Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Votes Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate passes package of bills on cannabis, tax, education, insurance and health preauthorization; votes at a glance
Summary
The Utah Senate voted on a broad set of bills during its Feb. 28 session, approving measures on medical cannabis, domestic relations recodification, education, insurance, and several technical and policy items; this article lists actions, outcomes and key details recorded on the floor.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 28 considered and approved a series of bills spanning medical cannabis, transportation fees, education, insurance and administrative corrections. Several measures proceeded with little floor debate and were placed on calendars or returned to the House; a subset drew substantive discussion and amendment. Below are the bills and final floor actions recorded during the session.
Votes at a glance:
- Fourth substitute Senate Bill 64 (medical cannabis amendments): Motion to concur carried; final passage announced as "having received 24 yay votes, 1 nay vote, 4 being absent." The bill includes a restriction on tents/pop‑up marketing near pharmacies and adds a cap on processor licenses (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).
- Third substitute Senate Bill 61 (Energy Corridor Amendments): Concurrence and passage. Announced as having received 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Owens). House changes were described as clarifying feasibility and condemnation language for transmission projects.
- First substitute Senate Bill 119 (domestic relations recodification): Passed; announced as 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Wyler). Floor remarks noted technical and gender‑neutral language adjustments requested by counsel.
- House Bill 142 (Service member and veteran in‑state tuition amendments): Passed by unanimous voice/recorded as "23 aye votes, 0 nay, 6 absent." The bill removes certain residency requirements for active military members, veterans and family members (floor sponsor: Senator Wyler).
- First substitute House Bill 190 (motorcycle amendments): Passed on roll call, reported as 24 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 5 absent; sponsors said the bill refines enforcement of existing infractions (floor sponsor: Senator Wilson).
- Second substitute House Bill 337 (property manager requirements): Passed, announced as 23 yay, 0 nay, 6 absent. The bill separates property‑management licensing from realtor licensing and creates a shorter property‑manager course (floor sponsor: Senator Musselman).
- First substitute Senate Bill 274 (health insurance preauthorization revisions): Passed, recorded as 26 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 3 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Johnson). The bill requires annual reporting of preauthorization approval/denial rates and explanations to patients about denials and appeals.
- First substitute House Bill 73 (Administrative Procedures Act amendments): Passed; announced as 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent. The bill incorporates court test language on final agency action (floor sponsor: Senator Weiler).
- House Bill 134 (food cart and e-bike food sales amendments): Passed 26 yay, 0 nay, 3 absent; clarifies allowance for electrically assisted bicycle food vendors (floor sponsor: Senator Weiler).
- First substitute House Bill 68 (insurance fund / captive insurance entity authority): After substitution and floor adjustments, a third substitute passed and was reported as 23 yay, 0 nay, 6 absent; the bill authorizes local governments to form pooled, captive‑style insurance entities (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).
- Senate Bill 286 (criminal plea withdrawal amendments): Passed; floor announcement recorded 28 yay votes, 0 nay, 9 absent and will be sent to the House (floor sponsor: Senator Pitcher).
- Senate Bill 299 (assault modifications): Passed on the floor and will be transmitted to the House; the measure includes a narrow exception for certain chokehold/strangulation techniques in organized mutual‑combat or regulated competition settings (floor sponsor: Senator Brammer).
- First substitute Senate Bill 319 (Utah Lake Authority amendments): Passed 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent; bill clarifies authority interactions and funding related to a proposed nature center (floor sponsor: Senator Brammer).
- Senate Bill 315 (microenterprise home kitchen amendments): Passed and will be sent to the House; the bill allows certain small food producers more flexibility (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).
- Senate Bill 323 (Asset and Investment Review Task Force): Passed 26 yay, 1 nay, 2 absent. The bill creates a short‑term task force to review state investment stewardship and related policy (floor sponsor: Senator Stratton).
- Senate joint resolution 12 (joint resolution calling for an executive order on federalism): Passed 21 yay, 2 nay, 6 absent; resolution urges executive action addressing state authority and federalism (floor sponsor: Senator Winterton).
- Second substitute House Bill 455 (Utah Fits All scholarship program amendments): Passed 25 yay, 1 nay, 3 absent. The bill refines verification, award amounts for home‑based learners, and allowable uses for scholarship funds (floor sponsor: Senator Kellenor).
Floor procedure notes: several bills were circulated, circled or substituted on the dais to accommodate late technical and fiscal corrections; several committee reports were approved en bloc and bills were placed on reading calendars as recorded. Most bills that reached final reading were passed by roll call and will be transmitted to the House for further action as noted above.
No vote in this list should be read as final enactment; bills that pass one chamber proceed to the other chamber and may change before final signature. The Senate adjourned for a recess at the time the transcript closes.
