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Senate advances and passes multiple bills on March 1, 2019; highlights include lobbyist licensing, rural development and infrastructure measures
Summary
The Utah Senate on March 1, 2019, passed a series of bills and resolutions: SJR8 (rules-of-evidence change) and several third-reading bills including SB147 (lobbyist licensing), SB179 (rural meeting exemptions), SB200 (rural economic development), SB203 (physician assistant amendments), SB202 (vulnerable-adult protections), and SB206 (underground utilities). Vote tallies are noted.
The Utah Senate concluded its March 1, 2019 session by approving a group of measures addressing a mix of administrative, infrastructure and policy matters. Several bills were substituted and read for a third time or passed by roll-call vote.
Key votes and outcomes recorded on the floor include:
- Second substitute Senate Joint Resolution 8 (rules-of-evidence amendment): sponsor Senator Thatcher explained the change would generally bar First Amendment-protected activity from being used as evidence of victim selection except when directly relevant; the resolution passed with the presiding officer announcing 23 ayes, 0 nays (transcript record).
- First substitute Senate Bill 147 (lobbyist licensing modifications): substituted language requires annual harassment training and moves lobbyist license filing to an annual schedule; the first substitute was read for a third time and recorded as passing with 22 ayes, 0 nays.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 179 (meeting exemptions for very rural taxing entities): the second substitute exempted bodies when the meeting location is more than 50 miles from district boundaries; the Senate passed the second substitute (recorded 20 ayes, 3 nays).
- First substitute Senate Bill 200 (rural economic development): sponsor said the first substitute consolidated rural-economic programs, reduced the fiscal note from $10,000,000 to $8,000,000 and directed local proposals to the governor’s rural partnership board; first substitute SB200 passed with 22 ayes, 0 nays.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 203 (physician assistant amendments): the second substitute addressed technical scope-of-practice drafting issues and passed with a roll-call (recorded as 23 ayes, 0 nays).
- First substitute Senate Bill 202 (vulnerable adults): amended definitions and created an offense for exploitation of a vulnerable adult; recorded passage with 22 ayes, 0 nays.
- Senate Bill 206 (underground conversion of utilities): authorizes new technology to place certain electrical facilities underground (encased installations) and to convert older pole areas; recorded as passed with 23 ayes, 0 nays.
Several additional bills were read, circled for technical drafting or substituted for committee follow-up during the session. Multiple motions to circle and uncircle bills were granted for later clerical or drafting fixes.
The chamber adjourned with a motion setting the next convening for 10 a.m. the following day.
For reporters: fiscal and implementation notes were mentioned for SB200 (fiscal note reduced from $10 million to $8 million) and SB147 (annual training requirement introduced). Where the floor record lists only a passage or circle without an explicit fiscal note, the transcript did not include further budget detail.
