Looking Ahead to Utah 2023 Legislative Session

Here in Utah, we’re just over one month away from the 2023 Legislative Session, so now is the time to recap our recent elections and look forward to the State of Utah politics and how we aim to advance Heart Association goals at the State Level. The November election saw few surprises in Utah, other than state House Republicans slightly expanding their supermajority and slightly more turnover than in years past. Though Utah is a conservative and mostly one-party state, within the unique dynamics of our political landscape lies a spirit of collaboration community and progress, creating the perfect opportunities to advance Heart Association mission in the upcoming legislative session.

As a reminder, Utah has a part-time legislature and a short session. Our General Session lasts 45 days and begins on the Tuesday after the 3rd Monday January. With our legislators being part-time, that means they rely on stakeholders like the American Heart Association and our volunteers to receive good information on our issues in Utah. If they’re not hearing from us, they’re certainly hearing from Tobacco and other industry lobbyists, and we don’t want that to be the only conversation going on. As with all things advocacy, this is a great opportunity to volunteer with the American Heart Association and follow the You’re the Cure page.

This Legislative Session, we’re hyper focused on healthcare access and tobacco issues, while keeping a watchful eye and preparing to intervene in relevant health eating, systems of care, and funding issues. First, with dozens of other states adopting Postpartum Medicaid Extension (thanks in part to our dedicated AHA staff across the country) since we attempted last year in Utah, momentum is present, and we will be pushing hard to make Utah the next state to adopt this lifesaving policy. Additionally, we’ll be watching closely a handful of tobacco and electronic cigarette bills to ensure Utah is aggressively addressing the national youth tobacco and vaping epidemic. These include a flavors ban, which has also gotten nationwide attention with the success of ballot initiatives led by Heart Association efforts around the country.

While the Heart Association Advocacy team will be laser focused on state-level issues January to March, this is also when we need your help the most, so make sure to stay engaged with action alerts and opportunities to volunteer.