Utah Senate advances administrative‑rules reauthorization, school‑safety and behavioral‑health measures; rejects vehicle‑registration refund and pari‑mutuel bid

The Utah State Senate on Thursday approved several bills affecting state administrative rules, school safety, corrections health care and behavioral health funding, while voting down proposals to expand vehicle registration fee refunds and to legalize pari‑mutuel wagering. Lawmakers also circled or recalled several high‑profile bills for further fiscal review.

Senator McKay moved the annual reauthorization of the state's administrative rules, saying, "This is the annual reauthorization of the laundry list of administrative rules we have in the state of Utah." The chamber approved the second substitute for House Bill 75, 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent; the measure will be returned to the House for further consideration.

The Senate also approved legislation aimed at regulatory oversight and school safety. First substitute House Bill 474, which raises the threshold for a "substantial fiscal impact" review from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, passed 27'yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent. Sixth substitute House Bill 40, a school‑safety bill that narrows some ballistic‑window requirements to school entry points and extends flexibility for playground fencing and needs assessments, passed 25 yeas, 0 nays, 4 absent.

Lawmakers approved criminal code recodification (second substitute House Bill 21, 29 yeas, 0 nays) and measures aimed at correctional behavioral health, including fourth substitute House Bill 39 to expand telehealth psychiatry and other corrections health provisions (26 yeas, 0 nays, 3 absent). A package of behavioral health changes (second substitute House Bill 491) passed 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent but was later recalled to the Senate for a fiscal correction and placed on the calendar for further action.

Not all proposals advanced. First substitute House Bill 277, a vehicle‑registration refund proposal that sponsors said would allow a refund when owners replace a vehicle midyear, failed on the floor, 6 yeas, 22 nays, 1 absent. Senator Fillmore argued against it on fiscal and policy grounds, saying vehicle registration fees "are one of the closest things we have to a user fee in the state" and expressing concern about a roughly $5 million transportation‑fund reduction and administrative costs.

A statewide pari‑mutuel wagering bill (second substitute Senate Bill 156) failed narrowly after extended debate about the Utah Constitution's ban on games of chance; Senator Fillmore cited Article VI, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution in explaining his nay vote. The measure lost, 13 yeas, 14 nays, 2 absent.

Several bills were circled or sent back to rules for additional work: second substitute House Bill 300 (election law changes) was circled after floor debate over implementation and clerk concerns; House Bill 231 (primary election amendments, second substitute) was returned to rules by motion of the sponsor; and House Bill 562 (law enforcement and criminal justice provisions) was circled for additional review. Senate leaders also recalled House Bill 491 (behavioral health) so staff could correct overlapping fiscal funding.

Votes at a glance: House bills listed below show the sponsor and the Senate outcome as recorded on the floor.

- H.B. 75 (administrative rules reauthorization, 2nd sub): Passed; Senate tally 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent. Sent to House for consideration. - H.B. 474 (regulatory oversight amendments, 1st sub): Passed; Senate tally 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent. - H.B. 277 (vehicle registration refund amendments, 1st sub): Failed; Senate tally 6 yeas, 22 nays, 1 absent. - H.B. 231 (primary election amendments, 2nd sub): Returned to rules (sent back by motion of the sponsor). - H.B. 21 (criminal code recodification, 2nd sub): Passed; Senate tally 29 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent. - H.B. 514 (vehicle registration: reminders and 24‑month option, 3rd sub): Passed; final tally recorded as 28 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent. - H.B. 40 (school safety, 6th sub): Passed; Senate tally 25 yeas, 0 nays, 4 absent. - H.B. 39 (correctional health, 4th sub): Passed; Senate tally 26 yeas, 0 nays, 3 absent. - H.B. 491 (behavioral health modifications, 2nd sub): Passed on floor 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent; later recalled for fiscal correction and circled for further action. - S.B. 156 (pari‑mutuel racing, 2nd sub): Failed; Senate tally 13 yeas, 14 nays, 2 absent. - H.B. 127 (assaults on incapacitated adults — sentencing changes, 1st sub): Passed; Senate tally 28 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent. - H.B. 452 (AI and mental health chatbot protections, 2nd sub): Passed; Senate tally 28 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent. - S.B. 297 (congregate care amendments, 5th sub): Passed; Senate tally 27 yeas, 1 nay, 1 absent. - S.B. 274 (health insurance preauthorization revisions, 2nd sub): Passed; Senate tally recorded as 20 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent.

What remains: Several high‑profile measures were set aside for further work. The long‑running election bill (House Bill 300) was circled after additional technical changes and clerk concerns; sponsors said some security and opt‑in provisions will phase in over multiple years. Behavioral health funding (H.B. 491) was recalled so staff can correct a duplicated funding item in the fiscal note. Lawmakers adjourned the session to reconvene the following day.

The Senate's actions Thursday advance multiple policy changes to the House for concurrence; other measures will return to committee or to the calendar as fiscal and technical fixes are finalized.