"This makes it so health insurance companies can't tell you to go to this doctor or that hospital," he said. "Some people may have had the same doctor for 10 or 20 years, their company switches insurance plans and then they can't see that doctor. It is a big problem."

Sweeping changes to Utah's child welfare laws are expected to be introduced once again, including a massive bill by Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan.

Harper ran legislation last year invoking a number of significant changes to how judges and caseworkers handle child welfare cases, including boosting the legal standard to "beyond a reasonable doubt" in cases where parental rights are terminated.

Although HB266 passed the house, it suffered defeat in the Senate on the last night of the session.

Harper has told members of the Legislature's Child Welfare Oversight panel he plans to reintroduce the proposal, which is also expected to strengthen state recognition of the rights of parents.

Children are a component of a controversial measure by Rep. Peggy Wallace, R-West Jordan, who wants to eliminate no-fault divorces in certain circumstances.

In cases that involve couples with children, those who have been married 10 years or longer, or in instances in which one party objects, irreconcilable differences would no longer be sufficient to grant a divorce petition. Instead, couples would have to prove other grounds, such as willful desertion, willful neglect, felony convictions or cruel treatment that causes "great mental distress."

Advocates like Utah Issues and Voices for Utah Children are already tracking a number of these proposals and are prepared to weigh in.

Karen Crompton, executive director of Voices for Utah Children, is pushing hard for Hogue's measure to eliminate the Medicaid asset test for children. But she isn't as enthusiastic about the no-fault divorce amendments proposed by Wallace.

"This does not do anything to help kids," she said. "I think everybody supports families staying together, but forcing families to do that through shame-based legislation is not family-friendly."

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com