Legislature day 13: Debates on imitation rifles, stalking and immigration you don't want to miss
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The wheels at the Utah Legislature continue to turn as standing committees are set to debate bills tackling imitation rifles, stalking, and immigration. Here are bills, votes, and hearings from Day 13 you don't want to miss.
Since the start of the 2025 General Session, the legislature has passed a total of 26 bills. Many of these include the several appropriations bills that are necessary for the government to be funded. Other bills of note that have passed are S.B. 30, which allows the governor to enter the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact. Another is changing how petitions are gathered and administered and S.B. 18 also has passed, which would prevent donations to federally focused political organizations during a legislative session.
In today's voting sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., several bills of note are advancing through the reading calendar. Despite several bills moving through floor votes, pending votes have remained the same since yesterday.
In the Senate, a new version of the controversial public labor union bill is anticipated to be coming. However, the bill has not moved yet from the Senate's final reading calendar, along with bills affecting how candidate names appear on ballots, and how they are mailed. Also pending is S.B. 142, which seeks to put more parental controls on apps that children download and require app stores to verify age.
Waiting to be added to the calendar is a bill that would overrule a trial court injunction if the case in question was filed with the Utah Supreme Court. Passing committee yesterday, S.B. 204 moved on to a second reading in the Senate. Its sister bill, S.B. 203, which narrows who has standing on a case, failed to pass through committee and will not move on.
Also waiting for assignment is S.B. 126, which seeks to ban the 'release, injection, or dispersing' of chemicals to cause 'solar geoengineering.' Passing unanimously in committee, it moves on to the Senate floor for a vote.
In the House, several bills are waiting for passage, but H.B. 81 — the bill seeking to remove fluoride from Utah's water systems — has picked up passing a resolution supporting the bill. It remains on the final reading calendar in the house, and if approved will still need to be voted on in the Senate.
Starting the day at 8. a.m. are the various appropriations subcommittees. The first is the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee. Early in the meeting, we are expecting to see several funding requests from Pro-Life Utah, and various other requests relating to children.
The next is the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, which will be hearing several requests including horse racing in Utah, ai-enabled wildfire detection cameras, and wetland restoration.
Finally, the will be hearing funding requests related to the recent audit reports of the Attorney General's office, and other bills seeking to be passed in the legislature.
Moving onto the standing committees, which are set to start at 3:40 p.m., the first we are watching is the House Judiciary Committee. Debate is set for review of H.B. 183 — or Noncitizen Restricted Person Amendments — which is a bill that would restrict those who are seeking asylum or under temporary protected status from purchasing firearms. Debate is also set for H.B. 92, which modifies citizen arrest laws in Utah, and H.B. 287, which clarifies seeking protection of an individual's business interests.
Next is the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, which will be debating H.B. 187, which would make it illegal to alter 'toy, look-alike or imitation' firearms, and create a criminal offense for minors who possess such altered imitation firearms.
Moving on to the House Transportation Committee, a debate is set for three bills we are watching. The first is S.B. 62, which seeks to explore bringing a spaceport to Utah. The second is H.B. 349, which is seeking to promote organ donation through awareness about the program. The final bill is H.B. 308, which seeks to allow driving minors to drive with passengers other than their immediate family.
For updates on the 2025 General Session, make sure to visit Inside Utah Politics!
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