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Utah Senate advances a slate of bills on taxes, energy, custody and municipal broadband
Summary
At its session the Utah Senate passed multiple bills and substitutes including measures on state custody limits, energy accounting, property tax deferrals, municipal broadband financing options and several tax and licensing bills. Several items drew extended debate; most passed on recorded roll calls.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate on Wednesday approved a large package of bills covering taxes, energy policy, municipal broadband financing and corrections policy, moving dozens of measures back to the House or to enrollment after recorded roll-call votes.
The most contested measures included first substitute House Bill 252, which restricts initiation of certain medical treatments for people in state custody and raises the age for prohibitions on staff sexual relations in juvenile facilities; third substitute House Bill 201, an energy-policy bill that requires planners to account for the costs and capacity limitations of variable generation and paired storage rather than counting both as separate resources; and a substituted Senate Bill 197 that restructures the state—s property-tax assistance (the so-called circuit-breaker) into a pair of deferral programs and grandfathering provisions.
Why it matters: the bills affect how Utah manages public safety and health services for people in custody, how utilities and planners count generation and storage when weighing least-cost options, and how homeowners may receive property-tax relief going forward. Several measures also refine tax and licensing procedures and change financing rules for cities considering municipally owned broadband.
The Senate moved quickly through committee reports and consent items before focusing on a set of higher-profile items. Lawmakers substituted language on several bills to address stakeholder concerns, then passed the substitutes.
State custody restrictions and related debate First substitute House Bill 252, offered by Senator Darren R. Owens, drew sustained discussion. Owens described the bill as intended to give state agencies "clarity" for the care of people in custody, including juveniles, and to limit initiation of certain medical treatments while a person is incarcerated. Senators raised constitutional and humane-care concerns during debate; Senator Plumb and others asked whether ongoing, previously started care would be discontinued. Sponsors said the bill is aimed at prohibiting initiation of such treatments while in custody and is not intended to remove…
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