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House advances package of bills to Senate; wide margins on several measures
Summary
On March 5, 2018 the Utah House passed a range of bills — from fines and tax revisions to water and education measures — and sent them to the Senate. Several measures passed with large majorities; one initiative-timing amendment failed initial consideration and was set for later action.
The Utah House of Representatives completed a full floor session March 5, passing a series of bills on third reading and transmitting them to the Senate.
Bills that passed included first-substitute House Bill 336 (fine amendments), which was approved 71–2 after the sponsor said the amendment lowers thresholds for compounding fines to reduce excessive penalties. First Substitute House Bill 309 (drug–distribution–induced homicide) passed 45–23; the sponsor said the measure targets members of organized criminal enterprises who knowingly distribute a controlled substance that results in a death and does not apply to licensed medical practitioners.
Other measures the House approved and transmitted to the Senate included second-substitute House Bill 303 (drinking-water source sizing requirements), House Bill 381 (agricultural water optimization, described by the sponsor as combining roughly $1.2 million from revolving funds to deploy water-conservation technologies), and House Bill 375 (personal property tax revisions clarifying an approximate $10,500 exemption threshold for small businesses). The body also passed education-related bills such as House Bill 437 (career and technical education scholarships) and House Bill 408 (public education amendments) by overwhelming margins.
Representative sponsors generally waived lengthy summations. Several bills were moved as substitutes or amended on the floor before final votes. One bill that failed initial passage was House Bill 471, which would have delayed effective dates for citizen initiatives so they take effect concurrent with legislative bills; that item drew extensive debate and was referred to staff after an initial negative vote.
The House adjourned after adopting a concurrent resolution (HCR 17) calling on Congress to develop a responsible monetary policy; the resolution passed 62–11. The House set reconvening for 8:30 a.m. the following day.
What comes next: Bills passed by the House are now transmitted to the Utah Senate for its consideration. For items that passed as substitutes or with floor amendments, the Senate will receive the amended text for its committee referral and further action.
