Utah Senate advances wide slate of bills on elections, transportation, schools and criminal justice
February 13, 2023 | 2023 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Utah Senate reconvened after lunch and moved a broad set of measures through committee referral and third-reading steps on the second and third-reading calendars on Tuesday.
Clerks read a dense rules committee report assigning dozens of bills to standing committees covering business and labor, government operations, health and human services, judiciary, natural resources, revenue and transportation. Senators approved the report by voice vote and then heard numerous standing committee recommendations that placed bills on the consent calendar.
On the second- and third-reading calendars the chamber took up a long list of measures. Notable floor actions included:
- Fourth-substitute Senate Bill 153 (Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity amendments) was substituted on the floor and advanced for third reading after Sen. Winterton said the language codifies GOEO practices, adds a nonvoting member to the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission, clarifies eligibility for the industrial assistance account, and creates a Women in the Economy subcommittee.
- First substitute Senate Bill 162 (Marriage Solemnization Amendments) was presented by Sen. McKay and debated on the floor. The sponsor said the measure removes the county clerk deputization step and aligns statutory language with current practice so any adult physically in Utah may solemnize marriages; opponents questioned whether removing elected officials from an enumerated list diminishes the role of public officeholders. The chamber recorded 21 yeas, 5 nays and 3 absences on third-reading placement.
- First substitute Senate Bill 125 (Transportation Infrastructure Amendments) was substituted to add renewable natural gas generation and workforce development language. Sen. Wilson framed the bill as an effort to coordinate state research and planning for transportation electrification by designating Utah State’s ASPIRE center as a lead research partner and by creating steering and advisory bodies to attract federal and private funds.
- First substitute Senate Bill 168 (State Agency Capital Development Fund), presented by Sen. Buxton, would create a capital development fund tied to the legislature’s 5-year master plan for agency buildings and projects. Buxton estimated roughly $254 million in projects over the next years and stated the initiative could save "about $1,040,000,000 in the next 50 years" (as described on the floor) after legislative and executive approvals. A technical amendment was adopted and the bill was set for third reading as amended.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 185 (Transportation amendments) was substituted to create an Active Transportation Investment Fund to support trails, pathways and regionally significant bike routes, and to clarify the state infrastructure bank’s uses and certain noise-ordinance exemptions for state transit projects. The bill was advanced to third reading.
- Senate Bill 174 (Local Land Use and Development Revisions) was presented as a housing-affordability task-force product to create a uniform statewide standard for municipal and county subdivision approvals intended to shorten development timelines; the sponsor said a technical substitute will be filed before third reading.
- First substitute Senate Bill 58 restructured expungement processing timelines, phasing down a one-year deadline to six months and then to 90 days to address local backlogs; the Senate passed the substitute and will send it to the House.
Across the floor session senators repeatedly used the procedural tool of circling bills to delay consideration while sponsors and stakeholders refine language. Multiple bills were circled for later work, including measures on blockchain liability, child welfare, online education program clarifications, and health-care practitioner liability.
The Senate adjourned for the day after announcements and scheduled a reconvening at 10 a.m. the following day.
The clerk’s entries, roll-call tallies and sponsors’ floor presentations above come directly from the Senate floor transcript for the session.
Clerks read a dense rules committee report assigning dozens of bills to standing committees covering business and labor, government operations, health and human services, judiciary, natural resources, revenue and transportation. Senators approved the report by voice vote and then heard numerous standing committee recommendations that placed bills on the consent calendar.
On the second- and third-reading calendars the chamber took up a long list of measures. Notable floor actions included:
- Fourth-substitute Senate Bill 153 (Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity amendments) was substituted on the floor and advanced for third reading after Sen. Winterton said the language codifies GOEO practices, adds a nonvoting member to the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission, clarifies eligibility for the industrial assistance account, and creates a Women in the Economy subcommittee.
- First substitute Senate Bill 162 (Marriage Solemnization Amendments) was presented by Sen. McKay and debated on the floor. The sponsor said the measure removes the county clerk deputization step and aligns statutory language with current practice so any adult physically in Utah may solemnize marriages; opponents questioned whether removing elected officials from an enumerated list diminishes the role of public officeholders. The chamber recorded 21 yeas, 5 nays and 3 absences on third-reading placement.
- First substitute Senate Bill 125 (Transportation Infrastructure Amendments) was substituted to add renewable natural gas generation and workforce development language. Sen. Wilson framed the bill as an effort to coordinate state research and planning for transportation electrification by designating Utah State’s ASPIRE center as a lead research partner and by creating steering and advisory bodies to attract federal and private funds.
- First substitute Senate Bill 168 (State Agency Capital Development Fund), presented by Sen. Buxton, would create a capital development fund tied to the legislature’s 5-year master plan for agency buildings and projects. Buxton estimated roughly $254 million in projects over the next years and stated the initiative could save "about $1,040,000,000 in the next 50 years" (as described on the floor) after legislative and executive approvals. A technical amendment was adopted and the bill was set for third reading as amended.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 185 (Transportation amendments) was substituted to create an Active Transportation Investment Fund to support trails, pathways and regionally significant bike routes, and to clarify the state infrastructure bank’s uses and certain noise-ordinance exemptions for state transit projects. The bill was advanced to third reading.
- Senate Bill 174 (Local Land Use and Development Revisions) was presented as a housing-affordability task-force product to create a uniform statewide standard for municipal and county subdivision approvals intended to shorten development timelines; the sponsor said a technical substitute will be filed before third reading.
- First substitute Senate Bill 58 restructured expungement processing timelines, phasing down a one-year deadline to six months and then to 90 days to address local backlogs; the Senate passed the substitute and will send it to the House.
Across the floor session senators repeatedly used the procedural tool of circling bills to delay consideration while sponsors and stakeholders refine language. Multiple bills were circled for later work, including measures on blockchain liability, child welfare, online education program clarifications, and health-care practitioner liability.
The Senate adjourned for the day after announcements and scheduled a reconvening at 10 a.m. the following day.
The clerk’s entries, roll-call tallies and sponsors’ floor presentations above come directly from the Senate floor transcript for the session.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
