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Votes at a glance: Key measures the Utah Senate passed March 3
Summary
The Utah Senate approved numerous bills during the session, including immigration, identification, transparency and education items. This roundup lists key actions, vote counts, and short descriptions for quick reference.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate recorded a long list of actions during its March 3 session. Below are key votes, outcomes and brief descriptions drawn from the floor record.
Votes at a glance
- Third substitute House Bill 116 (Utah Immigration Accountability and Enforcement Amendments): Passed by the Senate on final passage (conference report adopted) — recorded tally: 19 yes, 5 no, 5 absent. The measure creates a state guest-worker/permit pathway, employer-verification requirements, penalties for noncompliance and directs administration tasks to the Department of Public Safety (as amended by conference).
- Second substitute Senate Bill 138 (Driver’s License Qualification Amendments): Passed — recorded tally: 23 yes, 5 no. The substitute kept the driving-privilege card but added fingerprint background checks (state BCI and FBI), raised fees and required reporting of felony convictions/warrants discovered in vetting.
- House Bill 4-77 (Government Records Amendments/GRAMA): Passed — recorded tally: 21 yes, 7 no. The measure updates record definitions for modern communications, authorizes fees for voluminous requests, and clarifies protections (e.g., attorney work product); sponsors agreed to continued interim study and stakeholder engagement.
- House Bill 4-66 (Migrant Workers and Related Commission Amendments): Passed — recorded tally: 25 yes, 1 no. The bill creates a state-level commission on immigration and migration and authorizes a migrant-worker program with guardrails for wages and worker verification.
- First substitute Senate Bill 68 (Solid Waste Amendments): Passed (consent calendar) — unanimous among those present. The substitute clarified permit timing and renewal windows for certain landfill classes.
- Senate and House concurrence items: The Senate concurred with multiple House amendments across tax, municipal, and elections bills and approved conference-committee reports where appropriate; several items were returned to the House for signature.
Notes on margins and process: Several bills were passed under suspension of the rules due to calendar timing, and a small number of items were circled for later consideration before being uncircled for floor debate. Several measures passed unanimously on the consent calendar.
For readers: These tallies and short descriptions are drawn from the Senate floor record and reflect the Senate’s recorded votes during the March 3 session. Full bill texts, fiscal notes, and conference reports should be consulted for implementation details.
