Utah Senate finishes 2009 session: bills on health care, public lands, victim rights and Sudan divestment pass before Sine Die

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate completed its 2009 general session on March 12, sending a flurry of bills back to the House for signatures and adjourning Sine Die after a day of final votes, committee reports and valedictory remarks from the governor.

Lawmakers moved quickly through the concurrence calendar and second-reading items, adopting conference reports and concurring with House amendments on dozens of measures. The Senate adopted a conference committee report to fix a drafting error in House Bill 378 (circuit breaker amendments), changing a $60,000 provision from "ongoing" to "one-time" and approving the report without debate. House Bill 378 passed the Senate by recorded vote: 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent.

The chamber approved bills affecting a range of policy areas. Among the measures enacted:

- HB 148 (Victim Rights Amendment): Sponsor Sen. Kevin Knudson presented a fourth substitute to correct a technical defect in the crime-victim statutes and to empower trial judges to award remedies that let victims assert their rights (excluding new trials or monetary damages). The Senate forced the substitute under suspension and passed the bill (21 yea, 0 nay). Knudson said the change "permits the victim to assert the right" while preserving protections for defendants and limiting remedies consistent with double jeopardy concerns.

- HB 169 (Public Lands Policy Coordination): Senator Stoll said audit findings prompted reorganization of the state office and the dissolution of the public lands policy coordinating council, strengthening…