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Senate passes amended tattooing age-limit bill after extended debate
Summary
The Utah Senate approved substitute Senate Bill 108, tightening age and parental-consent rules for tattoos after floor amendments that restored committee language and clarified exceptions for married or military minors. The measure passed 25–1 and moves to the House.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 16 approved substitute Senate Bill 108, a measure setting parental-consent conditions and exceptions for tattooing. After extended floor debate and multiple amendments, the chamber recorded 25 aye votes, one nay and three absences, and the bill was referred to the House for further consideration.
Senator Charles Stewart, sponsor of the substitute, said the bill as amended seeks to clarify earlier committee language so minors under 17 would require a parent or guardian present when receiving a tattoo for medical identification or to alter an existing tattoo in lieu of removal. The Senate addressed an additional amendment that would have imposed parental-consent requirements on 18-year-olds; supporters and opponents disagreed over whether age‑18 should be treated as full legal adulthood for this purpose.
Senator Lyle Hilliard, who defended the committee's original framing, offered a substitute amendment that restored the committee's cutoff and exempted married persons and members of the armed forces from the parental‑presence rule. Senator Stewart said he had intended to protect high‑school students from a permanent choice but accepted restoring committee language after the amendment process. Senator Steiner and others recalled three days of prior committee testimony and argued for a clearer bright‑line rule.
The Senate divided and voted on housekeeping and substantive amendments during floor consideration before taking a final roll‑call vote. The chair announced the final tally as 25 yeas, 1 nay and 3 absent. The bill will now be transmitted to the House for its consideration.
A next procedural step is the House receiving and scheduling the item; the Senate record does not show additional implementation details or an effective date.
Quote: “Once you have a tattoo, it’s permanent,” Senator Stewart said during debate, arguing for tighter parental involvement for some younger adults. “We have an obligation to protect our children,” he added. Hilliard said the committee’s approach struck a reasonable balance while preserving exemptions for those who are married or in the armed forces.
The Senate also recorded multiple companion procedural motions and guest recognitions during the same floor session; the broader calendar included several other bills that passed or moved forward.
