UT
Utah Senate Bill SJR012

Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SJR012 Compare Versions

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1-Enrolled Copy S.J.R. 12
1+02-20 08:23 S.J.R. 12
22 1
3-Senate Resolution Calling for an Executive Order on
4-Federalism (converted from a joint resolution per JR4-5-104)
3+Joint Resolution Calling for an Executive Order on Federalism
54 2025 GENERAL SESSION
65 STATE OF UTAH
76 Chief Sponsor: Ronald M. Winterton
7+House Sponsor:
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811 LONG TITLE
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913 General Description:
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1015 This resolution calls on the President of the United States to issue an executive order on
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1117 federalism.
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1219 Highlighted Provisions:
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1321 This resolution:
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1423 ▸ expresses the importance of maintaining the principles of federalism and respecting the
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1525 balance of powers as required by the United States Constitution;
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1627 ▸ calls on the President of the United States to issue an executive order that reaffirms and
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1729 strengthens the principles of federalism through certain self-enforcing mechanisms; and
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1831 ▸ urges Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities to ensure that federal agencies
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1933 comply with any new executive order on federalism.
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2035 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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2137 None
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2239 Other Special Clauses:
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2341 None
24-Be it resolved by the Senate of the state of Utah:
25- WHEREAS, the principles of federalism enshrined in the United States Constitution are
26-essential to the preservation of the nation's system of dual sovereignty, which ensures a
27-balance of power between the federal and state governments, as a double security to the rights
28-of the American people;
29-
30-WHEREAS, Executive Order 12612, issued by President Ronald Reagan on October 26,
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45+Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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47+ WHEREAS, the principles of federalism enshrined in the United States Constitution are
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49+essential to the preservation of the nation's system of dual sovereignty, which ensures a
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51+balance of power between the federal and state governments, as a double security to the rights
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53+of the American people;
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55+ WHEREAS, Executive Order 12612, issued by President Ronald Reagan on October 26,
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7457 1987, articulated the federalism principles that safeguard states' jurisdiction and
75-26 S.J.R. 12 Enrolled Copy
76-27 responsibilities while limiting federal overreach;
58+27
59+responsibilities while limiting federal overreach;
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7861 WHEREAS, the Government Accountability Office, in its report titled "Federalism:
79-29 Implementation of Executive Order 12612 in the Rulemaking Process," identified areas where
80-30 the enforcement of federalism principles could be improved through self-enforcing
81-31 mechanisms to ensure compliance and accountability;
62+29
63+Implementation of Executive Order 12612 in the Rulemaking Process," identified areas where
64+30
65+the enforcement of federalism principles could be improved through self-enforcing
66+ S.J.R. 12 S.J.R. 12 02-20 08:23
67+31
68+mechanisms to ensure compliance and accountability;
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8370 WHEREAS, the erosion of federalism diminishes the uniqueness and diversity of the states,
84-33 weakens the states' ability to serve as laboratories of democracy, undermines self-governance
85-34 and local accountability, results in unchecked centralization of government removed from the
86-35 eyes of the people, and destabilizes the United States Constitution's vision of a federal
87-36 government of limited and enumerated powers;
71+33
72+weakens the states' ability to serve as laboratories of democracy, undermines self-governance
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74+and local accountability, results in unchecked centralization of government removed from the
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76+eyes of the people, and destabilizes the United States Constitution's vision of a federal
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78+government of limited and enumerated powers;
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8980 WHEREAS, states have continued to encounter instances where federal rules and
90-38 regulations encroach on state authority without proper consideration of the fundamental
91-39 principles of federalism;
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82+regulations encroach on state authority without proper consideration of the fundamental
83+39
84+principles of federalism;
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9386 WHEREAS, a renewed commitment to federalism would foster respect for the distinct and
94-41 complementary roles of federal, state, and local governments and better serve the interests of
95-42 the American people; and
87+41
88+complementary roles of federal, state, and local governments and better serve the interests of
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90+the American people; and
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9792 WHEREAS, decades of ignorance and disregard for the meticulous limits, balance,
98-44 divisions, of state-federal governing powers that characterize American federalism have
99-45 resulted in multi-trillion dollar annual federal deficits and an accumulated national debt
100-46 exceeding $36 trillion, threatening the international reserve currency role of the U.S. dollar as
101-47 well as the overall national security of the United States:
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94+divisions, of state-federal governing powers that characterize American federalism have
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96+resulted in multi-trillion dollar annual federal deficits and an accumulated national debt
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98+exceeding $36 trillion, threatening the international reserve currency role of the U.S. dollar as
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100+well as the overall national security of the United States:
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103-NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah calls on the
104-49 President of the United States to issue an executive order on federalism that reaffirms the
105-50 principles of Executive Order 12612 and strengthens the principles' incorporation through the
106-51 self-enforcing mechanisms recommended by the Government Accountability Office, including
107-52 requiring federal agencies to conduct thorough federalism assessments during the rulemaking
108-53 process to evaluate the impact of proposed regulations on states, establishing mandatory
109-54 consultation procedures with state governments early in the development of federal rules to
110-55 ensure state perspectives are respected, creating enforceable oversight mechanisms to hold
111-56 federal agencies accountable for compliance with the principles of federalism, and mandating
112-57 the publication of detailed justifications when federal actions encroach upon or supersede state
113-58 authority to demonstrate that such actions are warranted and constitutionally permissible.
102+ NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah calls on
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104+the President of the United States to issue an executive order on federalism that reaffirms the
105+50
106+principles of Executive Order 12612 and strengthens the principles' incorporation through the
107+51
108+self-enforcing mechanisms recommended by the Government Accountability Office, including
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110+requiring federal agencies to conduct thorough federalism assessments during the rulemaking
111+53
112+process to evaluate the impact of proposed regulations on states, establishing mandatory
113+54
114+consultation procedures with state governments early in the development of federal rules to
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116+ensure state perspectives are respected, creating enforceable oversight mechanisms to hold
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118+federal agencies accountable for compliance with the principles of federalism, and mandating
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120+the publication of detailed justifications when federal actions encroach upon or supersede state
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122+authority to demonstrate that such actions are warranted and constitutionally permissible.
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115-BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate reaffirms the importance of restoring and
124+ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature reaffirms the importance of restoring
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119-maintaining our exceptional American federalism structure of government that respects the Enrolled Copy S.J.R. 12
120-61 constitutional balance, limits, and division of governing powers and the sovereignty of the
121-62 several states.
122-63 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate urges Congress to exercise its oversight
123-64 responsibilities to ensure that federal agencies adhere to the federalism principles outlined in
124-65 any new executive order.
126+and maintaining our exceptional American federalism structure of government that respects
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128+the constitutional balance, limits, and division of governing powers and the sovereignty of the
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130+several states.
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132+ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges Congress to exercise its oversight
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134+responsibilities to ensure that federal agencies adhere to the federalism principles outlined in
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136+65
137+any new executive order.
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126-BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Senate resolution be sent to the President
127-67 of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States
128-68 House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the
129-69 members of Utah's congressional delegation, and the presiding officers of each of the
130-70 legislative houses in the several states, requesting their calls for similar action.
139+ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this joint resolution be sent to the President
140+67
141+of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States
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143+House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the
144+69
145+members of Utah's congressional delegation, and the presiding officers of each of the
146+70
147+legislative houses in the several states, requesting their calls for similar action.
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