Utah Senate fast-tracks and approves multiple House base-budget bills, including higher education and agency budgets

The Utah State Senate on day 16 moved quickly through a block of House-substitute base-budget bills, suspending the three‑reading rule and approving several appropriations measures that set base budgets for higher education, business and economic development, retirement and independent entities, and infrastructure agencies.

Senators voted to pass First Substitute House Bill 4 (business, economic development and labor base budget) under a suspension of the Senate’s rules; the clerk announced 26 "yay," 0 "nay" votes with three senators absent, and the bill was sent back to the House for the speaker’s signature. Senator Shiozawa introduced the committee’s review, saying the totals in the base budget reflected appropriations and reallocations the Appropriations Committee had reviewed.

The chamber also passed House Bill 5, which the sponsor described as the base budget for the Career Service Review Office (CSRO), the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), and the Utah Education Network (UEN). The sponsor identified specific line items in the record: CSRO was noted as receiving $260,500 from the general fund and DHRM $2,997,300 from the general fund. Under suspension of the rules the Senate recorded 27 "yay," 0 "nay," and two absences and sent the bill to the House.

First Substitute House Bill 1, the higher-education base budget, also passed after the Senate suspended the three‑reading requirement; the clerk recorded 27 "yay" votes, 0 "nay," and two absences. Sponsors discussed a roughly 2% figure applied in setting the base budget and referenced ongoing efforts to use performance funding and to preserve low tuition.

Senators approved First Substitute House Bill 6 (infrastructure and general government base budget). Sponsor remarks said the committee identified roughly $19 million in reallocated funds and set contingency balances; the final vote was recorded as 25 "yay," 0 "nay," with four absent.

Votes at a glance: First Substitute HB4 — passed (26–0, 3 absent); First Substitute HB5 — passed (27–0, 2 absent); First Substitute HB1 — passed (27–0, 2 absent); First Substitute HB6 — passed (25–0, 4 absent).

The Senate also considered First Substitute HB7 (National Guard, veterans affairs and legislative items) and read it for second and third time under suspension of the rules; that bill was acted on under suspension but was not recorded as finally passed in the sequence shown in the morning session.

The measures were taken under suspension of the three‑reading requirement the sponsors cited as allowed by the state constitution. Where the public record presented specific line items, they are reported above; other totals and program-by-program breakdowns were not specified verbatim in the transcript.

The Senate recessed for the lunch period and planned to return to the floor at 2:00 p.m.