SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After a bill allowing pregnant women to use the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane passed the House on Feb.3, it was rejected in the Senate today.

The Carpool Lane Usage Modifications bill, would have allowed pregnant women to use the HOV lane. The bill states that a vehicle with a pregnant woman contains two occupants, for purposes of high occupancy vehicle lane usage. It was rejected in a 2-3 vote today by a Utah Senate committee.

It also states that, if a pregnant woman gets a citation for being in the HOV lane because they are only counted as one person, the claim can be disputed. HB.256 states they can get the traffic citation dismissed by providing proof of pregnancy.

Other states are considering the same legislation, including Arizona and Texas. It will be interesting to see if their legislation passes, unlike Utah’s proposed bill. Texas’s proposed legislation comes after a pregnant woman fights HOV citations, after Roe v. Wade was overturned, claiming her unborn fetus counts as a passenger.

HB.256 was introduced Jan. 20 of this year by Rep. Stephanie Gricius (R-Eagle Mountain), and Sen. Michael S. Kennedy (R-Alpine) is the floor sponsor. The bill was turned down in the senate Feb. 13.