The Utah House and Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to extend the amount of time an individual with a dangerous mental health crisis can be committed to a hospital before being released or transferred to long-term treatment. Passed during the final week of the 2024 legislative session, HB299 will now head to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox where his action will determine whether the bill becomes law on May 1. Current code gives hospitals 24 hours before they have to discharge mentally ill individuals who are brought, often by law enforcement, with suicidal or homicidal intentions.
$4 million in appropriations was requested to expand free school meals to families qualifying for reduced-price lunch. The request did not receive priority in the state’s multi-billion dollar budget.
Destiny Garcia’s whole life changed when she had her record expunged. “I paid over $3,000 for my expungement,” Garcia, executive director of Clean Slate Utah, told the Deseret News in a phone interview. Garcia is personally aware of the barriers that come with having a criminal record.
How does having a criminal record impact people's lives? Destiny Garcia knows firsthand. What Garcia and other said about an expungement bill. Read more.