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Votes at a glance: House clears a string of bills on consent and reading calendars
Summary
On Feb. 7 the Utah House passed multiple consent and calendar items including legislation on search warrants, real-estate licensing, emerging technologies, services for people with disabilities, intercountry adoption accreditation, corporate tax revisions and a textbook sales-tax exemption; most passed by wide margins.
During its Feb. 7 floor session the Utah House approved a series of items on the consent and reading calendars before recessing for the afternoon. Highlights include:
- Senate Bill 30 (amendments to search-warrant procedure): Representative Wyatt described the bill as modernizing the process to allow electronic communications and deferring certain technical requirements to Supreme Court rules; the House passed SB 30, 70-0, and transmitted it to the Senate for the president’s signature.
- House Bill 214 (Emerging Technologies/Open Government): Rep. David Clark said the bill asks the Utah Technology Commission to study electronic messaging (email, instant messaging) and whether such formats create public-forum issues; HB 214 passed 70-0 and was referred to the Senate.
- House Bill 79 (services for people with disabilities): Rep. Rebecca Lockhart introduced a coordinating amendment clarifying the Division of Services for People with Disabilities’ authority on background checks, Medicaid administration and provider oversight; HB 79 passed as amended, 75-0, and will go to the Senate.
- House Bill 22 (intercountry adoption accreditation): Rep. Rosalind McGee said HB 22 would allow the Office of Licensing to pursue accreditation under the Hague Convention so Utah could accredit adoption agencies; the bill passed 75-0. Discussion included a fiscal note that anticipated fees (~$150,000) borne by adoption agencies and deposited to the general fund if the state becomes the accrediting entity.
- House Bill 78 (corporate franchise and income tax amendments): Rep. Harper described tax changes, including the double-weighted sales factor option for businesses; first substitute HB 78 passed 74-0 and will be sent to the Senate.
- House Bill 220 (textbook sales-and-use tax exemption): Rep. Duane Bordeaux presented HB 220 to exempt required textbooks for higher-education students at specified public institutions. The bill passed narrowly, 39-36, and was referred to the Senate.
Other bills and items were introduced for rules or referred to committee, and the House recessed until 2 p.m.
Votes, as announced from the Clerk during the session: SB 30 (70-0), SB 118 (vote recorded and referred), HB 283 (69-0), HB 214 (70-0), HB 79 (75-0), HB 22 (75-0), first substitute HB 78 (74-0), HB 220 (39-36).
