The Utah Legislature has ensured the public will be able to participate and provide comments during live committee meetings both in-person and remotely during the 2021 General Session.
Significant efforts have been made to comply with state and local health recommendations to make this possible. The changes allow for in-person participation by both legislators and the public with proper physical distancing, mask-wearing and increased sanitization. “Lawmakers make better decisions with public input, which is why we made sure in-person and remote comment options would be available during the 2021 General Session,” said Senate President J. Stuart Adams. “Maintaining the legislative process during this pandemic by ensuring Utahns have options to provide feedback has been a top priority for the Legislature because input from the public helps us create the best policies for all Utahns.” Public participation and transparency are of paramount importance to lawmakers. At the onset of the pandemic, steps were quickly taken to ensure individuals continued to have the opportunity to provide feedback and comments during committee meetings and legislative proceedings. “From the onset of COVID-19, legislators have done the things we’re best known for here in Utah — looking ahead and planning for the future,” said Speaker Brad Wilson. “Because of significant efforts made by legislators and staff to make modifications and upgrades, Utah is one of only a few states that is planning to safely conduct the important work of the general session with little to no interruption. In fact, some of the upgrades will have the added bonus of making public participation more easily accessible than ever before.” View the COVID-19 Legislative Procedures below.
Tags: COVID-19, In-person, Remote Public Comment During Session, Senate President Adams, Senate President Stuart Adams, Senator Stuart Adams