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House approves multiple bills on consent calendar, schedules death-penalty debate for Friday
Summary
On Feb. 9, the Utah House cleared several consent-calendar measures — including economic development grants, jury-duty and student-records changes — and set a time-certain for a death-penalty bill. Several bills, including a reauthorization of the Resource Development Coordinating Committee, passed unanimously.
The Utah House of Representatives cleared a series of consent-calendar and third-reading measures on Monday, passage that included changes to economic-development grants, jury-duty exemptions and student-record rules.
Representative Powell presented first substitute House Bill 129, which expands eligibility for a rural small-business grant program (grants up to $50,000) by changing how county classifications are applied; the House approved the bill 72–0 and the measure will be transmitted to the Senate. Representative McHale described HB154, a measure allowing a breastfeeding mother to petition a court for exemption from jury service; the House passed HB154, 74–0. HB128, which removes a requirement that school districts maintain two separate student-record databases and allows certain graduates to petition to expunge records, passed 73–0.
The chamber also handled technical changes to surface-lease procedures (HB44) and approved a veterinary-practice amendment allowing veterinary businesses to form LLCs with non-veterinarian members so long as clinical direction remains with licensed veterinarians (HB88); both passed by lopsided margins. The House agreed to a plan to circled and later uncircle and pass Senate Bill 25, reauthorizing the Resource Development Coordinating Committee for 10 years to coordinate federal funding and reduce duplication among state agencies; SB25 passed 75–0 and will be returned to the Senate for signature.
Separately, Representative Ray moved to lift House Bill 11 (death-penalty procedure amendments) from the third-reading calendar and place it on the time-certain calendar for Friday the 13th at 11:20 a.m.; the motion passed on a recorded vote, 52–17, placing the bill on a time-certain slot to accommodate press coverage and public attention.
The House adopted multiple committee reports and placed substituted base-budget bills (HB1, HB4, HB5, HB6 and HB7) at the top of the third-reading calendar for consideration this afternoon.
What happens next: Bills approved by the House will be transmitted to the Senate or returned following the usual enrollment and signature process; HB11 will be considered at a time certain on Friday.
