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Utah House advances payday‑lending rules, vulnerable‑adult protections and other measures
Summary
The Utah House passed several Senate measures on Jan. 11, including a payday‑lending registration bill, new civil remedies for exploited vulnerable adults and higher probate thresholds; votes were taken on multiple transportation and licensing bills and several items were circled for later action.
The Utah House of Representatives met for floor session on Jan. 11 and approved multiple Senate measures, including legislation to regulate payday lending, expand civil remedies for exploited vulnerable adults and raise the probate small‑estate threshold.
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 16, the Lending Registration Act, which backers described as a bipartisan compromise to clarify how fees and interest are defined and to add regulatory guardrails for payday‑loan products. Representative Hughes urged support, saying the bill "is a bill where both sides came together" to provide statutory clarity. The House approved SB16 71‑0 with 4 members absent; the measure was signed by the Speaker for enrolling and returned to the Senate for signature.
The chamber also approved Senate Bill 7, which expands civil remedies for victims of exploitation of vulnerable adults so successful plaintiffs can recover attorney fees. Representative White said victims should not bear litigation costs for reclaiming stolen retirement funds; SB7 passed 71‑0 with 4 absent.
On probate law, Representative Johnson explained Senate Bill 24 would raise the small‑estate threshold from $25,000 to $100,000 so families can settle modest estates without hiring an attorney. The House passed SB24, as amended in the Senate, 69‑0 with 6 absent.
Other actions on the Senate third‑reading calendar included Senate Bill 14 (Family Employment Program amendments), which the House said brings Utah into compliance with federal TANF reauthorization and passed unanimously, and Senate Bill 103 (ineligibility for unemployment compensation benefits) which passed 72‑0. The House also debated and passed Senate Bill 19 (Commercial Driver's License amendments) after uncircling it; the final vote was 67‑1. Several measures (including SJR7 on Department of Corrections contracting) were 'circled' for later consideration.
Floor debate frequently focused on statutory compliance and fiscal consequences. Representative King warned that failing to adopt federal compliance provisions in the driver's‑license bill could jeopardize federal highway funding. On HB45 (comparative negligence), members debated an amendment to delete "civil conspiracy" language; that bill was ultimately circled for further consideration to allow additional stakeholder discussion.
The House adopted a Rules Committee report assigning dozens of newly introduced bills to standing committees, and the Speaker signed several House bills transmitted from the Senate for enrolling. The session concluded with the House adjourning until Friday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m.
Votes at a glance: SB16 (Lending Registration Act) — passed 71‑0, SB7 (Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult) — passed 71‑0, SB24 (Probate Code Amendments) — passed 69‑0, SB14 (Family Employment Program) — passed 71‑0, SB103 (Unemployment ineligibility) — passed 72‑0, SB19 (CDL amendments) — passed 67‑1. Several items were circled for follow‑up.
