All Roll Calls
Yes: 92 • No: 38
UtahS.B. 3332025 General SessionSenateWALLET
Major Sporting Event Venue Financing Amendments
Sponsored By: Jerry W Stevenson (Republican)
Signed by Governor
CountiesCommunity Reinvestment AgenciesMunicipalitiesLimited Purpose Local Government EntitiesPolitical Subdivisions (Local Issues)Sales and Use TaxRevenue and TaxationTax Increment Financing
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 6 mixed.
Public review for new venue zones
Beginning January 1, 2026, local governments must present venue-zone plans at a public committee meeting. The committee can approve, reject, or request changes. Before approval, the area must be zoned for the planned development. Groups of cities or counties must also meet the law’s joint-creation requirements.
Venue funds face spending safeguards
Venue revenue must support the zone or an approved secondary area, including venue development, listed public improvements, and bond payments. It can also fund venue promotion and help offset impacts on local services. Spending in an impacted primary area requires a finding that it directly benefits the venue. A designated reinvestment agency or public infrastructure district must sign a revenue-management agreement before handling funds. Administration is capped at 2% of annual zone revenue, or retained revenue when an agent is used; agents have a separate 2% cap on their allocation.
Venue builders get tax-free construction materials
Sales and use tax does not apply to materials used to build, remodel, or refurbish a qualifying major sporting venue. The venue must be inside an approved venue zone. The tax break lowers qualifying project costs, not household purchases generally. Savings depend on the materials purchased and the tax that otherwise applies.
Venue zones gain lodging and sales taxes
Beginning October 1, 2025, creating governments can adopt taxes by ordinance within approved venue-zone sales tax boundaries. Rates can reach 5% for covered lodging and services, 1.1% for resort sales taxes, plus another 0.5% resort tax. Customers pay adopted taxes on covered transactions, and the revenue supports authorized venue-zone uses. Municipalities cannot also charge their corresponding tax where the creating government imposes that tax. A municipality taxing only within its venue-zone boundary is exempt from lodging-capacity filing and related requirements.
Venue projects gain bonds and partnerships
Creating governments can issue bonds for venue development and public improvements, including interest and financing costs. They or their fiscal agents can create infrastructure districts inside zones and pledge zone funds to guarantee district bonds. Those pledges commit zone money to debt repayment. Governments can also partner with qualified venue operators after finding that the deal supports zone goals. Agreements can provide ownership shares based on financial investments and lease rights for private partners.
Construction sales taxes follow special rules
Special rules send tax revenue from qualifying construction-material sales to the government creating the venue zone. Materials must reach a registered delivery outlet inside the zone for permanent attachment to property there. Sellers must report sales to that outlet, not on a simplified electronic return. The allocation includes 50% of state sales tax growth and 100% of the creating government’s two resort taxes. A separate rule keeps the specified tax share from Schedule J sales with the jurisdiction that otherwise receives it.
Limits on overlapping venue tax collections
Beginning January 1, 2026, venue zones generally must wait for existing community reinvestment collection periods to end on overlapping parcels. Overlaps with housing-and-transit or first-home zones require avoiding or delaying competing property and sales tax collections. A special inactive industrial-site rule allows venue capture equal to the gap between 80% and the existing plan’s share, including nonparticipating taxing bodies. If that plan ends first, the venue zone can collect its allocated share for the venue zone’s remaining term. Zone boundaries can track county parcel changes, but sales tax boundary changes need Tax Commission consultation and approval.
Property tax growth funds venue projects
With owner consent and committee approval, qualifying venues can receive property tax growth that otherwise goes to schools and local governments. Venue qualifications include expected spending over $100 million or confirmed Olympic Games use. Approved property tax collection periods last 25–40 years, with no more than three periods per qualified development zone. At least 75% supports the qualified development zone unless the committee approves a different allocation for a secondary area. Collections stop at the approved revenue cap, and certified property tax calculations account for value when its diversion ends.
Qualifying counties gain an infrastructure tax
Beginning October 1, 2025, a third-class Utah county with at least three major sporting venues can adopt a resort tax. The rate can reach 1.1% on covered transactions in areas outside cities and towns. Customers pay the tax where adopted. Counties must use the money only for public infrastructure, including transportation improvements, or transit projects.
Sales tax growth shifts toward venues
Beginning January 1, 2026, zones can capture local sales tax growth for one period of up to 40 years. After Tax Commission consultation, the committee approves capture terms for a connected boundary covering the zone and following ZIP Code collection lines. The base year and transfers start on the first calendar quarter after a 90-day notice period. The state transfers 50% of the applicable tax growth at least yearly, subject to the law’s transfer exceptions. The creating government must notify the commission to stop transfers when the approved maximum is reached.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Jerry W Stevenson
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Jon Hawkins
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/6/2025
House/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/6/2025
Senate/ concurs with House amendment
Yes: 17 • No: 7
House vote • 3/6/2025
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 45 • No: 27
House vote • 3/6/2025
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/4/2025
Senate/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/4/2025
Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
Yes: 23 • No: 4
Senate vote • 3/4/2025
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/3/2025
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/27/2025
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/27/2025
Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 3 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/27/2025Senate/ to Governor
3/17/2025SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/17/2025SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/13/2025SenateEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/13/2025Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/7/2025Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
3/7/2025Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
3/7/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
3/7/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/6/2025HouseSenate/ to House
3/6/2025SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
3/6/2025SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
3/6/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
3/6/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ passed 3rd reading
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ substituted
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ uncircled
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ circled
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ uncircled
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ circled
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
3/5/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/13/2025
Substitute #4
3/5/2025
Substitute #5
3/5/2025
Substitute #2
3/4/2025
Substitute #3
3/4/2025
Substitute #1
2/27/2025
Introduced
2/25/2025