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Utah Senate advances multiple bills on third reading, including prescription drug take-back measure
Summary
On Day 31 the Utah State Senate adopted committee reports, passed a package of bills on third reading (including HB306 on pharmacy take‑back programs, HB266 driver‑education changes and HB105 voter‑record fixes), and recessed for a midday break.
The Utah State Senate spent its Day 31 floor session moving a slate of bills through third reading and final action, adopting committee reports and handling ceremonial recognitions before recessing to the afternoon.
Senators quickly disposed of several measures that had been debated in committee the previous day. House Bill 306, aimed at establishing state-level infrastructure to allow pharmacies to accept unused prescription drugs as part of pending federal take‑back programs, passed the Senate on a roll call: "House Bill 306 has received 28 yay votes, 0 nay votes," the clerk announced after the vote. Senator Jones, who presented the bill, said it allows the state "to put together the infrastructure ... to allow consumers to take back their unused prescription drugs to their pharmacy where they first bought them." (Sen. Jones)
Other bills the Senate passed included:
- House Bill 266 (driver education amendments): changes the post‑test supervised driving requirement for people over 19 to a 90‑day period plus 40 hours of supervised driving; passed 28–0. (Sen. Van Tassel summarized the changes.)
- House Bill 105 (official voter register amendments): requires that a voter record be removed upon notification from the Department of Health that the person has died; passed on roll call and will return to the House for the Speaker’s signature. (Sen. Osman noted students from Bingham High School helped identify the issue.)
- House Bill 302 (land‑use penalties): amended to provide a reasonable grace period before code‑enforcement penalties are assessed and passed on final action.
- House Bill 113 (high‑risk insurance pool amendments): shortens waiting periods for a very small group of people moving to Utah with prior coverage and passed 27–0.
Many other committee recommendations were adopted and placed on the consent calendar or referred to the rules committee for further action. The Senate also handled substitutions and amendments: Senator McAdams offered and the Senate adopted Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 173 to clarify a rental‑unit condition form requirement before passage.
Votes at a glance:
- HB306 (disposal of unused prescription drugs): 28 yea, 0 nay, 1 absent — passed; signed by the president in open session and to be returned to the House. - HB266 (driver education amendments): 28 yea, 0 nay, 1 absent — passed; to be returned to the House. - HB105 (official voter register amendments): 26–0 or as recorded on roll call — passed; will be returned for House signature. - HB302 (land use penalties): 29 yea, 0 nay, 1 absent — passed; signed by the president in open session. - HB113 (high‑risk insurance pool): 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent — passed; returned to the House. - SB173 (premises modifications), as amended: 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent — passed.
What’s next: most measures that passed were signed by the president in open session and will be returned to the House for the Speaker’s signature or forwarded as appropriate; others were placed on the second‑ or third‑reading calendars. The Senate recessed to 2 p.m. after a scheduled fallen‑soldier citation and additional announcements.
This account is based on the Senate floor proceedings as read into the record and announced by the clerk and presiding officer during Day 31.
