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Over the last seven weeks, Representative Brooks and his colleagues have passed meaningful legislation that will greatly benefit every member of our district. Representative Brooks is deeply honored for the privilege he has to represent each of you. Though this year’s legislative session has come to an end, Representative Brooks will continue to serve you all year long.
At the start of this legislative session, we set out to pass significant legislation that would safeguard our natural resources, keep Utah affordable for individuals and families, and invest in our future. Representative Brooks is proud to say we accomplished all three of these goals. We passed over 500 bills, each of which will make a meaningful difference in the life of all Utahns. You can learn more about what has been done here.
Crafting the state budget each year is one of the most important constitutional responsibilities given to the Legislature. The finalized state budget for fiscal year 2023-24 appropriates a total of $29 billion towards essential state needs including investments in education, social services, water, and transportation. A few highlights include:
- Historic teacher pay raise – $6,000 per teacher
- Largest tax cut in state history – a total of $850 million
- $500 million invested in water resources
- Over $2 billion invested in transportation
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and creating family-friendly policies is a top priority for the Legislature. This session, we passed over 500 bills, many of which directly benefit families just like yours! Click here to watch a short video.
Over the Summer all the ESG bills were organized into four areas Procurement, Anticompetitive, Investment, and Social Score.
Senate Bill 96 ensures that proxies investing are solely making investments that will yield the highest risk adjusted return. Prohibits government trustees or treasures from imposing environmental, social, and, governmental policy when investing as a proxy.
Vote: Yes
This bill protects Utahns right to maintain choice when entrusting their investments to be managed by a proxy. This bill ensures that the person or entity that is managing you investments is only doing their fiduciary duty in a way that brings back the highest return on investment with no environmental, social, or governmental interference. House: Senate:
Committee: 12-1-2 4-2-2
Floor: 59-10-6 21-6-2
Status: Waiting to be signed by the governor.
Senate Bill 97 Prohibits penalization against a business that does not engage in boycott actions if they are in an existing contract.
Vote: Yes
This bill ensures that businesses that are currently in contact with certain entities will not be forced to break their contracts and in turn face repercussions.
House: Senate:
Committee: 11-2-2 4-1-3
Floor: 55-15-5 20-6-3
Status: Waiting to be heard on the House Floor.
House Bill 449 Prohibits companies from implementing environmental, social or government requirements that other businesses must meet in order to obtain a product or service.
Vote: Yes
Recently we've seen other states around the country encounter business practices that limit consumers' choices and options. Practices of ESG are coercive and inherently limiting in our economy. Representative Brooks supports this bill because it not only protects the choices of consumers but eliminates the possibility of other companies governing your individual and/or business practices. House: Senate:
Committee: 9-1-5 3-2-3
Floor: 57-14-4 22-6-1
Status: Waiting to be heard in the Senate.
House Bill 281 - Social Credit Score Amendments prohibits governmental entities in Utah from using, enforcing, or providing data for a system that discriminates or gives preferential treatment to an individual.
Vote: Yes
Over the last several years, Americans and Utahans have seen efforts to use non-financial criteria to skew financial markets and opportunity. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards imposed on businesses and financial institutions distort the free market and place real costs on the people of Utah. As a Legislature, Representative Brooks and his colleagues are taking proactive measures against investment schemes based on assessments of businesses’ and individuals’ political beliefs. House: Senate:
Committee: 10-0-5 3-2-3
Floor: 57-13-5 18-5-6
Status: Waiting to signed by the Governor.
Senate Bill 31 - This week a new flag design was voted on and passed in the House and the Senate.
Vote: No
Representative Brooks is disappointed that the bill passed. Our current flag is a great flag and we should be teaching all the symbolic parts in schools so they all could draw it from memory. The current flag represents has rich and important symbolism and depicts many great symbols important to our states values and history.
House: Senate:
Committee: 7-2-0 6-1-1
Floor: 40-35-0 18-10-1
Status: Waiting to be signed by the Governor.
 House Joint Resolution 17 - This bill amends the Utah Constitution to require a higher amount of voters than a majority to raise a statewide tax or impose a new one than a majority.
Vote: Yes
When initiatives go out that raise the amount of taxes Utahns will pay, the will of the people this tax bill affects is imitated by initiatives. This bill ensures that a higher percentage of people need to approve it better representing parts of utah that have smaller populations and different initiatives. It needs to be a larger margin to better include the beliefs of Southern Utah.
House: Senate:
Committee: 10-0-5 3-2-3
Floor: 57-13-5 18-5-6
Status: Waiting to signed by the Governor.
 Senate Bills 156- Establishes requirements that a law enforcement agency is required to meet in order to request an investigative genetic genealogy service or a genetic genealogy.
Vote: No
DNA is a great tool to bring justice to bad actors but also has proven to protect the innocent. Rep Brooks did not support this bill. As of now it is easy get the warrant to access that kind of information. We cannot forget due process when obtaining information. The process we have now works well and still takes our freedoms in to account.
House: Senate:
Committee: 8-0-5 3-1-2
Floor: 46-24-5 24-2-3
Status: Waiting to signed by the Governor.
 Senate Bills 529 This bill allows certain government agencies to obtain records related to a customer's shopping history from food establishments in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.
Vote: No
If we have a food-borne illness outbreak it is important to quickly notify all those that may be exposed or infected. The current process is not so burdensome that getting a warrant, following due process, is too burdensome.
House: Senate:
Committee: 6-4-5
Floor: 24-48-3
Status: The bill did not pass.
H.B. 2 Public Education Budget Amendments
H.B. 3 Current Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations
H.B. 8 State Agency and Higher Education Compensation Appropriations
H.B. 21 Open and Public Meetings Act Amendments
H.B. 214 Primary Election Revisions
H.B. 272 Water Efficient Landscaping Amendments
H.B. 350 Adoption Modifications
H.B. 427 Individual Freedom in Public Education
H.B. 447 Transplant of Wildlife Amendments
H.B. 462 Liability of Relatives Amendments
H.B. 463 High School Sports Amendments
H.B. 469 Wildlife Related Amendments
H.B. 470 Government Digital Verifiable Record Amendments
H.B. 475 Communication Credits Requirements
H.B. 481 Firearm Safety and Suicide Prevention Education Requirements
H.B. 485 Restricted Persons Amendments
H.B. 487 Sickle Cell Disease
H.B. 488 Utah Lake Authority Amendments
H.B. 489 Educator Paid Professional Hours
H.B. 490 Expungement Changes
H.B. 492 Abuse of Personal Identity Act Amendments
H.B. 494 Education Reporting Amendments
H.B. 499 Homeless Services Amendments
H.B. 503 Shooting Range Requirements
H.B. 506 Government Entity Compliance Amendments
H.B. 507 Firearm Possession Revisions
H.B. 509 Criminal Protective Order Amendments
H.B. 511 Crime Victim Identification Amendments
H.B. 512 Elected Official Education
H.B. 513 Great Salt Lake Amendments
H.B. 516 Mental Health Treatment Study
H.B. 517 Inmate Program Amendments
H.B. 518 Human Trafficking Prevention Program
H.B. 519 Consumer Credit Protection Amendments
H.B. 523 Egg Retailer Amendments
H.B. 528 Utah Energy Act Amendments
H.B. 531 Court Fee Modifications
H.B. 538 Water Usage Amendments
H.B. 539 Veteran Property Tax Exemption
H.B. 545 Cybersecurity Infrastructure Modifications
H.B. 546 Education Innovation Program Amendments
H.B. 555 Talent Ready Utah Program Modifications
H.B. 556 Legislative Committee Staff Requirements
H.B. 561 Department of Health and Human Services Procurement Amendments
H.R. 4 House Rules Resolution - Amendments to House Rules
H.C.R. 7 Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Creation of the Great Salt Lake Sentinel Landscape
H.C.R. 9 Concurrent Resolution Concerning the Shutdown of Utah's Power by the Federal Government
H.C.R. 10 Concurrent Resolution Regarding the Pledge of Allegiance in Schools
H.J.R. 17 Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution -- Statewide Initiatives
H.J.R. 20 Joint Resolution Regarding Higher Education Accreditation
H.J.R. 21 Joint Resolution Honoring the Hispanic Community
H.J.R. 23 Joint Resolution Regarding Federal Funds for National Park Reopening
H.J.R. 24 Joint Resolution Encouraging Support for the Houses Act
H.J.R. 25 Joint Resolution Highlighting the Hazards of Net-zero Energy
H.J.R. 26 Joint Resolution on Transit Operator Safety Awareness
S.B. 2 New Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations Act
S.B. 8 State Agency Fees and Internal Service Fund Rate Authorization and Appropriations
S.B. 34 Water Infrastructure Funding Study
S.B. 35 Reciprocal Professional Licensing Amendments
S.B. 45 Statewide Online Education Program Amendments
S.B. 48 Energy Producer States' Agreement Amendments
S.B. 52 Parental Indigent Defense Amendments
S.B. 76 Water Amendments
S.B. 77 Education Scholarship Amendments
S.B. 83 Public Education Funding Equalization
S.B. 89 Utah Retirement Amendments
S.B. 106 Caregiver Compensation Amendments
S.B. 114 County Correctional Facility Contracting Amendments
S.B. 115 Notice of Tax Sale Requirements
S.B. 117 Domestic Violence Amendments
S.B. 120 Property and Contraband Amendments
S.B. 121 Car-sharing Amendments
S.B. 124 Law Enforcement Officer Amendments
S.B. 125 Transportation Infrastructure Amendments
S.B. 127 Cybersecurity Amendments
S.B. 128 Public Safety Officer Scholarship Program
S.B. 129 Judiciary Amendments
S.B. 133 Modifications to Medicaid Coverage
S.B. 146 Higher Education Governance Amendments
S.B. 148 Invisible Condition Information Amendments
S.B. 152 Social Media Regulation Amendments
S.B. 156 Investigative Genetic Genealogy Modifications
S.B. 163 Child Welfare Modifications
S.B. 167 Statewide Online Education Program Modifications
S.B. 168 State Agency Capital Development Fund
S.B. 169 Enticement of a Minor Amendments
S.B. 174 Local Land Use and Development Revisions
S.B. 175 Rural Transportation Infrastructure Fund
S.B. 180 Private Postsecondary Education Modifications
S.B. 183 Educator Salary Amendments
S.B. 185 Transportation Amendments
S.B. 188 Inmate Amendments
S.B. 194 Higher Education Funding Amendments
S.B. 201 Radon Notice Amendments
S.B. 203 Corporate Tax Amendments
S.B. 204 Autism Coverage Amendments
S.B. 205 Consumer Protection Education and Training Fund Amendments
S.B. 212 Utah Communications Authority Amendments
S.B. 213 Transit District Amendments
S.B. 214 Utah False Claims Act Amendments
S.B. 216 Vehicle Value Protection Agreements
S.B. 223 Charitable Contribution Amendments
S.B. 225 Commercial Email Act
S.B. 237 Dental Hygienist Amendments
S.B. 240 First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program
S.B. 263 Electronic Cigarette and Other Nicotine Product Tax Amendments
S.B. 264 Modified Car Emissions Requirements
S.B. 265 Education Data Privacy Amendments
S.B. 272 Funds Amendments
S.B. 273 State Settlement Agreements Requirements
S.B. 277 Water Conservation and Augmentation Amendments
S.B. 284 Aviation Fuel Incentive Amendments
S.B. 288 Utility Bill Assistance Program
S.B. 296 Performance Reporting and Efficiency Process Amendments
S.J.R. 7 Joint Resolution Approving Settlement Agreement with the United States
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