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Senate debates HB153 funding; final roll call shows narrow passage after amendments
Summary
Senate floor debate over House Bill 153 centered on whether a $50,000 appropriation for wildlife damage mitigation should come from the general fund or a restricted wildlife account. Senators exchanged amendments, warned about federal fund risk, and the bill passed after roll call with a recorded yea/nay tally.
The Utah State Senate spent an extended period debating House Bill 153, which would appropriate $50,000 to mitigate damage done by large wildlife to private agricultural property. The floor debate focused on whether the payment should come from the general fund or from a restricted wildlife resources account that contains license‑fee revenue.
Supporters pointed to a surplus in the restricted account and urged using that dedicated money. "At the present time there's over $4,000,000 in the restricted account," a senator supporting the restricted‑fund option said during floor remarks, noting that the requested $50,000 is a small fraction of the balance. Proponents argued the appropriation would compensate ranchers and other private landowners for verified losses.
Opponents warned that diverting license revenue can create legal and administrative risk. One senator argued that federal regulations governing matching wildlife funds prohibit diverting license revenue to purposes outside administration of the state fish and wildlife agency, and cautioned that jeopardizing $5–6 million in federal funds would be a serious consequence of an unconstrained appropriation. That concern shaped multiple amendment proposals designed to limit the appropriation’s scope.
Lawmakers considered several amendments: inserting a private‑land limitation to payments, capping the appropriation at $50,000 per fiscal year, and tying reimbursements to a fraction of license fees. Some proposed limits failed on the floor; others were adopted in substitute form, producing a compromise text the Senate could approve.
After debate and sequential votes on amendments and substitutes, the Senate held a final roll call on the bill as amended. The transcript records the final tally as 18 ayes, 8 nays, 3 absent, and the bill was returned to the House for further action with the Senate’s amendments.
