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Senate passes wide slate of bills in Feb. 28 session; solar access and several budget measures advance
Summary
The Utah Senate on Feb. 28 passed a large consent calendar and several bills on third reading, including legislation on solar access (SB154), a special Second Amendment license plate (SB245), public'private partnership rules (SB204) and budget procedures (SB209/SJR15). Most measures passed on recorded roll-call votes and were transmitted to the House.
The Utah State Senate cleared a broad group of bills on Feb. 28, advancing measures on solar access, procurement for public'private partnerships, budgeting rules and special license plates and sending most of them to the House for consideration.
Senators voted on a long consent calendar and several bills on third reading. Second substitute Senate Bill 154, sponsored in the transcript by Senator Fillmore, would limit homeowners' associations' ability to restrict rooftop solar unless the restriction is explicitly adopted in covenants or bylaws. The bill was recorded as passing the Senate with 23 yeas, 2 nays and 4 absences.
A bill authorizing a special "Second Amendment" license plate, described as funding shooting-range safety and related activities, was recorded as passed with 23 yeas, 0 nays, 6 absences. Senator Weiler led debate on Senate Bill 204 to define public'private partnerships and clarify procurement procedures; an amendment (Amendment No. 2, dated Feb. 28) was accepted as friendly, the bill was amended on the floor, and the amended bill was sent to the House after recorded "aye" votes.
Budget-related reforms also moved forward. Senator Fillmore presented Senate Bill 209, which requires that federal revenue comparisons for budgeting use a 15-year trend; its companion, Senate Joint Resolution 15, asks the Executive Appropriations Committee to treat above-trend federal revenue growth as one-time funds. SJR15 passed the Senate with a recorded tally of 23 yeas, 0 nays and 6 absences.
Other bills that received recorded votes and were ordered to the House included first substitute Senate Bill 83 (sales reporting for noncollecting sellers), multiple education measures (student assessment and school turnaround substitutes), and government records and records-committee clarifications.
Votes at a glance (selected items recorded on the Senate floor): - SB154 (Second substitute) — Solar access amendments: Passed (recorded: 23 yea, 2 nay, 4 absent). - SB245 — Special Second Amendment license plate: Passed (recorded: 23 yea, 0 nay, 6 absent). - SB204 — Public-private partnerships (as amended, including Amendment No. 2): Passed (unanimous recorded "ayes" and sent to the House). - SB209 / SJR15 — Budgeting revisions and companion resolution re: federal revenue: Passed (SJR15 recorded 23 yea, 0 nay, 6 absent). - SB83 (first substitute) — Sales reporting amendments for remote sellers: Passed (sent to the House).
Several substitute bills and technical amendments were handled by motion, substitution and recorded roll calls. Where a roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript, vote counts above reflect the clerk's announcements; in other cases the transcript records unanimous "ayes" or similarly recorded outcomes without a numeric tally.
The Senate recessed for lunch with further committee scheduling, and several bills will continue through the legislative process when transmitted to the House.
