Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate moves multiple bills forward, circles base budget items
Summary
On Jan. 28 the Utah Senate assigned, circled, and passed a series of bills across education, transportation, health and economic development. Leaders also moved base budget bills to the top of the second-reading calendar and circled several appropriations bills for future consideration.
The Utah Senate on Jan. 28 handled a broad mix of measures, approving several bills on final passage, reporting committee recommendations, and moving base budget bills to the front of the second-reading calendar.
Bills passed or approved for transmission to the House included:
- Senate Bill 66 (School Personnel Amendments): Changes the statutory title "classified personnel" to "education support professionals" in four code sections. Passed on a roll call, 26 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent; will be sent to the House.
- Senate Bill 88 (School Funding for Veterans Day Commemorations): Sets aside money for schools that voluntarily hold Veterans Day assemblies. Passed on a roll call, 27 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; will be sent to the House.
- Senate Bill 21 (Long Term Disability Amendments): Clarifies definitions and medical evidence requirements for public-employee long-term disability. Passed on a roll call, 28 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent; will be sent to the House.
- Senate Bill 59 (Commercial Driver License Revisions): Updates state code to comply with federal motor carrier requirements. Passed on a roll call; tally reported as unanimous among voters with one absence.
- First substitute Senate Bill 62 (Spaceport Exploration Committee), as amended: Establishes a committee related to spaceport activities and changes the dispersal authority for funds to the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Passed 27 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent; will be sent to the House.
- Senate Bill 96 (Advanced Air Mobility Amendments): Updates state law to reflect ongoing state planning and partnerships for vertical takeoff and landing operations; passed (tally recorded on the floor as 25 ayes, 0 nays, 8 absent) and will be transmitted to the House.
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 2: Encourages practices that promote childhood independence in curricula and local planning. Passed 28 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent and will be sent to the House.
Committee and procedural actions
- The Rules Committee reported a set of bills for assignment to standing committees and those committee reports were adopted.
- Senators moved to "lift" and place base budget bills at the top of the second-reading calendar: SB 1 (Public Education base budget amendments), SB 5 (Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality base budget), SB 6 (Criminal Justice base budget), and SB 7 (Social Services base budget). The motion to lift those bills passed and floor leaders said they will "circle" and consider fiscal notes and details later in the week.
- Several bills on the third- and second-reading calendars were circled (held) for fiscal-note review, including Senate Bill 39 (Education testing amendments) and multiple appropriations items.
The Senate adjourned and scheduled a rules committee meeting immediately after floor time; the next floor session was announced for Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 11 a.m.
