State lawmakers on Thursday said the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) may have overstepped when it hiked the fee charged to first-time concealed weapons permit holders by $20 without seeking legislative approval.
Lawmakers, not state agencies, set fees and BCI’s decision violates both state law and the agency’s own rules, Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove, said.
“What we can’t allow is unilateral decisions by administrative action in lieu of appropriate action,” he said.
On Aug. 1, the cost of a first-time permit was raised to $57 for Utah residents and $67 for out-of-staters.
The agency was summoned to explain its decision to the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee after complaints that permit-seekers unwilling to pay the additional cost were told their applications could not be processed.