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Senate approves tax credit for low‑income seniors’ prescription costs
Summary
The Utah Senate passed Senate Bill 99, a tax-credit measure aimed at helping low‑ and moderate‑income seniors cover prescription drug costs. The credit equals prescription spending above 5% of household income, capped at $600; senators debated the bill’s fiscal note before approving it, 26–3.
The Utah State Senate approved a tax-credit program intended to offset prescription drug costs for some seniors.
Senate Bill 99, sponsored on the floor as a senior‑prescription tax credit, would allow a credit equal to the amount prescription outlays exceed 5% of a household’s income, up to a $600 cap. “The purpose of this bill is to provide a small rebate to those senior citizens who are on a low‑ to moderate‑income,” the sponsor said on the floor, highlighting eligibility tied to roughly 50 percent of the federal poverty level.
Supporters said the measure targets older residents who pay a disproportionate share of prescriptions and who struggle to remain off welfare. Opponents and several senators questioned the fiscal estimate attached to the bill, asking how many eligible seniors would actually claim the credit and whether the projected cost was inflated. “How could that be a $2,000,000 fiscal note?” one senator asked during debate, saying the cap and eligibility rules exclude higher‑income earners.
Senate debate included discussion of comparisons to prior programs (for example, the circuit breaker) and uncertainty about take‑up rates; sponsors argued past programs overestimated participation and actual costs could be lower. Despite the fiscal questions, the Senate adopted technical amendments prepared by legal services and placed the amended bill on the calendar. After a roll call, the chamber recorded the final tally as 26 ayes, 3 nays and 3 absent, and the bill passed the Senate.
Next steps: SB 99, as passed by the Senate, will be transmitted to the House for further consideration and any conference or final action.
Vote record: The Senate reported 26 ayes, 3 nays, 3 absent on the final passage of SB 99.
