State Legislative Session is Just Around the Corner

It is hard to believe that in just a few short months, the 2022 Utah state legislative session will start. Our state legislative session is usually an intense 45 days, we anticipate that 2022 will be no different. At this point, we do not plan to hold an in-person volunteer day at the Capitol. It is still vital that you connect with your lawmakers to raise your voice on critical issues. We will continue to provide you with ways to make an impact. Your emails and phone calls will be more important than ever.

Our work in the 2022 session will focus on three issues:

1. Tobacco Retail Licensure: Strong tobacco retail licensure laws can help ensure that retailers do not sell tobacco products to individuals younger than 21 years old. By holding retailers accountable, it incentivizes retailers to train and enforce employees to comply with federal, state, and local laws.

2. Restoring funding for the CPR Training in Schools program: In 2014, we passed legislation that required high school health classes offer CPR training and we made sure funds were allocated in the state budget to cover the cost of providing the training. However during the 2021 legislative session that funding was cut. We will be requesting that the $200,000 that was allocated in the past to train an estimated 33,000 students be restored. We believe it is crucial to restore this funding so that this lifesaving training can continue to be offered without added expenses to schools.

3. Extending Postpartum Medicaid coverage: Currently, Utah’s coverage for mothers ends 60 days after giving birth. Many health complications, including those related to heart health, have been known to manifest after 60 days and up to a year. We believe it would benefit both mothers and children to extend that coverage to a full year.

Other issues may come up as well, we hope we can count on your support when the legislative session starts in January.