HB 128: Dangerous Weapons Recodification and Cross References - Utah

Amended 3/6/2025 12:03:93 → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends the Utah Code to clarify that possession of a dangerous weapon on or about school premises is a crime for both minors and adults. It reorganizes the statute to distinguish between possession of non-firearm weapons (class B misdemeanor) and firearms (class A misdemeanor), while maintaining existing exemptions for authorized personnel and approved activities.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of applicability by explicitly including both minors and adults in the prohibition against possessing dangerous weapons on school premises, whereas the previous language was less clear about applying to minors.

DEFINITION

Clarified the definition of 'on or about school premises' to include school buildings, grounds, higher education institutions, and preschool/child care facilities.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the penalty structure to classify possession of non-firearm dangerous weapons as a class B misdemeanor and possession of firearms as a class A misdemeanor.

ELIGIBILITY

Explicitly stated that the prohibition applies to all actors regardless of age, covering both minors and adults.

TECHNICAL

Added coordination clauses to ensure consistency with related bills (H.B. 133 and H.B. 21) regarding dangerous weapons amendments and criminal code recodification.

REQUIREMENT

Updated exemptions to include authorization under specific sections of the concealed firearm permit law and provisions for school security guards.

Amended Excerpts 3/6/2025 12:03:93 → Amended 3/6/2025 12:03:93 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill reorganizes Utah's dangerous weapons statutes into a standardized format and moves certain provisions from Title 76 to Title 53 (Public Safety Code). The changes clarify existing laws around firearm carrying, concealed carry permits, and coordinate technical updates with related bills. This is primarily a structural and formatting update rather than a substantive policy change.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on dangerous weapons regulations, but the legal structure changes by relocating some provisions to a new title and standardizing the format of criminal statutes.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized dangerous weapons statutes into a standardized format and moved certain contents from Title 76 to Title 53 Public Safety Code

Added coordination clauses to align with related bills including H.B. 227, H.B. 21, S.B. 14, and others

Updated section references and cross-references for dangerous weapons provisions to reflect new numbering structure

Removed draft amendment language and replaced with formal bill text structure

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 3/6/2025 12:03:93 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill reorganizes Utah's dangerous weapons laws by moving many provisions from Title 76 (Criminal Code) to Title 53 (Public Safety Code) to create a more standardized structure. The amendments update cross-references to the new section numbers and clarify definitions for firearms, concealed carry permits, and restricted persons.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on dangerous weapons regulation, but the organizational structure of the statutes has changed, moving content from the criminal code to the public safety code for better coordination and clarity.

TECHNICAL

Renumbered and reorganized multiple sections moving dangerous weapons provisions from Title 76 to Title 53 for standardized formatting and better coordination with other firearms legislation.

DEFINITION

Updated cross-references in definitions to point to new section numbers in the reorganized code, ensuring consistency across the statute.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified section 53-5a-303 to clarify that bureau duties apply to concealed carry permits and updated references to restricted persons to match new section numbers.

REQUIREMENT

Adjusted references in sections regarding firearm discharge from vehicles and adjudications to reflect new section numbers in the reorganized code.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten to reorganize dangerous weapons statutes from Title 76 (Criminal Code) into Title 53 (Public Safety Code) as part of a broader recodification effort. The original version focused specifically on school weapon possession, while the new version addresses a much wider range of public safety and weapons-related laws across multiple code sections.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded significantly from a single focus on school weapon possession to a comprehensive restructuring of multiple dangerous weapons and public safety statutes throughout the Utah Code.

TECHNICAL

The entire bill structure was replaced with a new version that reorganizes dangerous weapons provisions from Title 76 into Title 53 as part of a standardized formatting initiative.

The new version includes coordination clauses with additional bills (H.B. 133, H.B. 21, H.B. 183, H.B. 227, H.B. 22, S.B. 14) that were not present in the original version.

SCOPE

The original bill focused only on school weapon possession (Section 76-10-505.5), while the new version addresses numerous additional statutes including concealed carry permits, firearm sales, and various public safety codes.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from May 7, 2025 to February 28, 2025, making the new version take effect sooner.

Introduced → Enrolled · 5 edits · Mar 26, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from a single section on school weapon possession into a comprehensive recodification of Utah's dangerous weapons laws, affecting dozens of statutes across multiple titles. The original version focused narrowly on school premises, while the new version restructures the entire weapons code into a standardized format and moves some provisions to the Public Safety Code. This represents a major technical and organizational overhaul rather than substantive policy changes to weapon possession rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single statute about school weapon possession to a comprehensive recodification affecting over 60 Utah Code sections across multiple titles including criminal law, education, and public safety.

TECHNICAL

Complete restructuring of dangerous weapons statutes from Title 76 into a new standardized format with some provisions moved to Title 53 Public Safety Code

New Long Title section describing the bill's purpose as modifying provisions by redrafting statutes into a new structure and reorganizing applicable criminal statutes

Utah Code Sections Affected list expanded from one section (76-10-505.5) to over 60 sections across multiple titles

Original specific language about school weapon possession was removed and replaced with broader recodification language

New coordination clauses added to coordinate with other related bills (H.B. 183, H.B. 21, S.B. 14)

Dangerous Weapons Recodification and Cross References

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