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Utah Senate fast-tracks package of repealer and technical cleanup bills
Summary
On Jan. 15 the Utah Senate suspended rules and sent a slate of short repealer and technical bills (including SB5, SB6, SB9, SB10 as amended, SB13, SB14, SB15 and SB18) to the House; most passed by overwhelming margins after brief sponsor explanations.
The Utah Senate on Jan. 15 suspended its usual timelines and advanced a package of largely technical repealer bills and cleanups, sending each to the House for further consideration.
Senators moved repeatedly under suspension of the rules to consider several measures for second and third reading the same day. Sponsor statements characterized the items as minor statutory housekeeping. "This bill has a whopping 15 lines in it," said Senator Spencer while introducing SB5, a repeal of lapsed disaster relief appropriations from 1991.
Why it matters: The bills remove obsolete code sections, update cross-references and eliminate posting or authorization requirements superseded by newer law. Senate sponsors and the presiding officer described the package as routine maintenance of the Utah Code rather than new policy.
Key actions and outcomes: The Senate recorded unanimous or near-unanimous roll-call results on the measures it advanced. For example, the presiding officer announced, "Senate bill 5, having 28 aye votes, no nay votes, passes to the house for further consideration." Similar tallies were recorded for SB6, SB9, SB13 and SB18. SB14 passed "having received 28 aye votes, no nay votes, and 1 absent." SB10 was amended on the floor (see below) and, as amended, passed with 28 aye votes.
Notable details from debate: Sponsors briefly explained the substance of each repeal. Senator Peterson said SB6 removes technical directions tied to a 1933 code recodification and "1 page of the code is deleted by this repeal." Senator Spencer described SB13 as removing statutory attorney-control provisions rendered obsolete by changes attributing regulation to the state bar and the courts. Senator Spencer also explained SB14 removes bidding-posting requirements superseded by the Government Records Access and Management Act.
Other floor business: The clerk transmitted a large number of House-passed bills and a House joint rule resolution to the Senate for consideration. The body also received notices of three new Senate bills for first reading and referral: SB34 (individual income tax relief for low-income individuals), SB106 (municipal bond secured transactions) and SB107 (uses of the transient room tax).
What’s next: All of the repealer bills were sent to the House for its consideration. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. the following day.
