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Utah Senate approves law making smoking in vehicles with children a secondary offense after heated debate
Summary
The Utah Senate passed House Bill 13, making it a secondary offense to smoke in a vehicle with a child 15 or younger (fine up to $45, waivable with cessation class), after a lengthy floor debate about government overreach and child safety. The measure passed 16–13 following a call of the Senate.
The Utah Senate on the afternoon calendar passed House Bill 13, which makes it a secondary offense to smoke in a vehicle carrying a child 15 years or younger and authorizes a fine up to $45, waivable if the violator enrolls in a smoking‑cessation class. The bill’s sponsor, identified in the transcript as Senator Osman, framed the measure as child‑safety legislation, saying it "is about putting the rights of the child ahead of the personal property rights of any adult."
Supporters argued secondhand smoke concentrations are far higher inside a vehicle and that…
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