Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Telecom Tax Study topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves task force and $80,000 consultant to study telecom taxation
Summary
Senators approved Senate Bill 38 to create a tax-review task force and hire a consultant to study taxation of telecommunications amid deregulation; the Senate accepted a friendly amendment to involve the Information Technology Commission and moved the bill to the third-reading calendar 28-0 with one absent.
The Utah Senate on Jan. 24 approved a measure to form a task force and hire a consultant to study taxation of telecommunications as federal and state regulation changes, adopting a friendly amendment to involve the Information Technology Commission.
Senator Lyle Hilliard, delivering the committee report, said the telecom sector is changing rapidly and the state needs outside expertise to understand how deregulation will affect tax policy. "What this bill is doing is setting up a special task force in the tax revenue area to hire a consultant who will be able to advise us as a state what direction we need to take as it relates to telecommunications," Hilliard said.
During floor discussion senators questioned the one-time $80,000 fiscal note and how bills with fiscal notes would be handled; sponsors and clerk explained bills with fiscal notes of $10,000 or greater are sent to the other body and screened later in the session. Senator Steele and others urged including the Information Technology Commission in reporting; the sponsor accepted a friendly amendment to insert the IT commission and the amendment passed by voice vote.
On third reading the clerk announced SB 38 had 28 ayes, no nays and one absent; it was moved to the bottom of the third-reading calendar.
