Senator Fillmore moved and the Utah Senate passed Senate Bill 37, titled "Minimum Basic Tax Rate Amendments," after roughly an hour of floor discussion about whether shifting locally assessed basic-levy receipts through the state would harm school districts' local control or interest income.

The bill changes how property-tax revenue collected for the state's basic school levy is routed: rather than sending those locally assessed receipts directly to school districts, the money will be collected by the state and then distributed to districts so the state can apply the uniform funding formula. Senator Fillmore, the bill sponsor, said the change does not alter the amount districts receive.

"The exact same amount of money comes in. The exact same amount of money goes out on a district by district basis," Senator Fillmore said on the floor, describing the bill as an accounting change to the flow of funds rather than an appropriation. He said the timing and the distribution are intended to match current practice: large property-tax collections are concentrated in November and December (he cited roughly $350,000,000 and $450,000,000 as illustrative monthly inflows), then districts spend those sums down over the school year.

Supporters said the bill treats districts with unusual assessed-value-to-student ratios the same as others and prevents situations where districts with very high property values but shrinking student rolls send large excesses to the state in a way that produces unequal treatment. Opponents — including several school-district representatives and associations referenced during floor debate — raised concerns about local control and whether routing receipts through the state's general fund (versus an education-dedicated fund) could change how those dollars may be used in practice.

Senators asked for and received clarifications on mechanics: Fillmore said the bill does not appropriate new money and that actual appropriations for schools are set through other budget bills (he referenced Senate Bill 1 and later budget action). He repeatedly told colleagues the bill would not materially change districts' interest earnings and that the state would send districts the same monthly distributions they now receive.

After debate and a motion to call the Senate (to ensure quorum), the Senate passed SB 37, as amended, on a roll call of 19 yeas, 8 nays and 2 absent. The sponsor's floor amendment (Amendment 1) was described as a technical clarification changing a reference from "state funds" to "general fund." The bill will be transmitted to the House for further consideration.

Votes and procedural steps on the bill occurred during the Senate floor session and included repeated floor explanations and questions from senators concerned about equalization, interest earnings, and fund designation. No statutory citations beyond references to the state's budgeting and school-funding process were made on the floor.

The Senate's action resolves the routing question for the 2025 session; the appropriation and budget impact will be determined later in the session through separate budget measures.

Details recorded on the floor include the sponsor's assurances about cash flow and timing and the final roll-call tally for passage.