SB 141 Utah Senate · 2026 General Session

Child Welfare Amendments

SB 141 amends Utah's child welfare laws to improve transparency and coordination for families and foster care systems. It requires the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) to notify all parties when filing court reports or child and family plans, clarifies timelines for foster parent rights, and sets deadlines for resolving placement objections. The bill also allows DCFS to share information with the Division of Professional Licensing regarding child abuse/neglect licensing violations and updates definitions related to "relatives" and post-adoption agreements. These changes directly affect DCFS, foster parents, families involved in custody proceedings, and licensing authorities. The bill makes no new funding commitments and focuses on procedural clarity in child welfare processes.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Signed Mar 17, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute #2 → Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 17, 2026

MODERATE

The bill updates child placement rules to allow the Division to place children with non-custodial parents or relatives without prior court approval, provided background checks and evaluations are completed within three days. It also strengthens post-adoption agreements by clarifying that they cannot limit an adoptive parent's ability to move out of state and by establishing a legal presumption that the adoptive parent's judgment is correct in enforcement disputes. These changes aim to speed up emergency placements while maintaining safety checks and protecting the stability of open adoptions.

Scope change

The scope of placement authority was expanded to include non-custodial parents and friends under specific conditions, and the scope of post-adoption agreements was clarified to explicitly allow interstate moves.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the requirement for post-shelter placement to allow the Division to place children with non-custodial parents, relatives, or friends without immediate court approval, requiring only a three-day notice and background checks.

Modified the post-adoption contact agreement section to explicitly state that such agreements cannot limit an adoptive parent's ability to move out of state.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the enforcement rules for post-adoption agreements to create a legal presumption that the adoptive parent's judgment regarding the child's best interest is correct, unless successfully rebutted.

TIMELINE

Modified the effective date of the bill from May 6, 2026, to an unspecified date (the text shows a timestamp change but no specific new date in the body).

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's child welfare laws to strengthen protections for foster families, clarify who counts as a 'relative' for placement purposes, and ensure post-adoption contact agreements apply to all children, not just those in DCFS custody. Key changes include requiring DCFS to provide foster parents with due process before removing a child, even after long-term placements, and lowering the threshold for requesting a judicial review of removals from two years to 12 months. The definition of 'relative' was expanded to include adults with deep cultural or familial ties to a child, even if not legally related. Additionally, the bill clarifies that post-adoption contact agreements can be made for children adopted from other agencies, not just DCFS, and adds a new category for investigators from the Division of Professional Licensing to access abuse reports.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of 'relative' to include individuals with significant cultural or familial connections to a child, regardless of legal blood relation, and extends post-adoption contact agreement rights to children adopted from sources other than the Division of Child and Family Services.

REQUIREMENT

DCFS must now provide procedural due process, including written notice and an opportunity for review, before removing a child from a foster home, regardless of how long the child has lived there.

TIMELINE

Foster parents can now petition the juvenile court for review of a removal decision if the child has been in their care for 12 months or longer, down from the previous 24-month requirement.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'relative' was expanded to include adults who have an established relationship with the child and possess historical knowledge of the child's culture, family traditions, or heritage.

ELIGIBILITY

Post-adoption contact agreements are now permitted for children adopted from any source, not limited to children who were previously in the custody of the Division of Child and Family Services.

ENFORCEMENT

A new category was added allowing investigators from the Division of Professional Licensing to access child abuse reports to investigate licensing violations related to child abuse or neglect.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 10, 2026 · House Feb 19, 2026

How they voted

24–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 29

Feb 10, 2026

D Democratic6

3 Yea 3

50% Yea

N Forward1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican22

20 Yea 2

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2026

Signed into law

Governor Signed

executive

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

House/ passed 3rd reading

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

House/ committee report favorable [House Judiciary Committee]

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Judiciary Committee]

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

House/ to standing committee [House Judiciary Committee]

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate/ passed 3rd reading

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]

upper

Jan 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Committee

Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]

upper

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor