Senate concurs with House changes to Senate Bill 3

The Senate on a voice vote concurred with House amendments to the Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 3, Senator Wirth said as he moved the concurrence.

The motion asked the chamber to accept changes made in the House to the committee substitute. Senator Wirth told colleagues the amendments included two stylistic items and two substantive changes: identifying “a capable and accountable entity to execute the regional plans” and an added reporting requirement on behavioral health services that Senator Block proposed as a floor amendment.

Senator Sherr explained the concurrence process to newer members, saying that when the House amends a Senate-originated bill, the Senate must agree or seek a conference committee. The body acted by voice vote; the presiding officer declared the ayes had it and that the Senate had concurred.

The action was procedural: senators agreed to accept the House’s edits rather than send the disagreement to a conference committee. No recorded roll-call tally was taken; senators followed the chamber’s standard voice-vote practice for a friendly concurrence.

The Senate moved on to other business after the concurrence vote.