Votes at a glance: Utah Senate approves bills on birth certificates, school gender policy, Medicaid dental and multiple sunset extensions

SALT LAKE CITY — During Friday’s floor session the Utah State Senate approved multiple bills and procedural motions, sending several measures to the House for further consideration. Votes included measures on vital records, school policy, Medicaid dental coverage, wildlife and agriculture sunsets, and public notice requirements.

Key results
- First substitute Senate Bill 16 (transgender medical treatments) — passed 21-7-1 and sent to the House (see separate coverage).
- Senate Bill 93 (birth certificate modifications) — passed 19 yea, 8 nay, 2 absent. Sponsor Senator McKay said SB 93 limits modifications to birth certificates to two exceptions: adoption and scrivener’s error; debate included concerns that the measure could have long-term negative effects for some individuals.
- First substitute Senate Bill 100 (school district gender identity policies) — passed 22 yea, 6 nay, 1 absent. Sponsor Senator Weiler described the measure as clarifying parental rights and requiring parental involvement in official district transition plans; the sponsor said the bill does not require teacher disclosure of a student’s identity.
- Senate Bill 9 (agricultural advisory board sunset extension) — passed 27-0-2 under suspension of the rules; it extends a sunset to 2028.
- First substitute Senate Bill 10 (wildlife sunset-related amendments) — passed 27-0-2 after substitution to correct committee/committee-naming language.
- First substitute Senate Bill 43 (public notice requirements) — passed 26-0-3; sponsor said the substitute modernizes and creates uniformity in public-notice practices, including electronic notice options.
- Senate Bill 19 (Medicaid dental labor amendments) — amendment 2 changed the implementation date from June 30, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024; the amended bill passed 27-0-2. Sponsor Senator Vickers said the bill will allow the School of Dentistry at the University of Utah and its network to provide dental care to more adults via a Medicaid waiver and buy-down match.

Procedural items
The rules committee and standing committee reports were approved by voice vote earlier in the session; the president read several committee recommendations and moved bills to the second-reading calendar as required.

What happens next
Bills passed by the Senate will be transmitted to the House for its consideration. Where the Senate acted under suspension of the rules, the House may review committee records and the substituted text when determining next steps.