Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Window Tinting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah Senate debates window-tint limits as industry warns shops would be effectively barred
Summary
Senate Bill 14 sparked extended floor debate and industry testimony over whether the bill's language (visible light transmission) and meter tolerances would ban commonly sold window films. A floor amendment adjusting the numeric tolerance passed and the Senate "circled" the bill to allow a demonstration of visible differences.
Senate Bill 14, a bill to regulate allowable vehicle window darkness, drew extended floor debate on Jan. 27 as industry representatives warned that the bill's current phrasing would effectively prevent the sale of commonly installed films.
Mike Smith, introduced as representing the tinting association, told the Senate the draft shifted from regulating film to regulating "visible light transmission," which he said would mean "we could not put 35 film or 50 film on a vehicle" and would force shops to install lighter material. Smith said film is manufactured in discrete grades (for example, "70, 50, 35, 20") and argued a practical tolerance was necessary because "the difference makes all difference in the world whether or not we're going to be able to put on film that people command." He urged a seven-percentage-point tolerance to account for manufacturing and metering variability.
Supporters of tighter standards raised public-safety concerns. Senator Reese said having ridden with troopers he understood visibility at traffic stops is important and warned he would "have a hard time supporting the bill" unless safety issues were addressed. Other senators asked whether the floor amendment before the body went beyond language negotiated in the interim committee.
On the floor, Sen. Richards withdrew an earlier amendment and offered a clarified, handwritten amendment intended to tighten the bill's language while avoiding ambiguous terms such as "tolerance." After debate the amendment was approved by a standing count. A later amendment that changed the numeric tolerance from 7% to 3% also passed on a counted vote. Following further discussion, the Senate voted to "circle" SB 14, deferring final action and giving proponents an opportunity to present a side-by-side demonstration of car windows to illustrate the practical difference.
The debate centered on three discrete technical and policy points: whether the bill should regulate measured "visible light transmission" or the product "film," what numeric tolerance is reasonable given manufacturing and metering variability, and whether the change would unduly harm tint shops or reduce officer/roadway safety. The Senate did not amend the bill to final passage on Jan. 27; it was circled for later demonstration and reconsideration.
The Senate discussion included recorded counted votes on amendments and multiple senators raising both industry-impact and public-safety concerns. Next procedural steps will be a demonstration requested on the floor and subsequent reconsideration of the circled bill.
