Senate clears long list of bills; many measures sent back to House for signatures

The Utah Senate spent its March 1, 1995 floor session processing a long series of bills and resolutions, passing a mix of policy and housekeeping measures and returning them to the House for final signatures.

Among the measures approved were bills on workers’ compensation, boards and commissions reorganization, and a suite of tax- and funding-related items. The Senate voted to concur in or pass a large group of bills under suspension of the rules and by roll call, sending them back to the House with instructions for enrolling or further consideration as required.

Notable items included: first substitute Senate Bill 105 (manufacturing sales tax exemption), which the House amended for phased implementation and the Senate approved; House Bill 343 to create a nonprofit Utah State Fair Corporation, which sets up an 11-member governor-appointed board and annual audits; Substitute House Bill 452 (boards and commissions amendments), a 53-page housekeeping and transfer package; and several appropriations-related and technical corrections across departments. Several bills were 'circled' (set aside) for later consideration.

Where bills drew discussion, it tended to focus on funding priorities or administrative details: senators questioned fiscal notes, board powers and employee benefit continuity when moving programs into quasi‑public corporations. In routine cases the Senate passed measures unanimously or by large margins and referred them back to the House for final signature and enrollment.

The Senate also recorded a series of procedural actions — motions to circle bills, recalls for amendment, and requests that the House receive or accept particular changes — that will affect how a handful of bills move forward.

The Senate president announced that most passed bills will be signed in open session and returned to the House for the final steps of enrolling and signature.