Utah Senate advances multiple bills after day of debate on taxes, custody and energy

The Utah Senate debated and acted on a broad set of measures on day 30 of the 2025 session, moving bills on taxation, property-tax deferral, custody practices and energy resource accounting. Lawmakers voted to pass several measures and substituted or circled others to allow stakeholders more time to review changes.

Lawmakers spent significant time on proposals that would change how property tax relief and deferred property-tax protections work, a bill that places limits on certain medical interventions for people in state custody, and a measure aimed at making energy-resource planning count all resources on a like-for-like basis.

Why it matters: The measures would affect school funding timing, homeowners who now receive property-tax relief, people in county or state custody, and how the state evaluates the role and cost of variable energy resources in meeting demand.

What the Senate did and debated

Minimum basic tax rate / school funding: Senator Dan Fillmore presented a motion related to minimum basic tax rate amendments. During debate Senator Wyler relayed constituent concerns that the measure could be perceived as “a clever way for us to steal money from public education.” Fillmore responded that the bill does not take money from public schools, saying the bill requires collections to be distributed to school districts “in the exact same amount of money in the exact same time frame” as before. After discussion the Senate concurred with the House amendment and the motion to pass was approved on a roll call; the president announced the bill passed and will be returned to the House for the speaker’s signature.

Property-tax deferral /…