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Votes at a glance: Senate Growth & Infrastructure work session advances a package of bills including SB304 and SB309
Summary
During an April 9 work session the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure moved multiple bills to the Senate floor. The committee recorded individual objections on a few measures; most motions carried. This roundup lists each bill, the committee motion, and any recorded dissenters.
The Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure conducted a work session April 9 and moved a series of bills to the Senate floor. Listed below are the bills addressed in the work session, the committee action, and any recorded member objections noted in committee debate.
SB304 — Vehicular homicide (Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Stone) Motion: Amend and do pass (committee amendment reorganizing DUI statutes as presented in the hearing). Outcome: Carried unanimously in committee; advanced to Senate floor. (Floor statement assigned to Sen. Stone.)
SB309 — Driving under the influence updates (Sponsor: Sen. John Steinbeck) Motion: Amend and do pass (amendment narrowed to four policy proposals: lower BAC evaluation threshold to 0.16; add fentanyl per‑se at 1 ng/ml; increase second‑offense custody to 20 days; close treatment‑court enhancement loophole). The committee removed an earlier proposal to repeal the phlebotomist testimony statute after defense objections. Outcome: Carried unanimously in committee; advanced to Senate floor. (Floor statement assigned to Sen. Steinbeck.)
SB113 — Adds occupational and physical therapists to disability placard certifiers (Sponsor: Sen. Steinbeck) Motion: Amend and do pass (technical amendment clarifying oversight and team member completion of forms). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB180 — Minimum liability insurance for certain motor carriers (Sponsor: Sen. Flores) Motion: Amend and do pass (amendment proposed staggered minimum liability levels over time: $1,000,000 (2026), $1,250,000 (2028), $1,500,000 (2030)). Recorded opposition: Senator Hansen stated he would vote no and described the proposed increases as excessive. Senator Brock also recorded a no; committee motion nevertheless carried. Outcome: Motion carried; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB194 — Short‑term vehicle rental insurance requirements (Sponsor: Sen. Scheibel) Motion: Amend and do pass (gut‑and‑replace; requires renters to show personal insurance or be offered short‑term coverage; prohibits unfair sales practices by lessors). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB326 — Public‑utility infrastructure reporting (Sponsor: Sen. Cruz Crawford) Motion: Amend and do pass (revised reporting content for utilities to the PUCN). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB359 — Civil infraction procedures (Sponsor: Sen. Scheibel) Motion: Do pass (no amendments at work session). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB382 — Trailer registration for agricultural use (Sponsor: Sen. Hansen) Motion: Amend and do pass (narrow registration to trailers primarily used to transport livestock/ag products or farm/ranch machinery; five‑year registration option with specified fee rules). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB395 — Autonomous vehicle operation restrictions (Sponsor: Sen. Orenshaw) Motion: Do pass (prevents certain autonomous vehicles from operating on state highways without a human operator present). Recorded opposition: Senators Hansen and Buck stated no votes; motion passed in committee. Outcome: Carried; floor statement assigned to sponsor.
SB416 — 24/7 sobriety program privilege (committee bill) Motion: Amend and do pass (replace restricted license with a privilege to drive if program requirements are met; amendment refined effective date tied to DMV readiness and removed mental‑illness references). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor committee member.
SB417 — Alternative rate making for natural‑gas utilities (committee bill) Motion: Amend and do pass (amendment authorizes PUCN formula rate methodology, consumer sessions in major counties, and utility acceptance/rejection window for modified plans). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor committee member.
SB442 — Utility service‑termination reporting (committee bill) Motion: Amend and do pass (amendment changes reporting from monthly to quarterly, requires public availability and ZIP‑code breakdowns for terminations). Outcome: Carried unanimously; floor statement assigned to sponsor committee member.
What this means: The committee advanced a mix of statute updates, regulatory and consumer‑protection measures, and public‑safety bills. Several bills carried unanimous committee support after negotiated amendments; a few measures recorded individual committee objections but still passed the committee vote. Each bill will next appear on the Senate floor for further action.
Methodology: This roundup is based on the committee hearing and work session transcript for the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure on April 9, 2025.
