Senate passes package of bills on water, public safety, child welfare and fentanyl test strips

The Utah Senate on Feb. 1 advanced a broad set of measures on the third‑reading calendar and sent multiple bills to the House for consideration.

Key outcomes included passage of first substitute Senate Bill 76 (water amendments) on third reading; first substitute Senate Bill 53 (groundwater use amendments) allowing entities without district status to carry out groundwater recharge projects in basins with active groundwater management plans (passed 27–0, 2 absent); and Senate Bill 48 to remove Utah from the Energy Producing States Coalition and join the Energy Council, which passed 25–1 with three senators absent.

Senators also approved measures on digital wellness (SB74, three‑year sunset extension for the Digital Citizenship and Safe Technology Commission), a special license plate to fund Great Salt Lake preservation (SB92, 25–2), and legislation to clarify education access for incarcerated youth (SB47). First substitute Senate Bill 54 (child welfare parental representation amendments) passed after being uncircled (28–0). Second substitute Senate Bill 80 (driver license suspension and reinstatement for participants in specialty courts) and first substitute Senate Bill 70 (victim program name change/safe at home) also passed.

Notably, first substitute Senate Bill 86 was approved to exempt fentanyl test strips from being classified as paraphernalia, a change Senators said would allow "folks in communities and in medical settings and individuals to save lives by providing fentanyl test strips that will not be considered paraphernalia," as Senator Plumb put it on the floor. SB86 passed 27–1 with one absent and will be sent to the House.

The Senate also used 'circling' as a procedural tool for several bills (for example, SB49 and SB51 were circled pending amendments) and opened a bill file to begin work on Point of the Mountain amendments. Floor work concluded and the chamber recessed until 2 p.m.

Votes at a glance (floor totals as announced):
- First Sub. Senate Bill 76 (water amendments): 28 Yea, 0 Nay, 1 absent — passed; sent to House.
- First Sub. Senate Bill 53 (groundwater use amendments): 27 Yea, 0 Nay, 2 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Senate Bill 48 (energy producer states agreement amendments): 25 Yea, 1 Nay, 3 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Senate Bill 74 (Digital Citizenship and Safe Technology Commission amendment): 27 Yea, 0 Nay, 2 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Senate Bill 92 (special license plate for Great Salt Lake preservation): 25 Yea, 2 Nay, 2 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Senate Bill 47 (incarcerated youth education amendments): 25 Yea, 0 Nay, 4 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Senate Bill 52 (parental indigent defense amendments): 26 Yea, 0 Nay, 3 absent — passed; sent to House.
- First Sub. Senate Bill 54 (child welfare parental representation): 28 Yea, 0 Nay, 1 absent — passed; sent to House.
- First Sub. Senate Bill 86 (fentanyl test strips / paraphernalia amendments): 27 Yea, 1 Nay, 1 absent — passed; sent to House.
- Second Sub. Senate Bill 80 (driver license suspension/reinstatement for specialty court participants): 27 Yea, 0 Nay, 2 absent — passed; sent to House.

Several bills were circled (held) for amendments or sponsor revision, including Senate Bills 49 and 51; the Senate also approved a motion to open a bill file for Point of the Mountain amendments. The session recessed after committee and floor announcements.

The Senate’s recorded votes and stated outcomes above are taken from the floor announcements as delivered by the presiding officer.