S.B. 202 Mowing Ordinance Amendments

What this bill does

This bill would let privately owned golf courses mow between 5:30 AM and 10:00 PM, the same kind of mowing hours that apply to publicly owned courses. It would set one statewide standard for mowing time on golf courses.

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Every vote

• 5 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Business and Labor Committee: vote to approve it · Jan 29, 2026Who voted how
• 26 yes, 1 no, 2 absentFirst of two Senate votes · Feb 17, 2026
• 24 yes, 0 no, 5 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 18, 2026
• 9 yes, 0 no, 3 absentHouse Political Subdivisions Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 24, 2026Who voted how
• 48 yes, 2 no, 25 absentFinal House vote · Feb 26, 2026

Hearings and debates

• Jan 29, 2026 Senate Business and Labor Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (15 turns)

  1. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:24:05

     I'm here to help my own bill. Last item on the agenda. Senate bill 2 0 2 Mowing Ordinance Amendments. Senator McKay, time is yours.

  2. Sen. Daniel McCay1:24:12

     Thank you. Senate Bill 2 0 2 is a bill we ran last session and it got delayed unfortunately, and then it got on the last night of the session and then it didn't make it. So here we are. Um, basically what this is, is, um, there are private golf courses, public golf courses. Uh, there is a difference between mowing practices with public golf courses and there is with private golf courses, uh, when they're privately owned, cities tend to make ordinances that limit the mowing time. Uh, when they're public courses, the cities tend not to make mowing, uh, times because it's their golf course. So, uh, the idea here is, uh, allowing, you know, the standard to be the same for both. Uh, and allow, you know, early morning mowing. Uh, and as we heard last year when we talked about this, uh, one course reported that if they start their mowing when the, when their ordinance had, uh, had delayed them, their ordinance started and wouldn't allow them to mow before 9:00 AM when they started at 9:00 AM it would take them the entire day to mow. When they start at five 30, they're done in two hours. So the idea is allow them the same protections, uh, for a private course. It is a public course. It's a simple issue really, and it's kind of a private property rights thing. Um, but anyways, that's the, that's the principle of the bill.

  3. Unknown speaker1:25:48speaker not certain

     Yeah. And as we both know, it's much easier to mow when there's no one on the course or very few groups on the course. And as you start your tee times early in the morning and you get more and more people out there, and I know that, uh, most of the people that schedule that, that mowing will schedule the early holes and then move toward the end so that they can get, get out in front of the players. So Well, and the, what we find is that the later they mow, the more likely incidents occur in conflicts between the mower and golfers, uh, mowers being hit. Uh, you know, that kind of stuff. And so it may Have accidentally hit a, a lawnmower before. Yeah, I didn't wanna highlight that, but Yeah.

  4. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:26:27

     Uh, does that conclude your presentation?

  5. Sen. Daniel McCay1:26:29

     Yeah, that's my ation. Yeah.

  6. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:26:30

     Come back to the committee for a question. Senator Musselman,

  7. Sen. Calvin R. Musselman1:26:32

     I I just make a comment. Probably not even worth, uh, this is a good bill. Um, but it's just fascinating, right? The, the people that wanna live next to a golf course but then want to complain about the mowing at five 30. It's similar. My, my father and I used to, uh, farming, you know, he'd get up and cut the hay and people always wanna live next to the open field, but don't want to deal with the reality of a, of a farm field next to 'em. So it Is exactly, It's one of those quandaries. Yeah. It, it, it, the, the quandary is like the people moving in, you know, there's been a a, I have a horse barn in my neighborhood, you know, that's been there, it was there for 20 years before the subdivision was built and then Yep. Moved in and then all of a sudden people started complaining. Yeah. They love the look of it. Yeah. Just not the smells. Yeah. Yeah. Same thing. Thank you. Same kind of thing. Yeah. Other People say the same thing about me actually. Yeah.

  8. Unknown speaker1:27:29speaker not certain

     Yeah. Are you on your mower at three o'clock in the morning? Morning? No, Just the, just like the look of it and not the smell of it. Yeah. I'm not sure either, so, Probably, probably. Fair. Oh dear. Good. Good thing we can have a little fun. Yep.

  9. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:27:43

     Um, any further discussion to the bill? No. Seeing none. Is there any in the public that'd like to, man, there's people coming from everywhere to testify on this bill. Mm-hmm. Uh, I guess they're not gonna make it up here though, so we will the one person in the audience waived. So we'll come back, we'll come back to the committee for further deliberation or action.

  10. Sen. Daniel McCay1:28:06

      Go ahead. I'll make a motion to, yeah. To pass the bill, Senate bill 2 0 2 out with favorable recommendation. Okay.

  11. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:28:11

      The motion before is favor. We recommend Senate Bill 2 0 2. Discussion to that motion. Seeing none. Would you like to

  12. Sen. Daniel McCay1:28:17

      Sum? I'll just say quickly. We did have a lot of conversations with the city last year. Um, and, you know, we compromised from, uh, they wanted six o'clock, you know, my bill, original bill was five o'clock, got to five 30 and I think everybody was okay with that. So that, that's probably why they just are indifferent to where it's at now. Okay.

  13. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:28:35

      Thank you. Thank you. We'll place the motion. Uh, all in favor, favor recommending Senate bill 2 0 2. Please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any post, say nay Rule that pass the unanimous five to zero. Uh, I think your mic's on. You wanna make one final motion? Motion

  14. Sen. Daniel McCay1:28:49

      To adjourn. Motion to

  15. Chair Vickers (presiding)1:28:50

      adjourn. Thank you for sticking around. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Oh, one more comment for the committee members. I apologize. Starting next week, we're going to meet downstairs in one 20, uh, just because we're probably start getting some bills. Like we had the C cred bill the other day that was took up. A lot of that would've taken a lot less space. So we will be ex Representative Dunnigan has been kind enough to switch rooms with us, so we will be starting meeting downstairs starting next week. Thanks.

• Feb 17, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (8 turns)

  1. Unknown speaker1:43:54speaker not certain

     Senator, the bill is encircled.

  2. Sen. Daniel McCay1:43:56

     Thank you Mr. President. Senate Bill 2 0 2 is a constituent bill that brought, uh, came to me a couple of years ago, actually, uh, last year it died on the house, uh, board. And, uh, here it is, uh, trying to get it done when it died, uh, it just ran outta time. So, uh, needless to say, try to get it done earlier in the session. And it's still this far into the session. Here we are. Um, with that, it's a very simple bill. Um, we, we currently, uh, have different standards, uh, across the state. When municipal governments own golf courses, uh, or counties own the golf courses, there's not mowing restrictions. But when the, when the golf courses are owned privately, um, then there are mowing restrictions and it's really hard. I, uh, a couple years ago I Uintah a, uh, city council meeting at the invitation of this constituent and, uh, and, and watched more than a hundred people who lived around the golf course talk about how amazing and beautiful the golf course was, but at the same time said they, uh, were against the golf course mowing before 8:00 AM So what they did was they passed, the city passed an ordinance, uh, that made it so that the, um, so that the, uh, uh, mowing, uh, would, couldn't take place before 8:00 AM What that did, the net effect of that ordinance was it caused the golf, it caused that golf course to then, instead of getting its mowing done in two hours, it took eight hours for it to do. Its, uh, its mowing and it, uh, it increased the operations and maintenance costs just because of the ordinance. Interestingly, in, in this, in the same city, the Mowing and Ordinance did not apply to its own golf courses. So all this does is creates a uniform standard across the state, uh, and makes it so that, um, that golf course maintenance, the original proposal was to start at 5:00 AM uh, there was a compromise last year to go to five 30. Uh, but go from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM that Mr. President, I'm happy to yield to questions.

  3. Senate President (presiding)1:46:02

     Senator McKay, looking for questions on your bill, saying none to you for summation and motion.

  4. Sen. Daniel McCay1:46:10

     Thank you President. I'll move that Senate Bill 2 0 2, be read for a third time.

  5. Senate President (presiding)1:46:13

     Thank you. The question is, shall Senate Bill 2 0 2 be read? A third time Roll call vote.

  6. Senate clerk (roll call)1:46:17

     Senator Vickers Baldry Blue and Brammer bus Comore Escamilla Fillmore Grover Harper Kins Ipson Johnson Juab McKay Aye. Mikel Milner Musselman Owens Pitcher Lum Rebe Sandal Aye. Stevenson Stratton Bickers Aye. Bier Aye. Wilson. Aye. Winterton President Adams Aye. Aye.

  7. Senate President (presiding)1:47:12

     Senate Bill 2 0 2, having received Senate Bill 2 0 2, having received 25 yay votes one day vote two being absent shall be read a third time. We call it A and Senate Bill 2 0 2. Having received now 26 yay votes one nay vote two being absent shall be read a third time. That concludes our work for the day.

  8. Senate President (presiding)1:47:36

     Uh, Senator Fillmore, do you have an announcement?

• Feb 18, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (6 turns)

  1. Sen. Daniel McCay29:12

     Thank you. As we discussed yesterday, uh, Senate Bill 2 0 2 is a very simple property rights issue, uh, that allows private golf courses to enjoy the same mowing constraints that municipal golf courses owe, uh, own. And with that, Mr. President, I'm happy to yield for questions.

  2. Senate President (presiding)29:29

     Thank you. I can't imagine you running a golf bill Senator or not seeing questions, uh, going back to you for a motion.

  3. Sen. Daniel McCay29:36

     Thank you very much, president.

  4. Sen. Daniel McCay29:37

     I'll waive summation, move that Senate Bill 2 0 2 mowing Ordinance amendments pass.

  5. Senate President (presiding)29:42

     Thank you. And the question is, shall Senate Bill two oh two pass roll call vote. Senator Vickers Baldy Aye. Lewin Brammer Aye. Bus Fillmore Escamilla Fillmore Aye. Grover Aye. Harper Aye. Kins Aye. Ipson Aye. Johnson Aye. Juab McKay? Aye. Mikel Aye. Milner Musman Owens pitcher Plum rebe freebie Aye. Sandal Stevenson Stratton? Yes. Mr. Aye. Thickers Weiler Aye. Wilson Winterton Aye. President Adams Aye. Senate bill two, Senate Bill 2 0 2, having received 24 yay votes, zero nay votes, five being absent, passes this body and will be sent to the house for their consideration.

  6. Senate President (presiding)31:00speaker not certain

     Senate Joint Resolution eight, Senate Joint Resolution eight joint resolution to initiate a law school at Utah Valley University. Senator Brammer. Senator Brammer?

• Feb 24, 2026 House Political Subdivisions Committee▶ Watch
• Feb 26, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (5 turns)

  1. Speaker (presiding)1:22:39

     Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro Tim.

  2. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson1:22:41

     Uh, many of my colleagues know, uh, of my love and passion for golfing. And so when I heard that I had an opportunity to help our golf courses out, I took advantage of it. But what this build does is it sets, uh, currently with public golf courses, there's no mowing requirements placed on when they can and can't mow. Um, but with private courses, oftentimes noise ordinances and other things prohibit, uh, the mowing to happen during certain hours. What this says, what this bill does is it says that if you live on a, if you own a a private golf course, you can operate your lawnmowers from the hours of five 30 to 10:00 PM 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM Um, and really my hope with this Mr. Speaker Pro Tim, is that this will give them time to make the fairways wider, thus improving my ability to score better. Um, with that, that concludes my presentation. Thank you, Representative Peterson.

  3. Speaker (presiding)1:23:39

     Discussion to the bill. See none.

  4. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson1:23:43

     Representative Peterson for summation. That's a good bill. It allows golf courses to do the maintenance. If you live on a golf course, you, you know, you live on a golf course and the noise should be something you expect. So thank you for your support.

  5. Speaker (presiding)1:23:55

     Thank you. Representative Peterson Voting is open on Senate Bill 2 0 2 mowing Ordinance amendments, seeing all present, having voted voting will be closed. Senate bill 2 0 2, having received 48 yay votes and two nay votes passes. The house will be signed by the Speaker pro tem and returned to the Senate for the signature of the President Matter Meeting Clerk