Utah Senate clears broad package of bills; education materials bill survives on-floor amendment fight

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate on Feb. 7, 2023, passed a broad slate of bills spanning education, health care, taxation and criminal-justice measures, sending them to the Utah House for consideration.

The session opened with an invocation by Reverend Lisa Petty and a Pledge of Allegiance. After committee reports, the Senate moved through a long third- and second-reading calendar and approved numerous measures by recorded roll-call votes.

Why it matters: The votes include items that affect school boards’ transparency rules for instructional and supplemental materials, expansions of Medicaid coverage after childbirth, technical changes to professional licensing and a statutory path for removing certain offenses from offender registries. Many of the bills are designed to implement administrative clarifications or to adjust eligibility and funding mechanisms rather than to create new broad programs.

Votes at a glance (selected outcomes reported on floor):
- Second substitute Senate Bill 82 (sales tax amendments): passed by roll call, 23 yeas, 0 nays, 6 absent.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 56 (child welfare amendments): passed, 25 yeas, 0 nays, 4 absent.
- Fourth substitute Senate Bill 27 (transportation revisions): passed, 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent.
- Second substitute Senate Bill 107 (oil and gas severance tax amendments): passed, 21 yeas, 6 nays, 2 absent.
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 (supporting extension of provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act): passed, 20 yeas, 6 nays, 3 absent.
- Senate Bill 55 (public school instructional material requirements), as amended: passed, 26 yeas, 0 nays, 3 absent.
- Senate Bill 133 (postpartum Medicaid coverage extension): passed, 27 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent.
- Senate Bill 151 (food-preparation amendments — the so-called 'lemonade stand' bill): passed, 29 yeas, 0 nays.
- First substitute Senate Bill 134 (registry amendments, including 'enticing a minor'): passed, 26 yeas, 0 nays, 3 absent.

Selected bill summaries and points raised on the floor:
- School instructional materials (SB55): Sponsor Senator Fillmore described the measure as a consensus bill directing school boards to adopt transparency policies for instructional and supplemental materials. Senator Riebe proposed Amendment 2 to ease implementation burdens on smaller districts; Amendment 2 failed and a narrower Amendment 1 (removing a clause on digital vendors) passed before SB55 passed as amended.

- Postpartum Medicaid (SB133): Sponsor Senator Harper said the bill extends Medicaid coverage for mothers to 12 months after delivery, aligning maternal coverage with current child coverage, and the chamber passed the measure unanimously among voting senators present.

- Offender registry reform (SB134): Sponsor Senator Weiler said the substitute deletes an unnecessary code section and allows those convicted of enticing a minor to apply for registry removal after 10 years, rather than remaining on the registry for life.

What’s next: Passed Senate bills are transmitted to the Utah House of Representatives and, if approved there, will go to the governor. Committees were scheduled for the afternoon and the Senate adjourned until 11 a.m. the following day.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this summary include Reverend Lisa Petty (opening prayer), President Adams, Senator Harper (multiple bills), Senator Fillmore (SB55, SB81 and others), Senator Riebe (amendment activity on SB55), Senator Weiler (SB134) and Senator Vickers (SB126).