# Utah S.B. 165: Municipal Broadband Service Amendments Utah S.B. 165, Municipal Broadband Service Amendments, is a 2025 General Session Senate bill sponsored by Lincoln Fillmore (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-03-19 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB165-2025GS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Utah S.B. 165 - State: Utah - Session: 2025 General Session - Title: Municipal Broadband Service Amendments - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-24 - Last action: 2025-03-19, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Public Bonds, Public Utilities and Technology, Municipalities, Political Subdivisions (Local Issues), County and Municipal Finance, Local Government Infrastructure and Utilities, Broadband - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 18 (146 yes, 20 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Broadband complaints get deadlines and appeals: benefit, low. Municipal broadband providers must establish a complaint process for people substantially affected, or likely substantially affected, by chapter violations. This includes subscribers and competing providers. Complainants must first file a written municipal complaint before going to district court.… - Municipal subscribers get public price disclosures: benefit, low. Municipal providers must post complete prices and terms on the Utah Public Notice Website and make them available for inspection. They must use those listed terms and give at least five days' notice of changes, including to people requesting notice. Before October 1 each year, providers must submit… - Municipal subscribers get service quality standards: benefit, low. Municipal broadband, cable, and public telecommunications providers must adopt service-quality rules through a local ordinance. Standards must be competitively neutral and substantially similar to those imposed on private providers under applicable laws. Municipal broadband and public telecommunica… - Residents get municipal broadband hearing opportunities: benefit, low. When a broadband study meets the revenue test, the municipality must schedule at least two hearings at its next regular meeting. Hearings must occur within 90 days of that meeting, at least three weeks apart, with three weeks of Class A notice before the first. A municipal legislative body can call… - Existing municipal services keep key exemptions: benefit, low. Broadband authorized before March 1, 2025, skips Part 2 startup requirements but remains subject to Part 3 operating rules. Cable and public telecommunications authorized before March 1, 2001, receive the same treatment. The law also preserves broadband contracts made before March 1, 2025, and thei… - Private providers gain fair competition protections: benefit, low. Municipalities must apply service, permit, infrastructure-access, reporting, quality, and broadband-funding rules fairly to municipal and private providers. The existing federal rural telephone company exception remains. Municipalities competing with providers they regulate must separate staff, pro… - Municipal service prices must cover costs: cost, low. Municipal broadband, cable, and public telecommunications prices cannot fall below actual direct and indirect costs. Rates must also include amounts equal to comparable private providers' taxes, assessments, franchise fees, permit fees, and pole-attachment fees. Municipalities cannot subsidize thes… - Municipal broadband authority comes with limits: mixed, low. Beginning May 7, 2025, Utah municipalities have express broadband authority, subject to the law's limits; broadband excludes dial-up service. Municipalities cannot serve subscribers or run service facilities outside the chapter's permission, including through contracts, resale, or joint entities. J… - Municipal broadband needs longer financial reviews: mixed, low. Before offering broadband, municipalities must hold a preliminary public hearing and approve a feasibility consultant. First-year and five-year analyses must show projected revenue covers costs plus required bond payments before the project advances. The study must assess demand, competition, fisca… - Municipal facilities can support private broadband: mixed, low. Facilities designed for service within a municipality are generally outside the chapter when used for internal government work. This exception also covers facilities a private provider uses under a written broadband, cable, or public telecommunications contract. Municipalities and qualifying interl… - Municipal broadband bonds need voter oversight: mixed, low. Municipalities can authorize revenue bonds or general obligation bonds for broadband facility capital costs, stating the purpose and proposed amount. Voters must approve broadband revenue bonds funded by service revenues. Sales-tax-backed revenue bonds require approval at a regular general election… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Ryan D. Wilcox (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-06 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 56 | 17 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ concurs with House amendment | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-26 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 7 | 2 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 26 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | Senate | Senate/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd reading | pass | 24 | 1 | | | 2025-02-03 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 5 | 0 | | | | Senate | Senate/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | Senate | Senate/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | Senate | Senate/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | Senate | Senate/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | Senate | Senate/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | ## Actions (44) - 2025-03-19: Governor Signed - 2025-03-17: Senate/ to Governor (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2025-03-07: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2025-03-07: Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling - 2025-03-07: Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-03-07: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-03-07: House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate (House) - 2025-03-07: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-03-06: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate/ concurs with House amendment (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-03-06: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-03-06: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2025-03-06: House/ substituted (House) - 2025-03-06: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2025-02-27: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2025-02-27: House/ committee report favorable (House) - 2025-02-26: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation (House) - 2025-02-24: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2025-02-21: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2025-02-20: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ passed 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ uncircled (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ circled (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ substituted (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ uncircled (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Senate/ circled (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Senate/ 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Senate/ passed 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Senate/ 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Senate/ committee report favorable (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/SB0165.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2025-02-28: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2025-02-18: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-01-24: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165.pdf) ## Related bills - S.B. 199: Guardianship Amendments (signed) - H.B. 562: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Amendments (signed) - H.B. 493: Medical Examiner Amendments (signed) - H.B. 482: Health and Human Services Reporting Requirements (signed) - S.B. 197: Property Tax Amendments (vetoed) - S.B. 3: Appropriations Adjustments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/SB0165.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/SB0165.pdf) ## Related - [S.B. 199: Guardianship Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB199-2025GS) - [H.B. 562: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB562-2025GS) - [H.B. 493: Medical Examiner Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB493-2025GS) - [H.B. 482: Health and Human Services Reporting Requirements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB482-2025GS) - [S.B. 197: Property Tax Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB197-2025GS) - [S.B. 3: Appropriations Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB3-2025GS) - [Utah bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah/bills) - [Utah state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB165-2025GS (as of 2026-10-17).