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House approves ban on smoking in vehicles with children after heated debate
Summary
The Utah House passed House Bill 13, prohibiting smoking in vehicles when children 15 and younger are present. Sponsors framed it as a public-health measure with a $45 maximum fine (first year a warning); opponents warned of privacy and slippery‑slope concerns. The bill passed 41–30.
House Bill 13, a measure to prohibit smoking in motor vehicles when children 15 and under are passengers, passed the Utah House 41–30 after floor debate and a pair of amendments.
Representative Arendt, the bill sponsor, said the measure is a narrow, child‑safety law that targets a confined, high‑exposure setting. She described the penalty structure in the bill as a secondary offense with a fine up to $45 and noted that during the first year the offense would result in a warning rather than a citation. Arendt cited studies and public‑health guidance that, she said, show rapid, harmful levels of secondhand smoke can occur in cars.
Supporters framed the bill as straightforward…
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