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Senate advances Music Licensure Practice Act (SB 55) to third reading; bill would create electronic registry for copyrighted songs
Summary
The Utah Senate advanced SB 55, which would create an electronic registry to help restaurateurs and hotels identify copyrighted versions of recorded music; sponsors said the bill won’t change royalty obligations and a roll-call vote sent the bill to third reading (23–1, 5 absent).
The Utah Senate voted to advance Senate Bill 55, the Music Licensure Practice Act, to the third-reading calendar after floor debate and questions from colleagues.
Sponsor remarks in the transcript (attributed to Speaker 7) described the bill as a clarification measure that provides an “electronically available document where restaurateurs can find out what music has been copyrighted and licensed.” The sponsor said the bill does not change royalty obligations or federal jurisdiction over copyright litigation, but gives businesses a clearer way to determine whether a specific recorded version of a song is protected.
Speaker 7 offered concrete examples to explain the need for clarity, noting that multiple recorded variations of a song can exist and that only certain versions may be copyrighted: “To give you an example, there's 10 variations of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Within that, there's only 1 that's licensed and copyrighted. The restaurateur does not know which 1, if they're playing, is the right 1.” The sponsor said SB 55 would set up an electronic registry to allow businesses to check.
A colleague identified in the transcript as Speaker 8 asked whether the bill would change the practical enforcement that allows copyright holders (for example ASCAP or BMI) to identify uses and assess fees. Speaker 7 responded that the bill does not change enforcement or the obligation to pay fees, but rather clarifies what versions are copyrighted and how businesses can discover that information.
After discussion and mention of pending amendments, Sponsor (Speaker 7) moved to send SB 55 to third reading. A roll-call vote followed. The presiding officer announced SB 55 passed to the third-reading calendar with a tally reported in the transcript as 23 aye, 1 nay and 5 absent.
The transcript also included assurance from other senators that the bill would not reduce trust-fund money used for music programs and noted that the bill’s changes are intended to help businesses comply with existing copyright and royalty regimes rather than alter them. The transcript does not record final floor passage or enactment; it records advancement to the next stage on the calendar.
