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Senate floor roundup: several third‑reading bills pass and are sent to the House
Summary
The Utah Senate cleared multiple third‑reading items on the calendar — from highway and housing measures to animal control and health‑related bills — and forwarded them to the House; most votes were unanimous or lopsided, with HB 183 a notable close call.
During the floor session the Utah Senate disposed of numerous third‑reading bills, moving several measures on to the House for further action. Highlights from the day’s floor work include:
- House Bill 173 (Dedication and Abandonment of Public Highways): Sponsor Sen. Urquhart explained the bill’s treatment of 10‑year user statutes and interruptions of use; the bill passed by roll call (transcript reports 25 yea, 0 nay, 4 absent) and will be returned to the House for signature.
- House Bill 305 (Midterm Vacancies in Municipal Office): Sen. Van Tassel said the bill allows council members who run for mayor to vote for themselves; the bill passed (reported 24 yea, 0 nay, 5 absent).
- First substitute, House Bill 333 (Unfair inducement related to insurance products): Sen. Bramble presented the bill; Sen. Valentine declared a conflict of interest due to his law office representing insurers but voted aye; the bill passed as amended (reported 24 yea, 0 nay, 5 absent).
- First substitute, House Bill 261 (Transportation/airplane registrations): Sen. Niederhauser said the bill sends interim work to UDOT and the Tax Commission; the bill passed (reported 22 yea, 0 nay, 7 absent).
- House Bill 335 (Military Survivors Tuition Waiver Amendments): Sen. Knudson said the bill extends tuition waiver eligibility for families of Guard/reserve members who train in Utah but live out of state; the bill passed (reported 22 yea, 0 nay, 7 absent).
- House Bill 489 (Housing Authority Application Process): Sen. Reid said the bill creates a single online application for housing choice vouchers for eligible counties; the bill passed (reported 24 yea, 0 nay, 5 absent).
- First substitute, House Bill 152 (School community council amendments): Sen. Dayton presented changes strengthening parental input; the bill passed (reported 23 yea, 0 nay, 6 absent).
- House Bill 324 (HIV testing of alleged offenders): The sponsor brought amendment 3 to align probable‑cause standards; amendment adopted and the bill was reported as passing as amended. Note: the transcript contains inconsistent wording when reporting the numerical vote; see audit for details and recommended verification.
- House Bill 336 (Medical professional licensing during declared emergency): Sen. Christiansen said the bill directs the Department of Health to set protocols for distribution of emergency drugs and vaccines; the bill passed (reported 23 yea, 0 nay, 6 absent).
- Second substitute, Senate Bill 57 (Animal control exception for community cat management): Sen. Stoll’s bill lets animal control officers release community cats into managed programs if neutered/marked; the bill passed (reported 23 yea, 3 nay, 3 absent) and will be sent to the House.
Several bills were circled or substituted for later consideration, including action on Senate Bill 59. The Senate recessed for a caucus lunch and planned to reconvene later in the afternoon.
Votes and outcomes above are taken from the Senate floor transcript. Where the transcript contains unclear or inconsistent vote wording (notably HB 324), reporters should verify official roll‑call records from the Senate clerk's office before publication.
