House panel axes cabbie bill

A bill that would let Salt Lake City require criminal background checks for taxi, limousine and hotel shuttle bus drivers serving Salt Lake City International Airport was nixed Monday by a House committee.

The House Business and Labor Committee rejected a motion to move HB110 to the full House by an 8-3 vote, with several lawmakers saying the state does not need to get involved in what they considered to be a city licensing issue.

The bill would allow cities to require drivers of taxis, limos, vans, luxury cars, courtesy vehicles or hotel vehicles, special vehicles for transporting disabled people, buses and minibuses — except mass transit vehicles — consent to a fingerprint background check by the Criminal Investigations and Technical Services Division and the FBI.

The city could deny or terminate the provider's right to serve the airport if the check showed that the provider failed to disclose accurately a criminal history or if the provider disclosed that accurately and the background check showed that the provider has been "convicted of a crime that indicates a potential risk for the safety or well-being of the patrons" or airport employees.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said the city would set up the criteria for determining whether to deny or terminate a ground-transportation provider. The bill would allow denied or terminated providers a chance to appeal under procedures established by the city.

Rep. Scott Wyatt, R-Logan, asked if the point of the bill was to prevent car bombs. "I think that they just want to know who has access to that airport where the public does not, and I think that they want that to remain consistent," Hughes said.

"I think that employees or people who do bring something on the grounds that could ignite or something like that is obviously a concern. I think that what they really see is a glaring hole in how they're prohibiting the public, they're limiting access (to certain areas), and then there's a long parade of individuals they know nothing about who have access where the general public does not," Hughes said.

Wyatt wondered about the value of background checks if, for example, a taxi passenger had a bomb in the vehicle's trunk. The driver likely would never know it, he said.

Hughes said the bill "just takes away the unknown" about people accessing the ground transportation lanes. It mimics security measures in place for water districts and how they screen people with access to certain areas.

The city would be required to pay for the background checks but could recover the cost through fees. Hughes said the initial expectation was for 2,500 applicants and a cost of $44 per background check.But several legislators wondered why the state should get involved at all. Hughes said the city cannot require ground transportation drivers to have background checks because they work for neither the airport nor the city. Through the bill, he said, the city was seeking an affirmation that they have the right to require those checks.

"I have a hard time with this bill," said Rep. Gordon Snow, R-Roosevelt, "because I really think it should be at the City Council level making these decisions."

Before the vote, Rep. Craig Frank, R-Pleasant Grove, said it was "wise" to move the bill forward for further debate. Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, moved, then later withdrew the motion, to have the matter discussed by the House Transportation Committee.

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