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Senate approves offender-restrictions bill after failed amendment to exempt those who completed parole
Summary
The Utah Senate passed first substitute House Bill 375, enhancing penalties and placing new restrictions tied to the offender registry. An amendment to exempt people who successfully completed probation or parole failed after divided debate over enforcement and out-of-state verification.
The Utah State Senate on Feb. 28 passed first substitute House Bill 375, a measure that strengthens penalties and adds restrictions for people listed on the state offender registry. Sponsor Senator Dayton urged the Senate to approve the bill as a way to "make safer places for our children," emphasizing complaint-driven enforcement rather than proactive monitoring.
The bill drew a focused amendment from Senator Romero, who said he wanted to limit the bill's reach for people who had "successfully completed probation or parole as determined by the court or the board of pardons," and proposed Amendment No. 7 to carve out two specified paragraphs. Romero told colleagues he feared the bill "expands their obligations and restrictions on that database" for people who had already met court-ordered requirements.
Senator Hilliard and others pushed back, raising practical enforcement concerns for out-of-state residents. Hilliard warned that "they have to be on our ... offender registry" and that states vary in how they track or terminate probation: "Some states don't even have a board of pardons," he said, arguing the proposed exemption could create loopholes and enforcement burden.
Responding to those concerns, Dayton said the bill focuses on restricted public places and is enforced "when law enforcement is called in and they can check their status on the ... offender registry," adding, "This is a complaint-driven type of enforcement." He called the measure an attempt to enhance protections for public swimming pools, preschools and similar settings.
The Senate voted on the Romero amendment after a division. The amendment failed on the floor, and the Senate proceeded to final passage of the substitute bill. The clerk reported the final tally on passage; the chair announced the bill passed and will be signed in open session and returned to the House.
The debate highlighted a central tension among senators: balancing additional public-safety restrictions against practical enforcement limits and the treatment of people who have completed sentences or supervision. The Senate record shows differing tallies reported at the lectern during an otherwise orderly roll call; the clerk's statements and an immediate correction appear in the transcript, and the clerk's eventual announcement signaled passage and return to the House.
