Utah Code § 20A-7-308

Short title and summary of referendum -- Duties of lieutenant governor and Office
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of Legislative Research and General Counsel.
(1) Whenever a referendum petition is declared sufficient for submission to a vote of the people,
the lieutenant governor shall deliver a copy of the referendum petition and the law to which the
referendum relates to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel.
(2)

(a) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall:
(i) entitle each statewide referendum that qualifies for the ballot "Proposition Number __" and
assign a number to the referendum in accordance with Section 20A-6-107;
(ii) prepare for each referendum:
(A) an impartial short title, not exceeding 25 words, that generally describes the law to which
the referendum relates; and
(B) an impartial summary of the contents of the law to which the referendum relates, not
exceeding 125 words; and
(iii) submit the short title and summary to the lieutenant governor within 15 calendar days after
the day on which the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel receives the
petition under Subsection (1).
(b) The short title and summary may be distinct from the title of the law that is the subject of the
referendum.
(c) Subject to Subjection (4), for each statewide referendum, the official ballot shall show, in the
following order:
(i) the number of the referendum, determined in accordance with Section 20A-6-107;
(ii) the short title; and
(iii) except as provided in Subsection (2)(d):
(A) the summary;
(B) a copy of the law; and
(C) a link to a location on the lieutenant governor's website where a voter may review
additional information relating to each referendum, including the information described in
Subsection 20A-7-302(2) and the arguments relating to the referendum that are included
in the voter information pamphlet.
(d) Unless the information described in Subsection (2)(c)(iii) is shown on the official ballot, the
election officer shall include with the ballot a separate ballot proposition insert that includes
the short title and summary for each referendum on the ballot and a link to a location on the
lieutenant governor's website where a voter may review the additional information described
in Subsection (2)(c)(iii)(C).
(e) Unless the information described in Subsection 20A-7-209(2)(d)(iii) for all initiatives on the
ballot, and the information described in Subsection (2)(c)(iii) for all referenda on the ballot,
is printed on the ballot, the ballot shall include the following statement at the beginning of
the portion of the ballot that includes ballot measures, "The ballot proposition sheet included
with this ballot contains an impartial summary of each initiative and referendum on this ballot,
unless the summary is printed directly on the ballot."
(3) Immediately after the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel submits the short
title and summary to the lieutenant governor, the lieutenant governor shall mail or email a copy
of the short title and summary to any of the sponsors of the referendum petition.
(4)
(a)
(i) At least three of the sponsors of the referendum petition may, within 15 days after the day
on which the lieutenant governor sends the short title and summary, challenge the wording
of the short title and summary prepared by the Office of Legislative Research and General
Counsel to the appropriate court.
(ii) After receipt of the appeal, the court shall direct the lieutenant governor to send notice of the
appeal to:
(A) any person or group that has filed an argument for or against the law to which the
referendum relates; and

(B) any political issues committee established under Section 20A-11-801 that has filed written
or electronic notice with the lieutenant governor that identifies the name, mailing or email
address, and telephone number of the person designated to receive notice about any
issues relating to the referendum.
(b)
(i) There is a presumption that the short title prepared by the Office of Legislative Research and
General Counsel is an impartial description of the contents of the referendum.
(ii) The court may not revise the wording of the short title unless the plaintiffs rebut the
presumption by clearly and convincingly establishing that the short title is false or biased.
(iii) There is a presumption that the summary prepared by the Office of Legislative Research
and General Counsel is an impartial summary of the contents of the law to which the
referendum relates.
(iv) The court may not revise the wording of the summary unless the plaintiffs rebut the
presumption by clearly and convincingly establishing that the summary is false or biased.
(c) The court shall:
(i) examine the short title and summary;
(ii) hear arguments; and
(iii) enter an order consistent with the requirements of this section.
(d) The lieutenant governor shall, in accordance with the court's order, certify the short title and
summary to the county clerks for inclusion in the ballot or ballot proposition insert, as required
by this section.

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