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Senate advances multiple appropriations and policy measures, moving base budgets to the House
Summary
The Utah Senate on Feb. 9, 2016, passed several consent and second‑reading bills, including base budget measures for public education and social services, and approved a set of procedural and policy bills sent to the House for concurrence.
The Utah State Senate on Feb. 9 approved a slate of consent calendar and second‑reading measures, including major base budget bills for education, social services and several agency budgets, and forwarded the measures to the House for signature.
Senator Stevens introduced First Substitute House Bill 1, the base education appropriations bill, saying it "establishes the base budgets for the minimum school program, school building program, the Utah State Office of Education, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind" and outlines weighted pupil units and FY2017 estimated revenues. The presiding officer announced the bill received 29 yea votes, 0 nays; it passed and was sent to the House.
On the consent calendar, the Senate recorded passage of multiple items. House Bill 57 (removing the sunset date for the alternative dispute resolution program) was advanced after sponsor remarks noting the program’s routine, noncontroversial nature. Senate Bill 105, a regulatory update affecting the bail‑bond industry, was recorded as receiving 24 yea votes, 0 nays, with five absent. First Substitute House Bill 103 (administrative rules office location changes) received 26 yea votes, 0 nays, with three absent.
Senator Hinkins presented House Bill 5, the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality budget, summarizing the measure’s funding as stated on the floor. The bill was passed under suspension of the rules and sent to the House.
Senator Thatcher moved First Substitute House Bill 6 (executive offices and criminal justice base budget) under suspension of the rules; the clerk recorded the roll call as 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent and the bill was sent to the House. Senator Christiansen presented First Substitute House Bill 7 (social services base budget), which the clerk recorded as 27 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent; that bill, too, was sent to the House.
Several senators offered brief floor remarks thanking staff and acknowledging the budget work, and routine procedural motions (suspending third‑reading requirements and placing bills on calendars) were adopted throughout the session.
Actions taken on the floor were limited to advancing the listed bills to final passage or transmission to the House; no final gubernatorial actions or agency implementation steps were decided on the floor during this session.
The Senate recessed until 2 p.m. after concluding the day's business and announcements.
