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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses the posting of political signs on public property.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ defines terms;
13 ▸ provides that a local government entity, a local government officer, a local
14 government employee, or another person with authority or control over public
15 property that posts or permits a person to post a political sign on public property
16 shall permit any other person to post a political sign on the public property, subject
17 to the same requirements and restrictions imposed on all other political signs posted
18 on the public property; and
19 ▸ prohibits a local government entity, a local government officer, a local government
20 employee, or another person with authority or control over public property from
21 imposing a requirement or restriction on the posting of a political sign on public
22 property if the requirement or restriction is not politically neutral and content
23 neutral.
24 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
25 None
26 Other Special Clauses:
27 None
28 Utah Code Sections Affected:
29 ENACTS:
30 20A-17-103, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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32 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
33 Section 1. Section 20A-17-103 is enacted to read:
34 20A-17-103. Posting political signs on public property.
35 (1) As used in this section:
36 (a) "Local government entity" means:
37 (i) a county, municipality, or other political subdivision;
38 (ii) a local district, as defined in Section 17B-1-102;
39 (iii) a special service district, as defined in Section 17D-1-102;
40 (iv) a local building authority, as defined in Section 17D-2-102;
41 (v) a conservation district, as defined in Section 17D-3-102;
42 (vi) an independent entity, as defined in Section 63E-1-102;
43 (vii) a public corporation, as defined in Section 63E-1-102;
44 (viii) a public transit district, organized under Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 8, Public
45 Transit District Act;
46 (ix) a school district;
47 (x) a public school, including a charter school or other publicly funded school;
48 (xi) a state institution of higher education;
49 (xii) an entity that expends public funds; and
50 (xiii) each office, agency, or other division of an entity described in Subsections
51 (1)(a)(i) through (xii).
52 (b) "Political sign" means any sign or document that advocates:
53 (i) the election or defeat of a candidate for public office; or
54 (ii) the approval or defeat of a ballot proposition.
55 (c) (i) "Public property" means any real property, building, or structure owned or leased
56 by a local government entity.
57 (ii) "Public property" does not include any real property, building, or structure during a
58 period of time that the real property, building, or structure is rented out by a government entity
59 to a private party for a meeting, convention, or similar event.
60 (2) A local government entity, a local government officer, a local government
61 employee, or another person with authority or control over public property that posts or permits
62 a person to post a political sign on public property:
63 (a) shall permit any other person to post a political sign on the public property, subject
64 to the same requirements and restrictions imposed on all other political signs permitted to be
65 posted on the public property; and
66 (b) may not impose a requirement or restriction on the posting of a political sign if the
67 requirement or restriction is not politically neutral and content neutral.