Senate approves package of technical and safety bills; message sovereignty measure fails

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on Feb. 9 advanced a slate of bipartisan, mostly technical measures and rejected a symbolic state‑sovereignty bill.

Senators approved Senate Bill 122, clarifying homeowners association ombudsman duties and a nominal fee, on a roll call reported as 25 yeas, 0 nays and 4 absent. First substitute House Bill 45, which updates the Utah State Fire Code by adopting newer editions of the International Fire Code and related safety codes, passed and will return to the House. Lawmakers also passed House Bill 50 (child protection ombudsman access), House Bill 11 (clarifying inspections for dyed diesel fuel), first substitute House Bill 47 (vehicle registration and insurance provisions), House Bill 19 (drinking water utilities cybersecurity and emergency response planning), and first substitute House Bill 26 (voting equipment standardization and procurement under a lieutenant governor RFP). Most of these measures passed by unanimous or near‑unanimous margins as recorded on the floor.

A more contentious measure, House Bill 85, a message bill stating international organizations have no authority in Utah, failed in a roll call vote, 12 yeas to 17 nays. Senators opposing the bill described it as redundant with existing state law and the Utah Constitution and said it could invite unnecessary criticism without changing legal authority.

Senators also substituted language on House Bill 16, a proposal to limit incentives for solar projects on agricultural land, and then voted to table the substitute on third reading pending an updated fiscal note.

Outcome summary: SB 122 — passed (25‑0 reported, 4 absent); H.B. 45 (1st sub) — passed (reported 26‑0, 3 absent); H.B. 50 — passed (27‑0, 2 absent); H.B. 11 — passed (final reported 28‑0, 1 absent); H.B. 47 (1st sub) — passed (27‑0, 2 absent); H.B. 19 — passed (28‑0, 1 absent); H.B. 26 (1st sub) — passed (29‑0); H.B. 85 — failed (12‑17); H.B. 16 (1st sub) — substituted then tabled on third (tabled for fiscal note). Specific per‑member vote attributions (which senator voted which way) are not fully specified in the floor transcript; recorded roll‑call tallies above reflect the counts announced on the Senate floor.

What’s next: Passed bills will be returned to the House or signed by the Senate president as part of interchamber processing; House Bill 16 will remain tabled on third until fiscal details are resolved. The Senate recessed until 2 p.m.