The effort to tax and regulate short-term housing rentals appears to be gathering steam. A week after the House voted 118-30 to pass a bill regulating and taxing rentals through sites like Airbnb, the Senate Ways and Means Committee has opened voting on the bill, usually a precursor to a bill’s consideration by the full Senate.

The Senate bill, by applying the room occupancy excise, the local option room occupancy excise and the convention center financing fee to “transient accommodations,” would lead to $34.5 million in new state tax revenue and $25.5 million in local tax revenue, according to a bill summary. The bill would also allow municipalities, through ordinances or bylaws, to regulate short-term rental operators through registration, licensing and inspection.

The House-approved bill differs in its approach, which tied different tax rates and regulations to three tiers of rental activity based on the number of units an owner rents. It looks like a conference committee will be needed.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee is also voting on legislation (S 129) establishing a student loan bill of rights, a proposal that’s gaining attention as student debt levels and the costs of a college education soar higher and higher.

The bill of rights legislation creates a student loan ombudsman in the attorney general’s office, requires all student loan services to be licensed by the Division of Banks, and permits the banking commissioner to conduct investigations and exams for licensing purposes or to look into violations or complaints.