Utah Senate approves appropriations and a suite of policy bills in busy floor session

The Utah Senate advanced and approved multiple bills on second- and third-reading calendars and took a number of procedural actions during a lengthy floor session.

Appropriations: Under suspension of the rules the Senate passed House Bill 2 (public education budget amendments) and House Bill 3 (current fiscal-year supplemental appropriations). Senator Fillmore summarized HB2—s targeted changes, including $62 million in ongoing and one-time funding for expanded kindergarten, small-school support, transportation and other programs. Senator Stevenson said HB3 appropriates roughly $638 million across operating, capital and expendable funds and includes transfers and supplemental items from appropriations subcommittee recommendations. Both bills passed by recorded roll calls (HB2: 28-0 with 1 absent; HB3: 28-0 with 1 absent) and will be returned to the House for signature.

Privacy and records: The Senate passed second substitute Senate Bill 227 (Genetic Information Privacy Act), which sets notice-and-consent requirements for direct-to-consumer genetic testing and generally prohibits distribution of genetic test data without express permission. The chamber also approved first substitute Senate Bill 231 with technical expungement changes that allow certain ex parte civil-protective-order records to be expunged and allow agencies to treat expunged arrests or convictions as though they did not occur.

Animal welfare and public health: The body passed Senate Bill 237 to phase out carbon-monoxide gas chambers for animal euthanasia and require injection-based methods; Senator Hinkins said only three counties still used gas chambers. The Senate also passed House Bill 206 to increase access to epinephrine auto-injectors by allowing public-employee health plans to negotiate contracted prices.

Other actions and procedural items: The Senate substituted and circled a fourth substitute to Senate Bill 189 addressing tobacco-retailer grandfathering and stepped-up penalties for sales to minors (relocation provisions and higher fines/suspension/revocation tiers); the Senate also circled Senate Bill 239 (Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit Act) to interim for further stakeholder work. Senate Bill 240 (County Recreational Area Amendments), SB233 (military installation development authority amendments), SB234 (Statewide Online Education Program expansion to 7th/8th grades, with delayed implementation), and multiple committee reports were also considered and passed where noted.

Votes at a glance (selected items): - SB225 (Navajo water-rights negotiation): passed 27-0, 2 absent (sponsor: Senator Hankins). - SJR14 (federal reserved water-rights settlement resolution): passed 28-0, 1 absent (sponsor: Senator Hankins). - SB227 (Genetic Information Privacy Act): passed 26-0, 3 absent (sponsor: Senator Bramble). - SB231 (Expungement amendments): passed 28-0, 1 absent (sponsor: Senator Wyler). - SB237 (Animal shelter revisions): passed and ordered to third reading, later passed on third (tallies indicated 25-0 on third reading where recorded). - HB206 (Epinephrine auto-injector access): passed 26-0, 3 absent (sponsor: Senator Kennedy). - HB2 (Public education budget amendments): passed 28-0, 1 absent (sponsor: Senator Fillmore). - HB3 (Current fiscal-year supplemental appropriations): passed 28-0, 1 absent (sponsor: Senator Stevenson).

What to watch next: Several bills were circled or sent to interim for amendment and stakeholder review (SB107, SB189, SB239). Other passed measures will be returned to the House or sent to the governor for signature where required.

Context and sourcing: This article is based on on-floor presentations, sponsor explanations and roll-call tallies as recorded during the Senate floor session.