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Senate advances Medicaid expansion for aged, blind and disabled with $1.9M fiscal note
Summary
Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Senator Holmgren, would expand Medicaid eligibility to people who are aged, blind or disabled; the Senate placed the bill on the third‑reading calendar after debate about funding, noting a $1.9 million fiscal note and unsettled revenue sources.
The Utah Senate advanced a bill that would expand Medicaid eligibility to people who are aged, blind or disabled, moving the measure to the third‑reading calendar while members continued to weigh funding options.
Senator John Holmgren, sponsor of Senate Bill 59, said the bill "expands Medicaid to the age blind and disabled" and noted the fiscal note attached to the measure estimates about $1,900,000 to fund the program. He said the measure would provide coverage to roughly 4,000 low‑income residents if funding can be identified.
Supporters said the expenditure is modest relative to the public‑health benefits and urged legislators to find budget offsets after SB 49 (a proposed cable tax that might have funded aspects of the program) failed in committee earlier the same day. "$1,900,000 will give access to 4,000 people," one senator said in floor remarks endorsing the bill as a human‑services investment.
Opponents and cautious voices on the floor urged care in committing ongoing funds, noting the bill's mix of supplemental and ongoing fiscal implications and that some funding elements in the governor's budget and the analyst's estimates did not fully align. The sponsor and other senators agreed to pursue budget options; the bill was placed on the third‑reading calendar for final action.
The floor tally was reported as 22 ayes, no nays, 7 absent when the President announced the result and directed placement on the third‑reading calendar.
