file to help schools and local agencies evaluate joining",1548,5220000,6768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664&start=5220&end=6768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664/thumbnail_5220000.jpg","/articles/6231997/Utah/Audit-state-payment-contract-competitive-committee-opens-bill-file-to-help-schools-and-local-agencies-evaluate-joining","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231997-0e88a7e474df3561f5510ec3995d78af/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444381&Signature=byNAeD7sqXDk5zFyTLbGA7HpB2TEH9-2zEPk-fh-LDav0NRSE~U4d8-WB8f75wQ-~9iBWxLLE-krj7qIHDwonC4YznhTI5QvPyCkGFWtTiiEmjqOA0T41GgHgT2G0irxAX03V9irqncZvH2Yx3oIZpJTsugaHCb8J38ihuNQLByoiNLrjcNRVPP5aX24f~oJa1rCkcO0qE8tEGFUHRdPQj7JXGOG~UZmPcbvYG4SoZd9IYwV7S7DzM83~pdCbs4yjMu7UhpDPsWia1WUie5hDDdCExx6t-KZXDACJUT4ZgnhAAYYXWyQlp9Jo80CsrPw7fGIyK6UThq9B7p1XyuCgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A legislative audit presented to Utah’s Government Operations Interim Committee concluded the state’s cooperative credit‑card processing contract likely offers among the lower effective rates available to public agencies, but many local education agencies and higher‑education campuses are not using it.

Brian Dean, legislative deputy auditor general, said the state received four bids and that the cooperative contract awarded to Chase Paymentech scored highest, including on cost. The auditors calculated “effective rates” for standard transaction examples and found the state contract compared favorably to alternatives they reviewed.

The report noted two-tier pricing in the state contract: if transaction volume reaches a higher threshold the processing rate drops (an example cited was a drop from 3¢ to 2.5¢ per transaction), and the auditor estimated executive‑branch agencies alone could save roughly $77,000 a year if tier‑two thresholds are met.

But auditors also found low awareness and adoption. Only about 40% of school districts and Utah System of Higher Education institutions the auditors contacted were aware of the contract. Reasons not to opt in included software compatibility, contract terms that disallow passing fees to cardholders, and preexisting vendor relationships required by other institutional systems.

Executive Director Marvin Dodge of the Department of Government Operations told the committee his office will incorporate the audit findings into purchasing outreach and that IT work is underway to provide more robust reporting from the vendor. Nate Talley, deputy commissioner for the Utah System of Higher Education, said USHE will pursue a cost‑benefit analysis over the interim.

The audit recommended the Legislature consider allowing school districts and institutions of higher education the same statutory ability to pass through card fees that municipalities and counties have, and recommended promoting the existing state cooperative contract. Representative Jeff Burton moved that the committee open a bill file to address the audit findings and possible statutory adjustments; the motion passed unanimously.

Committee staff were directed to work with the Department of Government Operations, Utah State Board of Education and the Utah System of Higher Education to analyze barriers to adoption, refine reporting on current usage and draft options for statutory change.","A legislative audit found the state’s cooperative credit‑card processing contract is generally competitive and could save money if more entities opt in; the Government Operations Interim Committee voted to open a bill file to consider statutory changes and promote participation by school districts and higher‑education institutions.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232002,"Audit: Utah election systems largely disconnected from internet but needs tighter controls; committee opens bill file",1125,3855000,4980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664&start=3855&end=4980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3427004-49f2c0eb92f5974faaf706e956c97664/thumbnail_3855000.jpg","/articles/6232002/Utah/Audit-Utah-election-systems-largely-disconnected-from-internet-but-needs-tighter-controls-committee-opens-bill-file","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232002-8334cb8f440c7119715d9babe1f13b4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444381&Signature=LGKI7Gp84DmYK3zCZXNLP5FlvS6lpgWfW2p7b1RqcTgjPgbRmA18Jc1YV4DxfySvd1YAvYlTNaufQll9J3fxiPKXCzMnC-K8wXCL34R5KV8vpxAQ3bavWCm4IIzTIPdTPZkaRap-~d1NADQda~Mn66CcG9xFn65HGBB6FQxmgaD3qYXSb9iEgMTiMiUEp2WC6SD2oYoKg9FeKR05nX9T~EIiMVO5CbqzwJ1NoG-bIpWZuvwSxx7t0E1VUzKduv0TqLJYo~RJgz40K8GB~9qm9p58Fpit87Bl7oXl7MNCxe44ntjW17La-wAAHR4xY47B4FYxPu84mJNuU~k0Wl88aw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A legislative audit released to the Government Operations Interim Committee found Utah’s voting systems are not connected to the internet but said state law and practice could be strengthened to reduce remaining cyber risk.

Jake Dinsdale, senior supervisor with the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, told the committee, “there’s a lot more going right with elections in Utah than wrong.” He said auditors confirmed voting machines they examined were appropriately disconnected but identified areas for improvement.

The nuts and bolts of the report recommended removing wireless capability where it remains possible, tightening user account privileges, improving password management and correcting physical storage or access issues in a small number of counties. “We are making a recommendation that statute go beyond where it currently is, prohibiting connections,” Dinsdale said, noting similar steps taken in other states.

The audit team said it physically inspected equipment, scanned local networks for wireless signals, reviewed hardware internals with vendor cooperation, and attended hash validations that compare installed software to known-good fingerprints. The report delegated that, while current protections are strong — multi‑factor authentication, public audits, hash checks and software certification — some user accounts had configuration access not necessary for election workers.

Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch, speaking for county clerks, urged the committee to view the audit as constructive. He said clerks “remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the integrity of our elections” and noted counties had already implemented many recommendations, including recent cybersecurity training and steps to replace older equipment with wireless capability disabled.

Committee members raised implementation concerns tied to cost and procurement. Representative Paul Cutler cautioned that removing embedded wireless capability could increase equipment costs where radio hardware is integrated on modern chipsets. Several members urged collaboration with counties before drafting statutory changes.

After discussion, Representative Lisa Shepherd moved that the committee open a bill file to address the audit’s recommendations; the motion passed unanimously. Staff were directed to draft language and coordinate with county clerks and the Lieutenant Governor’s office on specifics before bringing a bill draft back to the committee.

The committee’s action creates a formal path to consider proposals including statutory language to prohibit wireless capability on voting equipment, standardized user‑access rules, and minimum physical security practices for county election offices.","A legislative audit found Utah’s voting equipment is not connected to the internet but recommended tightening hardware capabilities, user access, password handling and some county physical security; the Government Operations Interim Committee voted unanimously to open a bill file addressing the audit recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Government Operations committee adopts interim study list, adds voter ID, registration, signature‑gathering and tech topics

Committee hears national and federal election law developments including NVRA cases, SAVE Act and presidential executive order

Audit: state payment contract competitive; committee opens bill file to help schools and local agencies evaluate joining

Audit: Utah election systems largely disconnected from internet but needs tighter controls; committee opens bill file