Special legislative session scheduled immediately following committee vote on Utah’s new congressional map

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Governor Spencer Cox officially called the legislature to a special session of the Utah Legislature for Monday, October 6, at 9 a.m., immediately following the committee vote on Utah’s new congressional map, which is scheduled for 8 a.m.

The call has 13 agenda items, the most anticipated of which includes a vote on Utah’s new Congressional maps

and a bill to codify the methods that will be used to determine partisan fairness.

The Legislature held the final hearing on redistricting on September 24, where Republicans and Democrats sparred over the issue of partisan fairness. Democrats want more than one test, while the current version of a bill from Sen. Brady Brammer (R-Highland) only has one.

A Senate leader has since told ABC4 that a revised version of the bill is forthcoming, incorporating three tests for partisan symmetry.

The GOP-controlled Legislative Redistricting Committee has released five maps labeled A-E, with Democrats Luz Escamilla and Doug Owens releasing a map of their own. Until October 5, Utahns are asked to comment on them.

Two sources have told ABC4 that the legislature is leaning toward map C, while a third said there was no consensus. Democrats took issue with the Utah Republican Party endorsing map C, arguing that they injected politics into the process.

This all comes after Utah’s Third District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the Utah legislature wasn’t allowed to repeal and replace a 2018 voter-approved anti-gerrymandering ballot measure known as Proposition 4. She ruled that Prop. 4’s criteria must now govern the redistricting process.

As for the rest of the topics on the session, the legislature will revive a vetoed bill from the 2025 legislative session that would require the governor to appoint the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court with advice and consent from the Utah Senate every 8 years

Additionally, a proposal that would allow greater control over the Great Salt Lake berm, modifications to releasing sensitive election records, and approving funds from the Big, Beautiful Bill.

Full list of special session topics

1. to consider amendments to H.B. 263, Election Record Amendments, enacted in the
   2025 General Session, specifically to clarify definitions and define new terms, address retention requirements for certain election records, and modify reporting requirements related to certain election-related data. This bill grants government officials the ability to view certain sensitive election records.
2. to consider amendments to H.B. 356, County Governance Amendments, enacted in the 2025 General Session, specifically to modify when a council member in certain counties must represent a single district, and other related provisions. This bill districts certain county councils instead of having all seats be at-large.
3. to consider changes to the process for selection as well as the term of the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, as allowed by Article VIII, Section 2, of the Utah Constitution. This bill requires to Governor to pick the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court with approval from the Senate every 8 years.
4. to consider amendments to H.B. 272, Vehicle Assessment Amendments, enacted in the 2025 General Session, specifically to modify vehicle weights required to be tested for emissions compliance. This bill will change vehicle emission testing requirements for diesel trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds.
5. to consider amendments to H.B. 337, Property Manager Requirements, enacted in the 2025 General Session, specifically to adjust the effective date and to amend other provisions of the bill. This bill provides an exception to the requirement for a property manager to associate with a real estate trust account; it also changes the effective date.
6. to recodify Utah Code Title 17, Counties, and to recodify certain corresponding
   provisions in Title 10, Utah Municipal Code. Recodifications don’t change policy; they just fix errors in the code.
7. to recodify Utah Code Title 53B, State System of Higher Education.
8. to consider technical amendments to the Utah Code in a bill entitled “Revisor’s Technical Corrections to Utah Code.” This makes technical changes to improve clarity and organization.
9. to consider amendments to Utah Code § 65A-17-201(14) to enable the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to raise the Great Salt Lake adaptive management berm under certain circumstances. This bill will allow the division to lower the berm at the Great Salt Lake to manage its levels
10. to consider amendments comparable to S.B. 67, Local Option Sales Tax Amendments, from the 2025 General Session, to adjust local option sales and use taxes available for qualifying political subdivisions to fund emergency services within certain counties.
11. to consider amendments to Utah Code §20A-19-103 to address redistricting standards, including determining the best available data and scientific and statistical methods to use in evaluating redistricting plans;
12. to consider adopting new congressional district boundaries in relation to ongoing
    redistricting litigation.
13. to consider a resolution approving acceptance by the State of Utah of Rural Health Transformation Program funds granted under Public Law 119-21, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.