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Senate passes consent-calendar measures, advances judicial and health bills; infertility coverage measure fails
Summary
The Utah Senate approved multiple consent-calendar items and several Senate bills on Jan. 25, 1990, including measures on retirement allowances, prosecution counsel, and anatomical-gift law. A high-profile proposal to mandate infertility coverage (SB 16) failed after an extended debate over cost and scope.
The Utah State Senate convened Jan. 25 and completed a series of floor actions, approving several measures on the consent calendar and taking recorded votes on multiple bills.
On the consent calendar, SCR 6 (a resolution honoring Brighton High School) passed 28-0-1 and HCR 19 (designating Jan. 25 as United Mine Workers of America Day) passed 27-0-2. The chamber also approved companion retirement bills: House Bill 120 (minimum retirement allowance) passed 28-0-1 and House Bill 115 (retirement allowance increase) passed 27-0-2, both funded from the retirement trust fund, not general funds.
Senate floor action included passage or advancement of several Senate-sponsored measures: SB 91 (prosecution counsel support for rural county prosecutors) passed 27-0-2; SB 26 (underground storage tank insurance and an environmental surcharge) passed 23-4-2 and was referred to the House; SB 103 (judicial amendments) had committee amendments adopted and was placed on the third-reading calendar after unanimous support; SB 107 (amendments to the anatomical gift statute) was reported favorably and placed on the third-reading calendar; and SDR 13, a study resolution on retirement-system consolidation, passed and will fund an actuarial study ($240,000 from retirement funds).
Not all measures advanced. After extended floor debate, Senate Bill 16, which would have mandated insurance coverage for some infertility treatments, failed on a recorded vote of 9 ayes, 17 nays, 3 absent. Sponsors and supporters argued the bill addressed a medical need and cited out-of-state experience; opponents raised concerns about premium increases, ERISA‑governed self‑insured plans being exempt, and widely varying fiscal estimates.
The Senate adjourned with additional committee scheduling and plans to reconvene at 10:00 a.m. the next day.
