Votes at a Glance: Utah House Advances Trade Commission, Adoption, Education and Multiple Consent Items

The Utah House convened Feb. 3 and advanced a slate of bills and resolutions on the consent and third‑reading calendars. Key floor actions and recorded vote tallies are listed below, with sponsors and short descriptions drawn from the floor record.

House Bill 287 — Wildlife Damage Compensation Act amendments (sponsor: Rep. Craig Butters) - Summary: Adds eagles to the statute allowing livestock owners compensation for predator damage (current statute covers cougar and bear). - Vote: 72 yes, 0 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Bill 152 — Navajo Trust Fund Amendments (sponsor: Rep. Brad King) - Summary: Clarifies circumstances under which members of the Dine Committee may benefit from Trust funds, requires conflict disclosure and recusal, and preserves trustees’ final authority. - Vote: Recorded as passed on the floor; transcript vote count text was unclear and is not specified here. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Joint Resolution 7 — Resolution opposing a U.S. Supreme Court decision (sponsor: Rep. Ron Bigelow) - Summary: Urges congressional action opposing a Supreme Court decision interpreted by the sponsor as narrowing criminal liability for depictions involving children; sponsor said staff will correct typographical errors. - Vote: 72 yes, 0 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Bill 39 — Utah International Trade Commission (sponsor: Rep. Cheryl Allen) - Summary: Creates a Utah International Trade Commission to study and advise on trade agreements and related state authority; floor amendment limits paid meetings to four per year and requires gubernatorial consultation before binding the state. - Vote: 67 yes, 4 no. Outcome: Passed as amended; referred to Senate.

House Bill 40 — Expenditures for tourism, recreation, cultural and convention facilities (sponsor: Rep. James Farren/Rep. Adams on floor) - Summary: Aligns auditing/reporting for county tourism funds (TRCC and TRT) and clarifies financing and reporting. - Vote: 69 yes, 0 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Bill 218 — Schools for the Deaf and Blind Salary Adjustment (sponsor: Rep. Karen Morgan) - Summary: Codifies an ongoing formula for teacher salary adjustments at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind and clarifies funding practice. - Vote: 70 yes, 0 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Bill 119 — Board of Regents Amendments (sponsor: Rep. Jeff Alexander) - Summary: Removes a partisan limit on gubernatorial appointments to the Board of Regents and replaces it with nonpartisan appointment language. - Vote: 47 yes, 22 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

House Bill 89 — Adoption and Vital Statistics Amendments (sponsor: Rep. Corey Holdaway) - Summary: Changes the default for adoptee access to birth records so that a birth parent must file a nondisclosure affidavit to prevent access (registry remains available but may be unnecessary under the new default). - Vote: 38 yes, 31 no. Outcome: Passed; referred to Senate.

Procedure notes: The House adopted multiple standing committee reports and referred numerous bills to the second- and third‑reading calendars. A motion to refuse to concur with the Senate on First Substitute House Joint Resolution 3 (base budget timing language) passed and will be communicated to the Senate.

What to watch: Many bills passed the House and move to the Senate for further consideration. HB119 (Board of Regents) and HB89 (Adoption) were among the more contested floor items and may prompt testimony and debate in the Senate and relevant committees.