Enrolled Copy S.R. 1
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Senate Rules Resolution - Amendments to Senate Rules
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This resolution modifies Senate rules.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This resolution:
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▸ requires certain changes to legislation to be made by a motion to substitute the legislation
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rather than a motion to amend the legislation;
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▸ corrects a numbering error; and
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▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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None
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Other Special Clauses:
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None
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Legislative Rules Affected:
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AMENDS:
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SR3-2-406
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SR4-3-301
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SR4-4-201
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SR5-2-101
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Be it resolved by the Senate of the state of Utah:
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Section 1. SR3-2-406 is amended to read:
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SR3-2-406 . Amending legislation -- Amendments must be germane.
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(1)[(a) Except as provided in Subsection (2), ]
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(a) Subject to the provisions of this rule, and if recognized by the chair during the
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presentation phase or the committee action phase, a committee member may make a
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motion to amend the legislation that is under consideration. S.R. 1 Enrolled Copy
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(b)(i) A committee member may propose a verbal amendment to the legislation under
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consideration if the amendment contains 25 or fewer words.
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(ii) Unless an amendment contains 25 or fewer words, before proposing a motion to
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amend, a committee member shall ensure that a copy of the proposed amendment
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is available online.
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(2)(a) A committee member may only make a motion to amend that is germane to the
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subject of the legislation under consideration.
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(b) A committee member who believes that an amendment is not germane to the subject
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of the legislation may make a point of order or appeal as described in SR3-2-506.
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(3)(a) A committee member may not propose an amendment to legislation that:
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(i) adds or removes an entire section from the legislation; or
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(ii) modifies the legislation's effective date.
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(b) To change legislation as described in Subsection (3)(a), a committee member may,
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subject to SR3-2-407, make a motion to substitute the legislation.
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Section 2. SR4-3-301 is amended to read:
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SR4-3-301 . Amendments in order on second or third reading -- 10 word rule --
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Passage of amendments by a majority vote.
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(1) [A] Subject to Subsections (2) through (4), a motion to amend a piece of legislation is in
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order on second or third reading.
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(2)(a) [Except as provided in Subsection (3) or (4), a] A senator may, if recognized by
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the presiding officer while the Senate is debating a piece of legislation, make a
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motion to amend the legislation.
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(b)(i) A senator may verbally propose an amendment to a piece of legislation if the
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amendment contains 10 [ ]or fewer words.
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(ii) Unless the amendment contains 10 or fewer words, before a senator makes a
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motion to amend, the senator shall ensure that a copy of the proposed amendment
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is available online.
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(3)(a) The senator making the motion to amend shall ensure that the amendment is
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germane to the subject of the original legislation under consideration.
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(b) If a senator believes that an amendment is not germane to the subject of the original
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legislation, the senator may raise a point of order alleging that the amendment is not
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germane.
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(c) The presiding officer shall rule on the point of order by determining whether or not
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the amendment is germane to the subject of the original legislation.
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(4)(a) A senator may not propose an amendment to legislation that:
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(i) adds or removes an entire section from the legislation; or
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(ii) modifies the legislation's effective date.
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(b) To change legislation as described in Subsection (4)(a), a senator may, subject to
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Part 2, Substitute Legislation, make a motion to substitute the legislation.
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[(4)] (5) A constitutional amendment, resolution, or bill requiring a constitutional two-thirds
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vote for final passage may be amended by a majority vote.
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[(5)] (6) When legislation is amended by the Senate, the secretary of the Senate shall:
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(a) for each page of the legislation modified by a Senate amendment, cause a new page
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to be printed that clearly identifies each Senate amendment to that page; and
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(b) print that new page on tan paper on the second reading and on goldenrod-colored
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paper on the third reading.
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Section 3. SR4-4-201 is amended to read:
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SR4-4-201 . Third reading calendar -- Procedures.
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(1)[(a)] For the third reading on a piece of legislation, the secretary of the Senate or the
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secretary's designee shall read the legislation by title, unless the Senate suspends this
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requirement by a two-thirds vote.
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(2) When the secretary of the Senate or the secretary's designee has completed the third
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reading of the legislation, the legislation is before the Senate for debate.
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(3) When debate on the legislation is complete, the presiding officer shall:
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(a) pose the final question: "This bill (resolution) has been read three times. The
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question is: Shall the bill (resolution) pass?"; and
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(b) place the question as a roll call vote.
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Section 4. SR5-2-101 is amended to read:
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SR5-2-101 . Lobbyist code of ethics.
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A lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official may not:
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(1) attempt to influence any legislator or legislative employee by means of deceit or by
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threat of violence or economic or political reprisal against any person or property, with
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intent by doing so to alter or affect the legislator's or legislative employee's decision,
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vote, opinion, or action concerning any matter that is to be considered or performed by
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the legislator, the legislative employee, or the agency or body of which the legislator or
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employee is a member;
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(2) knowingly provide false information to any legislator or legislative employee as to any
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material fact pertaining to any legislation;
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(3) knowingly omit, conceal, or falsify in any manner information required by the lobbyist
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registration and lobbyist disclosure reports;
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(4) participate in leadership races of the Senate;
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(5) cause or influence the introduction of any bill or amendment for the purpose of
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afterwards becoming employed to secure its passage or defeat;
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(6) [engage in workplace discrimination or harassment, or in behavior that violates the
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Legislature's workplace harassment policy] engage in discriminatory conduct, as defined
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in Legislative Management Committee Policy E -- Legislative Workplace
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Discrimination Prevention, toward a senator or legislative employee;
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(7) offer employment that would require or induce a legislator or legislative employee to
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disclose records classified as private, protected, or controlled;
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(8) use or disclose for any purpose any records classified as private, protected, or controlled
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that were obtained from a legislator or legislative employee or conspire with any person
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for that purpose; or
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(9) induce or seek to induce any legislator or legislative employee into committing a
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violation of any provision of this Senate Rule.
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Section 5. Effective Date.
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This resolution takes effect upon a successful vote for final passage.
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