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Votes at a glance: key House bills and resolutions the Utah Senate moved March 6
Summary
On Day 44 the Senate passed or advanced a series of House-origin bills and resolutions, including HB 99 (background-check fee exemption), HB 125 (Medicaid dental pilot), HB 116 (probate amendments), HB 159 (unlawful detention of a minor), and others; SCR 13 on Common Core was passed and referred to the House.
During its March 6 session the Utah Senate completed floor action on a large number of House-origin bills and a concurrent resolution. The following summarizes key actions and outcomes recorded on the Senate floor.
- House Bill 99 — Background-check fee exemption for firearm purchases: Sponsor Senator Reid said the bill exempts currently employed and in-good-standing law-enforcement officers from paying a background-check fee when a dealer verifies employment. The Senate approved HB 99 (23 Aye, 1 Nay, 5 absent) and returned the amended bill to the House for further action.
- House Bill 125 — Medicaid dental pilot program: The Senate passed HB 125 (23 Aye, 4 Nay, 2 absent). Sponsor Senator Knudson said the bill directs the state Medicaid plan to establish a pilot model to reform delivery and payment for dental care using existing divisions and no new appropriation.
- House Bill 116 — Probate Code amendments: The Senate passed HB 116 (27 Aye, 0 Nay, 2 absent); sponsor said issues raised in earlier debate had been resolved.
- First substitute House Bill 159 — Unlawful detention amendments: The Senate passed the first substitute (27 Aye, 0 Nay, 2 absent); sponsor said it creates an offense for unlawfully detaining a minor when the perpetrator is at least four years older.
- House Bill 182 — Honoring fallen highway patrol officers: The Senate passed HB 182 (26 Aye, 0 Nay, 3 absent); the bill allows signage in place of roadside crosses.
- Third substitute House Bill 187 — Agricultural-operation interference: The Senate adopted an amendment and passed the bill (24 Aye, 5 Nay, 0 absent); amendment clarified the term 'private property' in the agricultural-operation definition.
- First substitute House Bill 501 — Youth suicide prevention training: The Senate passed the bill (27 Aye, 1 Nay, 1 absent) requiring two hours of training for teachers within a larger professional-development framework.
- House Joint Resolution 3 — Federal transfer of public lands: The Senate approved HJR 3 (20 Aye, 7 Nay, 2 absent), urging remedies and study related to federal lands and education funding impacts.
- Additional bills: The Senate passed or placed numerous other House bills on the concurrence/third-reading calendar, including HB 311 (charter-school electronic meetings), HB 407 (new-car inspection exemption), HB 343 (underground storage tanks), HB 72 (waste tire amendments) and others; many were signed by the President in open session and will be returned to the House for the speaker’s signature.
Vote tallies and procedural outcomes are drawn from the floor transcript for March 6; where the Senate recorded counts, they are included above.
