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Senate advances wide slate of bills, including victims' rights implementation and health-care reforms
Summary
The Utah Senate approved multiple bills Feb. 18, 1994 — moving criminal and policy measures forward, consenting to appointments, and passing a health-care reform substitute with several floor amendments. Several bills passed unanimously or by large margins.
The Utah State Senate met Feb. 18, 1994, and cleared a broad set of measures ranging from criminal statutes to administrative appointments and health-care reform amendments. Lawmakers consented to gubernatorial appointments, placed numerous bills on third-reading calendars and passed several items under suspension of the rules.
On constitutional and criminal matters, the Senate moved S.J.R. 6 (a constitutional declaration of victims' rights) and its statutory implementation, S.B. 156. Senators adopted a friendly amendment replacing the word "bail" with "pretrial" in one provision and approved S.J.R. 6 by voice vote; S.B. 156 passed with a recorded tally of 22 ayes, 1 nay and 6 absent after floor clarification that full confrontation rights remain for trial but pretrial protections may differ.
The chamber also advanced or passed a set of bills on consent or by recorded tally: S.B. 146 (aggravated assault penalty adjustments) passed with a unanimous voice vote recorded as 26 ayes; H.B. 134 (youth corrections assault provisions) passed (27 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent); S.B. 192 ("Moonwalker" safety rules) was placed on the third-reading calendar (24 ayes); S.B. 206 (Child Protective Services amendments) and S.B. 221 (funding for juvenile offender programs) were both advanced to third reading with recorded majorities.
On health policy, the Senate adopted a first substitute to S.B. 158 (health-care reform). Floor amendments allowed private groups to form group insurance plans under state insurance-commissioner oversight and clarified commissioner rulemaking for disclosure requirements; the first substitute passed (24 ayes, no nays).
The body also consented to a series of gubernatorial appointments (Wildlife Board, Transportation Commission and others) by roll call, and passed S.B. 306 designating square dancing as the official state folk dance under suspension of the rules. A separate appropriation measure, S.B. 172, to provide $300,000 for making recreational facilities ADA-accessible was amended to require coordination with the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities and was sent to third reading after a recorded vote.
The Senate adjourned to reconvene Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Votes at a glance (selected): - S.J.R. 6 (victims' rights constitutional declaration): passed (consent/voice vote) - S.B. 156 (victims' rights statutory implementation): 22 ayes, 1 nay, 6 absent (pass) - S.B. 146 (aggravated assault): 26 ayes, 0 nays (pass) - H.B. 134 (youth corrections assault): 27 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent (pass) - S.B. 192 (Moonwalker Safety Act): 24 ayes, 0 nays (to third reading) - Substitute S.B. 158 (health-care reform, first substitute): 24 ayes, 0 nays (pass) - S.B. 306 (state folk dance — square dancing): passed under suspension of rules (25 ayes, 0 nays) - S.B. 172 (accessible recreational facilities appropriations): recorded (15 ayes, 10 nays, 4 present/not voting) — to third reading
Ending: The Senate’s day combined routine floor business, ceremonial recognitions and substantive policy votes; several items will return on third reading for final action.
