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Senate narrows tracking-device bill to bar only those under protective orders from installing devices
Summary
After extended debate over definitions and family uses, the Senate passed a third substitute to House Bill 2 23 that leaves the status quo intact except that anyone subject to a protective order — and anyone acting on their behalf — may not install a tracking device on the protected person's vehicle.
The Utah Senate debated House Bill 2 23, originally broad in scope, and approved a third substitute that leaves existing practices intact with one explicit exception: anyone who is subject to a protective order may not install a tracking device on the protected person's vehicle, nor may a third party act on their behalf to do so.
Senators raised detailed concerns about the bill's definitions, especially whether commonplace devices such as cell phones would fall under the statute and whether family members should have a limited exemption. Senator Bramble pressed whether a phone "set on the seat" would amount to an installation and warned that the statutory language about a device "used for the primary purpose of revealing the device's location" could be ambiguous in practice. Sponsor Senator Wyler said the third substitute "would leave the entire status quo in place with 1 exception" and emphasized the protective-order focus: "If someone has a protective order that they shouldn't be tracking them with a tracking a more refined approach."
The motion to delete the title and body and replace it with the third substitute passed; the floor recorded 23 aye votes, 1 nay and 5 absent. The bill will be returned to the House for further consideration under the substituted language.
