Pleasant Grove Republican Rep. Craig Frank is sponsoring legislation setting criteria for a "Family Impact Statement" that would be tacked onto the end of each bill by legislative attorneys. If approved by the House Rules Committee today, House Joint Resolution 2 could be one of the first pieces of legislation considered in the 2005 Legislature.

The Family Impact Statement would include a series of questions to be answered: "How does this legislation strengthen the stability of the family and especially marital commitment?" for example. Two of the questions require analysis of each bill's financial impact on a Utah family of five making $55,000 and the same size family with income of 10,000.

"We want to see how the policies that we're implementing impact families," Frank says. "This provides a mechanism, a measuring stick we can pull out of our legislative toolbox and measure some of the huge dollar amounts we deal with. We'd like some thought to go into this."

While Frank's bill is popular in conservative circles, some worry the family impact statements could be used as a sort of litmus test to doom bills legislative leaders don't like. And writing the statements could increase legislative attorneys' workloads.

Louisiana and Montana lawmakers have adopted similar legislation. Frank borrowed liberally from former President Ronald Reagan, a family policy Web site and the Sutherland Institute's Family Manual to put his idea on paper. He would like to see family impact statements on complicated budget bills and child welfare legislation alike.

The Sutherland Institute, a conservative Salt Lake City think tank, promoted Frank's bill at a legislative briefing last month. "I would hope it would be the year of the family being used to determine all pieces of legislation," says Jill Burton, Sutherland legislative director.

But others worry Frank's resolution is a remnant of the parents' rights battle that consumed legislators last year.

Linda Hilton, director of the Coalition of Religious Communities, compares Frank's bill to a resolution last year calling for the United States to pull out of the United Nations. Hilton figures such official statements "waste a lot of time, cause big fights that are unnecessary and delay discussion of other issues."

Attorney Scott McCoy believes many of the questions in the statement are judgments legislators should be able to make on their own. He says the resolution will stretch legislative attorneys' resources, time and expertise. Legislators would do better to hire a sociologist and psychologist to answer Frank's list of ambiguous and complicated questions, McCoy says. He figures the family impact statements will be used as a billy club.

"This seems very faddish. Unfortunately, if you're opposed to it, you're going to be accused of not being pro-family," says McCoy, who led the fight against Utah's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Legislative Research and General Counsel Director Mike Christensen acknowledges his office could be stretched if family impact statements become popular. If the job of writing the analysis became too time-consuming, particularly on complicated legislation like tax bills and health care bills, Christensen said he might have to ask for additional staff.

Frank's bill is on the legislative fast track.

At a meeting today, House Rules Committee members will consider whether to forward the resolution to a committee for a hearing or send the measure directly to the House floor for debate.

"If we as a state believe the family is the fundamental unit of society, we should look at how our laws affect the family," says Becky Lockhart, House Rules Committee Chairwoman. "It's a good discussion to have."

Litmus test

Questions to be answered in the proposed family impact statement

l How does this legislation strengthen the stability of the family and especially marital commitment?

l How does this legislation strengthen or erode the authority and rights of parents in their responsibility to educate, nurture and supervise their children?

l Does this legislation assist the family to perform its function or does it substitute government activity for the function? How?

l What specific services would this legislation provide to families?

l By what amount does this bill increase or decrease family earnings for a family of five in Utah making $55,000 per year?

l By what amount does this bill increase or decrease family earnings for a family of five in Utah making 10,000 per year?