Utah Senate passes a batch of bills on school safety, transportation and utilities; several high-profile proposals fail

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on March 7 moved a large number of bills through final action, approving measures covering school safety, transportation funding, energy and other subjects while rejecting several contested proposals.

The chamber approved a conference committee report and passed fifth substitute House Bill 104, Firearm Safety in Schools Amendments; adopted school-safety funding in seventh substitute House Bill 40; and approved transportation and utility-related bills among others. At the same time, the Senate rejected several bills after debate, including proposals on unlicensed drivers and changes to Medicaid pharmacy contracting.

Why it matters: The batch of approvals and rejections will affect how schools address safety upgrades, how Salt Lake County transportation dollars may be used, and how the state structures certain utility and infrastructure programs. Passed bills that originated in the House will be returned to the House for any final action or signature.

Votes at a glance (selected bills mentioned on the Senate floor):

- Seventh substitute House Bill 40 (school safety amendments): Passed 25–0, 4 absent. Conference committee report adopted; bill will be returned to the House for further consideration.

- Second substitute House Bill 148 (child abuse aggravating factor amendments): Passed 27–0, 2 absent. Creates an aggravating factor when offenders travel more than 45 miles or pay a child to travel more than 45 miles for certain offenses.

- Fourth substitute House Bill 313 (state construction and electrical standards amendments; substitute 4 adopted): Passed 22–6–1 (yes–no–absent). The substitute updated building and electrical code provisions and addressed low-NOx water heater requirements under the state construction code.

- Third substitute House Bill 392 (unlicensed driver amendments): Failed 12–17–0. The bill, and proposed amendments to clarify enforcement as primary or secondary, were debated heavily before the Senate returned it to the House for filing.

- Third substitute House Bill 329 (homeless services amendments): Passed 27–0–2. The bill increases coordination, reporting and shelter-safety provisions and emphasizes transitions out of homelessness.

- Sixth substitute House Bill 502 (transportation infrastructure funding amendments for Salt Lake County local option sales tax): Passed 24–0–5. The bill appropriates local-option sales tax proceeds and envisions bonding and grants to support transportation projects near attainable housing.

- Ninth substitute House Bill 122 (military affairs amendments): Passed 21–2–6.

- First substitute House Bill 551 (elected official publicity amendments): Passed 23–0–6; restricts expenditures of public funds for promotional mass communications within 60 days of an election.

- House Bill 481 (ballot proposition publication and companion constitutional amendment path): Passed 28–0–1.

- House Bill 409 (Medicaid pharmacy delivery/payment amendments): Failed 12–17–0 after extended debate on fiscal and programmatic impacts.

- First substitute House Bill 96 (fraud amendments): Passed 26–1–2.

- Second substitute House Bill 360 (housing attainability amendments): Passed 25–3–1.

- Second substitute House Bill 263 (election record amendments): Passed 19–6–4.

- Third substitute House Bill 363 (newborn infant testing privacy amendments): Passed 26–0–3.

- House Bill 350 (district energy amendments): Passed 28–1–0.

- Conference report: Fifth substitute Senate Bill 188 (school district modifications): Passed 24–0–5; adopted conference committee changes related to district debt allocation and guaranteed salary periods.

- Fifth substitute House Bill 104 (firearm safety and schools — conference report): Passed 19–6–4; will return to the House for further consideration.

- Concurrences and Senate-origin bills on the concurrence calendar that passed include: fourth substitute Senate Bill 62 (Spaceport Exploration Committee) 25–1–3; fourth substitute Senate Bill 137 (course choice empowerment) 22–4–3; second substitute Senate Bill 215 (emergency medical services modifications) 26–0–3; third substitute Senate Bill 144 (intimate-image/crimes consistency) 24–1–4; fourth substitute Senate Bill 253 (railroad and transportation amendments) 19–8–2; fifth substitute Senate Bill 132 (electric utility amendments) 27–0–2.

What comes next: Passed House-origin bills are being returned to the House for any remaining steps and signatures. Several measures that failed in the Senate will be returned to the House for filing. The Senate recessed until 7:00 p.m.

Sources: Floor proceedings, Utah Senate, March 7, 2025. Vote tallies as recorded on the Senate floor.