Don't be too hard on Chris Herrod. His "Monkeys as Pets" bill is an exercise in constituent education.
A 13-year-old friend of his daughter asked him why she couldn't have a pet monkey, which are banned in the state. Herrod responded that if she would do some research, he'd consider running a bill.
"It's worth it for the education process to get hassled a little," he said.
So there it is: House Bill 376 -- Monkeys as Pets. It's empty (what's known as a box car) and Herrod doesn't have high expectations.
For the record, it is illegal to have what's known as a zoological animal as a pet.
Robin Thomas with the Division of Wildlife Resources is looking into some information for Herrod and said requests come in from time to time to use monkeys as service animals.
"They're cute when they're small, but a lot of times, they grow up and cause a lot of problems," she said. "People tend to raise them like humans, and that just becomes dangerous."
While Utah and 19 other states have an outright ban on "exotic" pets, the other 30 regulate them to varying degrees. Nine of those states (including Idaho) don't regulate ownership at all, though they may require certain certificates, according to Born Free USA, a nonprofit animal protection organization.
Because there is no wording on the bill, Thomas said the state has taken no position on it, though that didn't stop a chuckle or two.
"This isn't the regular Division of Wildlife kind of animal."
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