A joint legislative committee approved a substitute motion on Oct. 12, 2025, to refer the ongoing, one‑time and opioid funding lists to the EAC (as amended), after extended debate and several separate motions altering item order and amounts.

The committee’s chair, Chair Stratton, opened the vote by urging approval of the compiled lists and asking the committee to forward them to the EAC “for further consideration.” The substitute motion ultimately passed, with the chair ruling that the substitute motion “passes.”

Why it matters: the lists determine which programs the Legislature will prioritize for funding and review by the EAC. Several contested changes were raised during the session — including increases to a seniors nutrition request and reordering or removal of items such as the Utah model of care and early childhood mental health services — and some changes passed only in the House delegation while failing in the Senate.

Most significant votes and motions during the session included repeated attempts to increase funding for the item titled Nutrition for Vulnerable Seniors (item No. 2 on the one‑time list). Representative Chevrier moved multiple versions of that increase and proposed striking item No. 13 (Utah model of care) to offset the cost. Those motions repeatedly passed the House side but failed on the Senate side during roll calls before the committee adopted a final substitute that approved the lists as amended.

Representative Peck moved to remove item No. 20, Early Childhood Mental Health Services, arguing the state already funds similar early childhood programs and expressing concerns that Medicaid funding requirements encourage diagnoses for access to funding. Senator Plumb opposed removing the item and said the program trains providers and fills a unique role. That motion was resolved in split fashion: it passed on the House side but failed in the Senate.

Other procedural changes included moving Utah Pregnancy Resource Centers up the ongoing list (a motion that passed in the House and failed in the Senate), and several reorders of items such as the Utah State Dementia Care Specialists and a proposal to advance “minors in state custody amendments” up the ongoing list to a higher priority (the maker argued the change restored funds owed to children aging out of foster care). The maker described the latter as intended to capture and save a portion of federal benefits for children in state custody so those young people would have a transition fund when they leave foster care.

The chair and members repeatedly noted the committee’s objective of producing a unified message and a list that could attract funding. Chair Stratton argued for a balanced list and cautioned against repeated wholesale changes that might reduce the lists’ chances in later funding negotiations. Multiple members acknowledged disagreement but defended using the committee process to air competing priorities.

Votes at a glance:
- Substitute motion to approve ongoing, one‑time and opioid lists as amended and forward to EAC — Outcome: Passed (chair ruled the substitute motion passes). (See transcript near start and end of discussion.)
- Motion to increase Nutrition for Vulnerable Seniors (item 2) and remove item 13 (Utah model of care) — Outcome: Passed on House roll calls; failed on Senate roll calls in multiple iterations (moved amounts included $4,200,000 and an amended $4,000,000). Representative Chevrier was the mover on these increases; final disposition before substitute approval: the House supported the increase but the Senate repeatedly recorded no votes against it.
- Motion to remove item 20, Early Childhood Mental Health Services — Outcome: Passed in House; failed in Senate. (Moved by Representative Peck.)
- Motion to move Utah Pregnancy Resource Centers (item 15) to become item 10 — Outcome: Passed in House; failed in Senate.
- Motion to move Utah State Dementia Care Specialists (item 40) up to a one‑time list rank — Outcome: Passed in House; failed in Senate.
- Motion to move “minors in state custody amendments” from item 18 to item 10 on the ongoing list — Outcome: Passed in House; failed in Senate during initial attempts; later incorporated into a substitute motion approved with the final list as amended.

Discussion vs. decision: the record distinguishes floor discussion, direction and formal outcomes. Multiple motions were debated and then put to roll call; several passed on the House side but failed on the Senate side. The final, substitute motion approved the lists “as amended” and the chair announced that motion passed.

What was not decided: specific dollar allocations that passed only in the House but failed in the Senate (for example, the $4,200,000 proposal for Nutrition for Vulnerable Seniors) were not enacted by the committee where the Senate rejected those specific amendments; the final substitute approved the consolidated list as amended by the committee’s successful motions at the time of the substitute vote.

Next steps: committee staff and the chair indicated the approved lists and the committee’s recommendations will go to the EAC for further consideration. The chair closed the meeting after calling for any final motions and adjourning the session.

Ending note: the session produced a series of split votes that reflect continuing differences between House and Senate members over specific program prioritization and dollar amounts; the chair repeatedly emphasized the value of debate in shaping a list intended to be workable in later appropriations negotiations.