Utah committee advances bill on religious conscience in health care after brief public testimony

Senator Kevin Stratton, sponsor of SB174, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the bill aims to protect the exercise of religious beliefs in health‑care settings while the committee continues to refine language and adopt a substitute.

“In this bill … we talk about procedures and not people,” Stratton said, urging members that the intent is to treat “all people, all human beings equally” while establishing procedural protections. He told the committee a substitute reflecting stakeholder input was available online and that additional changes were likely as the bill moved forward.

During public comment, Alyssa Tayle, who identified herself as a transgender Utahn, urged lawmakers to reject SB174. Tayle said the bill would restrict access to necessary care and appealed to members to consider the effect on marginalized communities: “We ask you to vote no on this bill,” she said, adding that medical care in emergencies should be provided “regardless of skin, age, religion, or gender identity.”

After brief discussion and confirmation that the sponsor had communicated with committee members between meetings, the chair moved to pass SB174 out of committee favorably. The motion was seconded and the committee voted to advance the bill. The sponsor and the chair indicated there would be further conversation on substitute language as the bill proceeds to later stages.

The committee took no final floor‑level action on amendments during this meeting; next steps are the bill’s assignment on the Senate calendar and any further work on the substitute language.

(Reporting based on committee presentation and public comment; no statutory citations were introduced on the record.)