Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House clears a slate of bills on Feb. 9; key votes and outcomes
Summary
The Utah House completed floor action on multiple bills Feb. 9, sending a wide range of measures to the Senate. Key votes included unanimous passage of HB37 (telecommunications) and HB70 (trust lands), and contentious passage of HB177 (motor vehicle fee collection) 49–17.
The Utah House on Feb. 9 completed floor action on a broad set of bills, approving measures on telecommunications purchasing, trust lands, concealed‑firearm permit revocation and more. Several items were amended on the floor; a handful produced substantive debate. The following is a summary of recorded floor votes and brief context.
House Bill 37 (purchase of telecommunications service): Motion to concur with Senate amendments carried; House voted 67–0 to pass HB37 and return it to the Senate for signature. Sponsor explained amendments allow cooperation with the Chief Information Officer and access by competitors to state contracts.
House Bill 242 (revocation of concealed‑firearm permit): The bill clarifies revocation and appellate procedures; the House adopted an amendment to cross‑reference existing no‑carry sections and passed the bill 71–0.
House Bill 71 (alcohol and drug testing fee): Sponsor said the bill adds a $50 fee to the license‑reinstatement administration fee so offenders, not taxpayers, pay for drug/alcohol testing; House passed the bill 69–3.
House Bill 70 (School and Institutional Trust Lands amendments): Amendments clarified treatment of dividends and other income, extended right‑of‑entry through 2002 and required payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes when trust lands are sold to tax‑exempt entities; the House passed the measure 71–0.
House Bill 33 (community responsiveness of UDOT): Floor amendments require UDOT to respond in writing to local government requests, describe alternatives and report annually; the House passed HB33 66–0.
House Bill 36 (juror reimbursement): First substitute increased juror/witness pay; House passed 68–3.
House Bill 243 (recognition of non‑court guardianship): The bill requires out‑of‑country guardianship to be approved by a Utah District Court (with limited local‑board exceptions); the House passed 72–0.
House Bill 92 (sexual offenses without consent of victim for professionals): Expanded language addressing health professionals and religious counselors who misrepresent treatment, clarifying that consent obtained by fraud is not lawful; passed 69–0.
House Bill 25 (penalty for interference with service of process): Creates a class B misdemeanor for interference with service; passed 69–0.
House Bill 178 (Task Force on Whistleblower Protection): Established a task force to study whistleblower protection for private employees; after correcting statutory citations the House passed the bill 52–17.
House Bill 103 (ethics law amendments): Consolidates conflicting bribery statutes and clarifies definitions and penalties; passed 71–0.
House Bill 177 (uniform motor vehicle fee collection): The bill adjusts county/state roles and includes a fiscal note; a floor amendment attempt to shorten a notice period from 18 to 12 months failed and the bill passed 49–17.
Several committee reports were also adopted and a number of bills were placed on appropriate calendars. Many of these measures were either placed on the third‑reading calendar, sent to committee, or forwarded to the Senate as noted in the House journal for Feb. 9.
