Utah Senate session moves dozens of bills; work-week reduction fails, health and consumer measures advance

The Utah State Senate met in floor session and considered a broad slate of legislation Feb. 25, 2013, advancing several measures and rejecting one notable bill aimed at easing statutory staffing requirements.

A motion to reduce the statutory work-week for small offices from 45 to 40 hours (First Substitute Senate Bill 112) failed on third reading after the sponsor, Senator Osman, said the measure would allow small agency offices to comply with statute and to use technology to provide live access to constituents. Senator Valentine and other lawmakers raised concerns that the change could encourage agencies to substitute online or phone services for in-person access; the clerk recorded 14 yays and 11 nays but the bill did not reach the constitutional majority required and was filed.

Lawmakers approved a package of other bills. Third Substitute Senate Bill 67, a one-year, negotiated consumer-protection measure tied to settlements involving payment processors, moved forward after floor sponsor Senator Bramble described it as a stakeholder compromise with a one-year sunset. First Substitute Senate Bill 189, which would require certain oral chemotherapy drugs to be covered on par…