1. LEGISLATIVE
SCORECARD
Five Outcomes that Strengthen Utah’s Economy
1. Invested in our children and future workforce
A strong economy requires well-educated,
skilled workers. As a supporter of the Prosperity
2020 movement, the Chamber took steps
to improve student assessments and better
prepare students for college while allocating
money to improve math instruction, fund
enrollment growth and support educational
excellence at colleges and universities.
2. Reduced the cost of doing business
Lowering the unemployment insurance rate
and rejecting costly state health care mandates
leaves more money for Utah businesses to
hire and expand.
3. Upheld the Utah Solution for immigration
The Chamber was steadfast in its support of the
Utah Solution, resolving to support the Utah
Commission on Immigration and Migration as
it makes recommendations to improve public
safety and protect the Utah economy.
4. Sustained investment
Mobility is key to our economy and the Chamber
continued its commitment to transportation
investment. Additionally, securing funding for
World Trade Center Utah will help the state’s
record-setting export growth continue.
5. Bolstered Utah’s life science and
high tech economies
The Chamber called for the Legislature to
restore previously-cut USTAR funding to
strengthen this proven economic winner. USTAR
accounts for $66 million in external research
funding to the state. Life science and high tech
tax credits foster an industry that employs
25,000 Utahns and contributes $15 billion in
revenue to the state.
2012
“We stand ready to
work with Utah’s
elected officials in
the coming year to
further strengthen
Utah’s economy.”
— Lane Beattie, President
and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber
3.7.83.12(CC) Scorecard.indd 1 4/11/12 1:26 PM

2. BILL DESCRIPTION BUSINESS IMPACT
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HB 15 Statewide
Adaptive Testing
- Hughes
Requires school districts and charter schools to administer computer adaptive tests
aligned with the common core.
Improves accountability in our education system for students,
teachers and administrators. Foundational element of
Prosperity 2020’s 10-year education agenda.
HB 28 Economic
Development Task
Force - Wilson
Creates economic development task force and directs the task force to consider the
impact of air quality on Utah’s economy. Provides an appointment to the task force to
be made by the Salt Lake Chamber.
Provides broad business input on critical economic issues.
An opportunity for business to increase legislative awareness
of key business issues.
HB 46 Electronic
Personal Medical
Records - Menlove
Creates opt-out for data in the Clinical Health Information Exchange for recipients of
Medicaid and CHIP and for state employees and their dependents.
Builds the state’s Clinical Health Information Exchange (CHIE)
database which increases access to clinical health data
facilitating health care advancements and reduces costs.
HB 76 Pharmacy Audit
Rights - Vickers
Establishes certain pharmacy audit procedures. Protects Utah’s pharmacies from burdensome regulatory
procedures.
HB 98 Continuous
Eligibility for Medicaid
- Sanpei
Allows state Medicaid program to provide continuous medicaid eligibility for an indi-
vidual up to 12 months and to implement payment and delivery reform.
Allows health care providers to better manage Medicaid
population to control costs. Eliminates cost shifting from
government to business.
HB 173 Transportation
Funding Modifications
- Dee
Modifies the state bonding authorization and provides funding flexibility to UDOT. Honors Utah’s commitment to transportation infrastructure
by creating flexibility needed for ongoing investment in
critical transportation projects.
HB 365 Revisions to
Tax - Dougall
Enacts a sales and use tax exemption for certain construction materials used in a
life science research and development facility. It also enacts a sales and use tax
exemption for certain machinery and equipment used for research purposes.
Incentivizes research and development, strengthening
Utah’s life science and high tech industries.
SB 12 Energy
Amendments - Madsen
Authorizes an electric corporation to enter into a contract to supply electric service
from a renewable energy facility, under certain circumstances.
Expands Utah’s energy portfolio
SB 23 Life Science and
Technology Tax Credit
Amendments - Bramble
Provides refundable tax credit for businesses generating tax revenue and investing at
least $1 billion in capital expenditures in the state. Establishes tax credit for certain
life science businesses.
Strengthens life science and technology investments in Utah.
SB 27 Amendments to
Revenue and Taxation
Title - Stephenson
Amends the circumstances under which a person who pays a tax, fee, or charge is able
to receive a credit or refund.
Increases transparency and fairness in taxation.
SB 64 Public Education
Employment Reform -
Osmond
Directs School Board to create more robust evaluation for employees; improves
termination procedures for employees with unsatisfactory performance; requires
salaries of certain administrators be contingent on evaluations.
Improves accountability in our education system.
SB 97 Grants for Online
Testing - Osmond
Funds implementation of computer adaptive testing systems. Improves accountability in our education system for students,
teachers and administrators. Foundational element of
Prosperity 2020’s 10-year education agenda.
SB 129 Unemployment
Insurance Modification -
Bramble
Reduces the maximum unemployment insurance contribution rate for an employer
and caps the social unemployment insurance contribution rate of all employers for the
calendar year 2012 only.
Reduces tax burden on business.
SB 138 Health Insurance
Mandate Accountability -
Weiler
Requires state to evaluate cost of enacted insurance mandates and appropriate
the cost of implementing such mandates to participating employers in the state
employees’ risk pools, public school districts, charter schools and state funded
institutions of higher education.
Creates additional accountability for what are essentially
unfunded mandates on business.
B
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HB 134 Patient Access
Reform - M. Brown
Would have inhibited health care providers’ ability to freely contract with health care
facilities that meet quality and cost standards.
The Chamber issued a Priority Vote to oppose this bill.
Government intrusion in private contracts compromises
health care providers’ ability to manage quality and cost of
care delivered.
HB 199 Elimination of Day-
light Saving Time - Nielson
Would have exempted the state from the observance of daylight saving time. This bill would have negatively impacted retail businesses.
HB 211 Insurance Coverage
for Amino-Acid Base
Formula - Moss
Would have amended the Insurance Code to mandate coverage for the use of an amino
acid-based elemental formula.
The Chamber issued a Priority Vote to oppose this bill. HB 211
would have increased health care costs for businesses.
HB 242 Insurance Billing for
Athletic Trainers - Ray
Would have amended the Athletic Trainer Licensing Act to include athletic trainers as
health care providers for purposes of health insurance.
The Chamber issued a Priority Vote to oppose this bill. HB 242
would have increased health care costs for businesses.
HB 300 Illegal Alien-Related
Amendments - Herrod
This bill would have eliminated the Utah Solution that was implemented in 2011.
Would have converted the Utah Immigration Accountability and Enforcement Act
(Utah’s guest worker law) to the Utah Illegal Alien Family Transition Pilot Program.
Protected the Utah Solution to immigration and preserved the
state’s reputation as a business friendly and pragmatic state.
HB 303 Insurance Coverage
for Children with Hearing
Impairments - Edwards
Would have amended the Insurance Code to require a health benefit plan to cover
hearing aids for children with hearing impairments.
The Chamber issued a Priority Vote to oppose this bill. HB 303
would have increased health care costs for businesses.
SB 157 Utah Immigration
Accountability and
Enforcement - Urquhart
Would have repealed Utah’s guest worker law. By opposing this bill, the Chamber protected the Utah
Solution to immigration and preserved the state’s reputation
as a business friendly and pragmatic state.
SJR 022 Joint Resolution
on State Spending - Reid
Would have established constitutional limitations on legislative spending. The Chamber opposed this bill that would have jeopardized
Utah’s stellar credit rating and created impediments for
prudent management of our state.
A Bill-by-Bill Tally of the 2012 Legislative Season and the Impact on Utah Business.
3.7.83.12(CC) Scorecard.indd 2 4/11/12 1:26 PM