Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Floor Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate passes a slate of bills on transparency, education, health and public safety
Summary
On day 44 the Utah Senate passed a broad group of bills under suspension of rules, moving measures on health‑care price transparency, school safety, public‑safety penalties and several pilot programs to the House for final action. A number of bills were enacted on unanimous or near‑unanimous votes.
The Utah Senate convened on day 44 and moved an extensive consent and second‑reading calendar, approving bills on health‑care price transparency, school safety, public‑safety penalties, and a set of smaller pilot and technical measures.
Most measures were advanced under suspension of the rules to expedite final passage. Notable actions included adoption of a second substitute of House Bill 178 requiring the State Auditor’s office to manage a public fiscal transparency website and publish median paid amounts for the top 50 medical procedures by volume; the second substitute passed on a roll call that registered 24 yeas, 0 nays (second substitute adoption recorded on the floor). The Senate also passed the sixth substitute of House Bill 120 (student and school safety assessment) by a 28–0 margin.
Other bills passed included pilot programs and appropriations reduced to match budgeted amounts, for example House Bill 353 (a reduction of single‑occupancy vehicle trips pilot) as amended to $500,000 over three years, and House Bill 357 (a voluntary wood‑burning conversion program) as amended to the funded amount. The body also concurred with the House on fourth substitute Senate Bill 103 (victim targeting penalty enhancements), which added language about ‘political expression’ to the list of demonstrable expressions that may be subject to enhanced penalties.
Votes at a glance: - House Bill 156 (second substitute, cavity‑search procedures): recorded as passed in consent (18 yeas, 0 nays reported on the floor). - House Bill 287 (first substitute, position of special trust): passed (22 yeas, 0 nays). - House Bill 330 (juvenile competency revisions, first substitute): passed (22 yeas, 0 nays). - House Bill 353 (single‑occupancy vehicle reduction pilot, as amended): passed (21 yeas, 0 nays). - House Bill 357 (wood burning conversion, as amended): passed (21 yeas, 2 nays). - House Bill 178 (health price transparency, second substitute): passed (24 yeas, 0 nays). - Fourth substitute, House Bill 324 (tobacco age increase with military exemption): passed (15 yeas, 12 nays). - Fourth substitute House Bill 393 (suicide prevention amendments): passed (26 yeas, 0 nays).
Several other bills and resolutions were placed on calendars, substituted, or returned to the House for consideration. Many items were handled with short floor presentations and then passed under suspension of the rules.
The Senate recessed for a caucus lunch at the close of the morning business and will resume with remaining third‑reading items and concurrence calendar actions later in the day.
