Votes at a glance: Major bills the Utah Senate passed March 30, 2010

The Utah Senate handled a heavy calendar on March 30 and approved multiple bills in a single session. Below are the major items, the recorded outcomes and the key floor points as reflected in the transcript.

- First substitute House Bill 166 (Reductions to Education Mandates): Amended on the floor (Amendment 5) to direct approximately $1.5 million saved from suspending the 10th‑grade basic skills test toward expanding computer adaptive testing and ACT administration options. Final recorded passage: 27 yea, 1 nay, 1 absent. Sponsor noted the funding will support a move away from older tests to adaptive assessments.

- House Bill 231 (Water Rights Priorities in Times of Shortage): Sponsor Senator Okerlund explained the bill permits prioritized water uses during declared temporary shortage emergencies and requires annual compensation to interrupted appropriators; the Senate adopted a one‑word floor amendment to require payment 'annually' and passed the bill 24–0 (five absent).

- House Bill 348 (Sheriff Fees): The bill increases sheriff fee authority (includes per‑mile charges up to $2.50 one‑way) to more closely match delivery costs for papers such as garnishments and evictions. The Senate debated concerns about transparency to defendants and billing practices; the bill passed on final passage (recorded vote present in transcript).

- House Bill 6 (State Agency Compensation Appropriations): A routine budget vehicle to fund employer costs for health insurance and retirement changes for state employees; passed 24–0 with five absent.

- Second substitute House Bill 243 (Foreclosure and Tenant Notice): Sponsor Senator Romero said the bill aligns state law with the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act and adds specificity to notice and posting requirements; committee members pressed on wording about the 'stated purpose' of financing residential rental property. The bill passed 22–0 with seven absent.

- House Bill 343 (Great Salt Lake Advisory Council): Creates an advisory council to produce a 10‑year plan for the Great Salt Lake; floor amendment added duck‑club/landowner representation; passed after amendment (21–0 with eight absent).

- Second substitute House Bill 66 (Prosthetic Limb Health Insurance Parity): Rather than a universal mandate, carriers must offer at least one plan with prosthetic coverage; the statute allows actuarial scoring and initial premium‑setting outside band rating limitations, then caps annual increases consistent with statute. After multiple amendments (including reducing a coverage figure to $30,000 per limb), the bill passed 24–1 with four absent. Sponsor framed the bill as preserving consumer choice while expanding available prosthetic coverage options.

- Senate Bill 281 (Public Access to Stream Beds; Utah Waterways Task Force): Created a 12‑member task force to study access conflicts and funding methods for short‑ and long‑term access purchases; sponsor said the task force will hold public hearings in conflict areas and invited broad stakeholder input; final recorded passage was 26–0.

- Campaign finance and reporting amendments (6th substitute House Bill 329): The Senate adopted a substantial substitute addressing online filing, reporting for associations and electioneering communications; the bill passed on final passage (26–0 recorded in transcript).

- House Bill 117 (Public Education Capital Outlay Act): Revisions to capital outlay replacement/foundation funding and base funding adjustments; passed 29–0.

Several other items were signed, referred to enrolling, placed on concurrence calendars or circulated to committees during the session. Where the transcript records roll‑call tallies, those counts are listed above and match the Senate’s recorded announcements in open session.

Next steps: bills passed by the Senate will be transmitted to the House for their action, or returned to the House where concurrence is required.