In a few cases, even though the federal money hasn't arrived in Utah yet, budget laws were being changed Wednesday to allow various state agencies to spend that money.

Legislators also passed bills so:

Farmers can set aside one-acre sites to build family homes without having to formally subdivide all the property, a fix to a bill vetoed by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. earlier this year.

Counties can form special districts to spend monies on fighting range fires, search and rescue and other such activities without fear of losing federal in lieu of property tax funds.

Utah businesses can use some personal information from former employees and job applicants — which had inappropriately been outlawed in previous laws.

Local entities, which can advertise now on the Internet for their public hearings, can do so without unwanted changes to the Open Meetings Act.

Also Wednesday, the Senate held over four nominations made by Huntsman. Waddoups said the nominees will be subject to confirmation hearings and likely voted on in June. The Senate president said there were no specific concerns about the nominees, other than they were to take key posts and the public should have a chance to give input.

The nominees held over are Michael Clark Johnson, to the state Board of Education; Jeffery Holt and Wayne Barber, to the state Transportation Commission; and Amanda Smith to head the Department of Environmental Quality.

"Certainly, they can address those board appointments with a hearing," Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said. "It is unfortunate the Senate was unwilling to address the governor's final Cabinet appointment despite his consulting with the lieutenant governor."

Huntsman announced Monday he'll step down once he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as President Barack Obama's ambassador to China. Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert will then take over as the state's chief executive, but he's already playing a much more visible role.

In fact, in the formal notification to the executive branch that the Legislature was in session, lawmakers had to meet with Herbert since Huntsman was not even in his office Wednesday afternoon.

Contributing: Michael McFall. E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com; araymond@desnews.com