Utah Senate advances a slate of bills on first day; measures range from tourism board sunset to election code tweaks

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate on Tuesday moved quickly through its first floor day, advancing a broad package of bills across topics including tourism, property tax, licensure, veteran benefits, charter-school financing and wildfire mutual aid.

Most measures were considered under a suspension of the Senate’s rules and approved by roll-call votes. Sponsors repeatedly told colleagues the bills had been vetted in interim or standing committees; votes were typically unanimous or near-unanimous. Several bills were circled for later work.

The most immediately policy‑relevant items included Senate Bill 12, which extends the sunset for the Board of Tourism Development; Senate Bill 13, which makes charges that heavy‑equipment lessors add to recover property tax non‑taxable; Senate Bill 29, which gives the State Board of Education short‑term access to retained cash to bridge charter schools whose projected enrollment was significantly underestimated; and Senate Bill 30, which authorizes Utah to join an interstate compact for mutual aid on forest fires. Senators also debated and passed a state resource management plan (Senate Bill 51) and a juvenile‑court coordination measure (Senate Bill 45).

"They've been overseeing the tourism marketing performance fund, which has generated an estimated $14,400,000,000 in travel revenue and $2,100,000,000 in state and local revenue over the last five years," Senator Plumb said while urging support for the tourism bill (SB 12).

On property tax changes, Senator Fillmore summarized two related bills. On Senate Bill 13 he said the proposal avoids an unconstitutional exemption and instead ensures lessors may continue to collect a recovery fee and that the fee is not subject to sales tax. On Senate Bill 16 he described a notice requirement so county tax notices inform owners age 75 or older about the possibility of deferring property taxes to the owner’s estate; the senator said the measure was drafted with the Utah Association of Counties and that the Legislature previously set aside $8,000,000 to hold counties harmless for the deferral program.

Senate Bill 15, a licensing bill for certified public accountants, was described by Senator Vickers as streamlining pathways to the CPA license — for example, letting an applicant with a bachelor’s degree in accounting who has met course requirements sit for licensure and easing endorsement of out‑of‑state licensees.

Senator Harper presented and the Senate passed multiple housing and local‑government cleanup bills, including technical fixes to the First Home Investment Zone and Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone provisions (SB 23 and SB 26). Senator Harper also sponsored changes to post‑retirement reemployment limits for affiliated emergency services workers, raising the amount such reemployed retirees may earn before pension impacts from $500 to $15,000 (SB 25).

Senator Owens described Senate Bill 30 as enabling Utah to enter the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact to facilitate mutual aid and coordination for forest fires and related resource sharing.

Senator Stratton presented Senate Bill 51, the state resource management plan amendment, which he described as an updated iteration of the statewide plan first developed after county‑level resource plans; the sponsor noted parts of the bill are intended to improve coordination with federal public‑land planning, including around energy siting.

Senator Weiler explained Senate Bill 45, a juvenile‑court procedures amendment designed to reduce overlapping or conflicting orders when district (divorce) courts and juvenile courts have overlapping jurisdiction. He described the bill as a procedural coordination measure that directs juvenile courts to require filing of permanent custody and guardianship orders in district court when appropriate.

Several bills were circled for further work rather than advancing immediately (for example SB 14, SB 36, SB 41, SB 43 and SB 40 was briefly uncircled then advanced). Sponsors said those measures will return with substitute language or additional stakeholder consensus.

Votes at a glance

(Each entry below lists the bill number, short title, sponsor, floor outcome and the roll‑call tally as announced on the Senate floor.)

- SB 12 — Board of Tourism Development Amendments. Sponsor: Senator Plumb. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 13 — Property Tax Reimbursement Amendments (heavy‑equipment lessors' recovery fee not subject to sales tax). Sponsor: Senator Fillmore. Outcome: Passed; 26 yay, 0 nay, 3 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 14 — Private Sale of a Firearm, Sunset Review Amendments. Sponsor: Senator Grover. Status: Circled for later action (motion to circle approved). - SB 15 — Certified Public Accountant Licensing Amendments. Sponsor: Senator Vickers. Outcome: Passed; announced as 24 yay, 5 nay (later corrected on the floor to 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent) and sent to the House. - SB 16 — Property Tax Notice Amendments (notice to property owners age 75+ about deferral). Sponsor: Senator Fillmore. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 17 — Services for Department of Defense Civilian Employees (first substitute substituted on the floor to coordinate with House bill). Sponsor: Senator Milner. Outcome: First substitute passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 18 — Election Fundraising Amendments (clarifies fundraising by federal‑office candidates during session if in compliance with FEC). Sponsor: Senator McKay. Outcome: Passed; 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 19 — Utah Retirement Systems Amendments for Military Personnel (vesting accommodations). Sponsor: Senator Baldry. Outcome: Passed; 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 23 — First Home Investment Zone Amendments (technical corrections). Sponsor: Senator Harper. Outcome: Passed; 23 yay, 2 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 25 — Post‑Retirement Reemployment for Emergency Services Workers (raise reemployment dollar threshold to $15,000). Sponsor: Senator Harper. Outcome: Passed; announced as 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 26 — Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone Amendments (terminology and phase limits). Sponsor: Senator Harper. Outcome: Passed; 22 yay, 3 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 28 — Livestock Brand Board Amendments (extend board sunset 10 years). Sponsor: Senator Sandel. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 29 — Charter School Amendments (short‑term access to retained cash to bridge mis‑projected enrollment). Sponsor: Senator Fillmore. Outcome: Passed; 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 30 — Forest Fire Resources Compact Amendments (authorize compact membership). Sponsor: Senator Owens. Outcome: Passed; 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 33 — Water Rights Recording Amendments (allow grantor electronic signatures for water deeds). Sponsor: Senator Vickers. Outcome: Passed; 22 yay, 0 nay, 7 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 34 — Mineral Surety Amendments (study and surety definitions to address reclamation risk). Sponsor: Senator Owens. Outcome: Passed; 23 yay, 0 nay, 6 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 36 — Water Quality Board Amendments. Sponsor: Senator Wyler. Status: Circled for further stakeholder work. - SB 38 — Manufacturing Modernization Grant Sunset Amendments (extend program deadlines). Sponsor: Senator Milner. Outcome: Read for third time (motion carried; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent) and advanced for third‑reading consideration. - SB 40 — Sales and Use Tax Amendments (clarify amnesty and recodification interpretation language). Sponsor: Senator McKay. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 41 — (Title circled; sponsor: Senator Grover). Status: Circled for further work. - SB 43 — Income Tax Credit Review Amendments (extend review cycle and add audit role). Sponsor: Senator McKay. Outcome: Passed; 26 yay, 0 nay, 3 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 45 — Juvenile Court Procedures Amendments (coordination between juvenile and district courts on permanent custody/guardianship filings). Sponsor: Senator Weiler. Outcome: Passed; 26 yay, 0 nay, 3 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 46 — Youth Electronic Cigarette/Marijuana Prevention Grant Sunset Extension (prioritization of enforcement and prevention). Sponsor: Senator Vickers. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 51 — State Resource Management Plan Amendments (update and coordination emphasis). Sponsor: Senator Stratton. Outcome: Passed after recall vote; announced final tally 25 yay, 0 nay, 4 absent. Sent to the House. - SB 53 — Election Code Amendments (incorporation/petition timelines and signature clarifications). Sponsor: Senator Musselman. Outcome: Passed; 25 yay, 1 nay, 3 absent. Sent to the House.

What’s next

Senators repeatedly said measures circled today will return with substitute language or additional stakeholder work. The Senate adjourned until Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m. for its next session.

Reporting details and limitations

This article is based solely on the Senate floor transcript from Jan. 21, 2025. Where roll‑call tallies were read aloud on the floor, those tallies are recorded here. Several bills were ‘‘circled’’ on the floor (a procedural hold for further work); those are identified above. This report does not infer outcomes beyond what was stated on the record (for example, subsequent House action or governor consideration) and does not include votes or amendments that were not announced on the Senate floor during this session.

Speakers quoted or summarized above appear in the official floor transcript and are listed in the speaker roster below.