Fast & Furious ‘24 BY SHAWN BENJAMIN, AIA, LEEP AP, AIA UTAH BOD AND GAC LIAISON Seems like there’s a new one every year. You just can’t make them stop. For the most part, it’s the same story and people, with maybe just a little variation. It usually starts off with a blazing flurry of action, followed by an unbearable stretch of “plot development,” only to be capped off with another thunderous race to the finish line, where we can all rest assured knowing there won’t be another iteration for at least 10 more months … sigh … if only Vin Deisel could help with the 2024 legislative session in Utah. This year has already stacked up to be as fastpaced as years past. Pulling up to the line with 458 numbered bills, 11 concurrent resolutions, 23 joint resolutions and five resolutions, the House is revving their proverbial engines. The Senate crowd won’t be disappointed, though, with 187 numbered bills, four concurrent resolutions, 15 joint resolutions, and two resolutions under the hood. Below the tree light, a total of 705 documents for consideration. In addition, we expect several unnumbered House and Senate bills to eventually make their way to various committees and then the floors of their respective chambers for debate and votes. Already, the governor has signed 11 bills into action. While most of them have been budgetrelated, three early starters include SB57 (Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act), HB257 (Sex‑based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women’s Opportunities) AND HB261 (Equal Opportunity Initiatives). The two House bills signed into law affect the architectural community directly but had little time for debate or input, having been drafted in the months preceding the legislative session. However, the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and AIA Utah offered input on both in the short time that we’ve already been underway. 8 REFLEXION
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