Summit County health officials raise concerns over citizenship verification bill

Photo: Summit County Health

PARK CITY, Utah — Summit County health officials are tracking a Utah Legislature bill that could require local health departments to verify citizenship or lawful presence before providing certain public benefits — a measure the county’s health director warned Monday could turn frontline staff into enforcement officers.

During the Board of Health’s Feb. 2 meeting, Health Department Director Dr. Phil Bondurant described House Bill 88 as one of the most significant proposals on the department’s legislative tracker.

“In generalities, it would turn our front desk staff and some of our programs into their first … officers, pretty much,” Bondurant said, adding that he was uncomfortable “prioritizing citizenship over services” in public health settings.

As introduced, HB88 would require state agencies and political subdivisions to verify lawful presence for individuals 18 and older applying for certain state or local public assistance, with verification routed through a federal system in some circumstances. Advocates and critics have argued that the proposal could increase administrative burdens and chill access for eligible families, while civil liberties groups have raised concerns about its impacts on service delivery and community trust.

Board members focused much of their discussion on the practical implications for Summit County’s public-facing services, including the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program.

“We want the entire community to be healthy,” Bondurant said. “I’m not comfortable with my front desk staff or my WIC staff prioritizing citizenship over services.”

County weighs UAC position

County Council member Megan McKenna told the board the Utah Association of Counties has been discussing whether to take an official position on HB88, noting that an internal threshold would be required for a formal stance.

McKenna said a majority of county representatives she’d spoken with were opposed to the bill or wanted to monitor it. She said she planned to continue discussions with the policy steering committee about whether UAC should formally oppose it.

Bondurant told the board the measure had been moving through substitute drafts and that local public health leaders were watching for changes that could affect how broadly the verification requirement is applied and what exceptions, if any, remain.

Vaccine exemption bill fails

Bondurant also highlighted what he called a public health “win” late last week: HB152, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, did not advance out of committee. The proposal would have removed Utah’s education requirement tied to school vaccine exemptions — a requirement public health officials use to help track and respond during outbreaks, Bondurant said.

A Utah House committee voted down HB152 on Jan. 30, keeping the online education module requirement in place for now.

Budget concerns

Bondurant also told the board that local health officials have been advocating at the Capitol over budget reductions that could affect core public health capacity. Utah legislative budget documents this session have included a proposed 10% reduction in state funding for minimum performance standards across Utah’s local health departments.

Bondurant said local health leaders had been working to protect those dollars as lawmakers shape final budget decisions.

The Summit County Board of Health meets again in April.