S.B. 95: Public Speaking Amendments

What the bill does

Did not pass both chambers; the bill was filed on March 6, 2026.

It would have required institutions to run content-neutral risk assessments before public events with outside speakers and to apply security measures matched to a threat level coordinated by the Department of Public Safety. It never reached a floor vote: a committee sent it back to the Rules Committee, and it was filed on March 6, 2026.

This bill establishes risk assessment and security requirements for public events at an institution of higher education (institutions).

• Defines terms
• Requires institutions to conduct content-neutral risk assessments for public events with outside speakers
• Establishes a multi-level threat classification system
• Assigns coordination responsibilities to the Department of Public Safety
• Mandates security measures corresponding to assigned threat levels
• Requires insurance coverage and authorizes security fees based on threat levels
• Establishes an event application, approval, and appeal process
• Permits event modification or cancellation based on emerging threats
• Protects certain assessment records under state law while maintaining public access to key information
• Requires reporting and oversight by the Board of Higher Education and the Legislature under certain circumstances
• Mandates training and designates institutional coordinators
• Makes technical and conforming changes

The description and list come from the bill's own long title as recorded by the Legislature; the paragraph above is the Ledger’s summary. Read the official bill. The Ledger takes no position on it.

Subjects: Education · Higher Education · Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice · Department of Public Safety · Utah Board of Higher Education · Colleges and Universities

How it moved

1. January 20, 2026 · Senate1st reading (Introduced)Rules Committee
2. January 20, 2026 · Senateto standing committeeEducation Committee
3. March 2, 2026 · SenateSenate Comm - Recommends Returned to RulesEducation Committee
4. March 6, 2026 · Senatefiledfile for bills not passed

Steps as the Legislature recorded them; clerical and fiscal-staff entries are left out. Numbers such as 54-14-7 are yeas, nays and absent.

Fiscal note

From the Legislative Fiscal Analyst's note on S.B. 95, dated January 21, 2026. A fiscal note estimates direct costs and revenue; it is not an appropriation.

• State revenue: Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
• State expenditures: Enactment of this legislation could cost the Department of Public Safety $181,000 ongoing beginning in FY27 and $10,000 one-time in FY26 from the General Fund to hire a security consultant.
• Local government: Enactment of this legislation likely will not result in direct, measurable costs for local governments.
• Individuals and businesses: Enactment of this legislation likely will not result in direct expenditures from tax or fee changes for Utah residents and businesses.

Bill overview

Sponsor: Kathleen A. Riebe

Legislature passed-list status: Not available in the saved metadata.

Passed-list membership is not a finding that a bill was signed or took effect. A bill absent from that list is not necessarily pending or defeated.

Latest recorded action

filed
Action date: March 6, 2026

The full step list is above. Find the bill in the official session list for status, hearings and committee records.

Recorded floor votes

No floor-vote records for this bill and session are available here. This does not mean no vote occurred; consult the official bill record.

Ledger coverage

No Ledger stories with an explicit source link to this bill and session are listed here.