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House clears multiple concurrence items, returns some to Senate
Summary
The Utah House voted on a slate of concurrence items March 12, approving multiple education, public safety and funding bills and returning a few items to the Senate for further work. Several bills passed unanimously or by wide margins; a handful were refused concurrence or failed.
The Utah House of Representatives took up its concurrence calendar March 12 and acted on a series of bills transmitted from the Senate, voting to concur on several measures and refusing concurrence on others.
Bills the House concurred with and passed for return to the Senate included first substitute HB197 (educator licensing amendments), which the House approved 42-22 after sponsors said the Senate simplified licensing language to broaden the pool of potential school leaders. First substitute HB198 (strengthening college and career readiness) passed 53-9 after the sponsor noted the Senate reduced a funding figure from $440,000 to $400,000. Second substitute HB203 (teacher salary supplement) passed 49-18 after Senate amendments narrowed eligible positions to limit the fiscal impact. Second substitute HB337 (career and technical education study) passed 56-14; sponsors said the amendment added reporting to UCAT and the governor. First substitute HB406 (Natural Gas Vehicle amendments) passed 42-28 for technical drafting changes coordinating CNG tax language with transportation bills. First substitute HB348 (criminal justice programs) passed 67-2, and HB444 (charter school funding task force) passed 67-0.
Not every concurrence motion was accepted. Representative Red moved that the House refuse to concur with Senate amendments to first substitute HB395 (controlled-substance database amendments) on the basis that an apparent one-time fiscal note was actually ongoing; the House voted to not concur and returned the matter to the Senate. The House also recorded failures on separate measures that had floor debate or public interest: for example, SB53 (state domestic animal, naming the golden retriever) failed on final vote, 27-43.
Other Senate-origin measures were read for second (and later) reading and added to the third-reading calendar, including bills on early reading, law-enforcement use-of-force interim study, and transportation. The House then moved to its third-reading calendar and to longer debates on several Senate bills.
Votes at a glance (final passage tallies reported on the floor): HB197 passed 42-22; HB198 passed 53-9; HB203 passed 49-18; HB337 passed 56-14; HB406 passed 42-28; HB348 passed 67-2; HB444 passed 67-0; HB395 was returned to the Senate (refused to concur); SB53 failed 27-43. Additional recorded Senate-origin votes earlier and later in the day included SB237 (69-0), SB248 (71-0), SB263 (first substitute, 53-16), SB260 (failed in House, 20-49), and SB269 (39-30).
What happens next: Passed concurrence bills will be returned to the Senate for signature of the Senate president; bills the House refused to concur on will go to the conference process or back to the Senate for reconsideration. Several bills were placed on the third-reading calendar for further floor action later the same day.
