Committee recommends a set of business, insurance and consumer‑protection bills; summary of outcomes

The Senate Business and Labor Committee on Feb. 18 took action on multiple, largely noncontroversial measures and recorded favorable recommendations to the Senate floor.

SB286 — Interior Design Amendments: Sponsor Senator Escamilla and lobbyist Amy Coombs said the bill aligns Utah’s 2017 certification for commercial interior designers with the International Building Code, removes outdated occupancy lists and preserves architect/engineer triggers. The committee voted to favorably recommend SB286 to the floor, 8–0.

HB58 — Insurance Code Modifications: Representative Dunnigan and Reed Stringham of the Insurance Department described a mix of technical cleanups and policy updates (including authority to recover financial‑exam costs, escrow requirements for nonresident title agencies, and alignment of state law with federal rules for risk retention groups). Christopher Amethyst, a public adjuster, submitted technical concerns. The committee recommended HB58, 8–0.

HB268 — Towing Notice and Ownership Rights: Representative Strong said HB268 would require towing companies to send certified notice to vehicle owners or lienholders within two business days and would limit a tow company’s right to collect fees if it fails to provide required notice. The Utah Credit Union Association backed the change; the committee recommended HB268, 7–0.

HB172 — Food Safety Amendments: The bill moves certified food‑safety‑manager recertification from three years to five years to align with national update cycles and clarifies fundraiser exemptions so inspected restaurants donating food to nonprofits are not subject to duplicate fees. The Utah Restaurant Association and affected small businesses supported the change; the committee recommended HB172, 8–0.

Each of these recommendations sends the bills to the full Senate for additional consideration; committee records show unanimous or near‑unanimous support in committee.