SB 257: Domestic Relations Amendments - Utah

Substitute #4 → Enrolled · 7 edits · Mar 18, 2026

MODERATE

The bill amends definitions for juvenile justice and family law to clarify terms like 'abuse' and 'minor,' adds specific requirements for marriage license applications including parental verification for minors, and modifies rules regarding genetic testing in paternity disputes to prioritize the best interests of the child over test results in certain circumstances.

Scope change

The bill expands the definition of 'minor' in juvenile proceedings to include individuals up to age 25 in specific cases and clarifies the scope of prohibited marriages and temporary separation orders.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'abuse' to explicitly include human trafficking and the intentional death of a child's parent, while clarifying exclusions for reasonable discipline and self-defense.

Expanded the definition of 'minor' in the juvenile code to include individuals aged 18-21 with specific court-ordered services and those aged 18-25 under certain juvenile court jurisdiction.

Clarified the definition of 'incest' to include relationships created by adoption and stepparent-stepchild relationships while the marriage exists.

Added a new definition for 'chronic abuse' and 'chronic neglect' to distinguish them from isolated incidents.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for county clerks to provide specific multilingual warnings on marriage license websites regarding the validity of online solemnizations.

Modified marriage license application procedures to require affidavits from parents or guardians verifying the identity and age of minor applicants.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the criteria for denying genetic testing or disregarding test results in paternity cases to focus on whether it would be inequitable to disrupt an existing parent-child relationship.

Substitute #3 → Substitute #4 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's domestic relations laws to modernize definitions of 'parent' to align with the Uniform Parentage Act, clarifies when a man is presumed to be a father, and introduces new protections for parents relocating due to domestic violence. It also establishes a review process for child support calculations and adjusts parent-time schedules to remove specific holidays.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of who is legally considered a 'parent' to include individuals with parent-child relationships under the Uniform Parentage Act, and broadens the applicability of child support and custody rules to various family structures.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'parent' to explicitly include individuals with a parent-child relationship under Section 81-5-102, ensuring consistency across the Utah Code.

REQUIREMENT

Required the Office of Recovery Services to review minimal child support and child care award calculations and report findings to the Judiciary Interim Committee.

Prohibited courts from requiring a parent to disclose their address if they relocated due to domestic or family violence by the other parent.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that a man is not presumed to be the father of a child if the child was born at the time of a divorce decree and other children in the decree share the same mother.

TIMELINE

Removed Columbus Day and Veterans Day as holidays in parent-time schedules and added a table for minimal child care awards effective January 1, 2027.

ENFORCEMENT

Added provisions allowing courts to deny genetic testing motions or disregard test results if estoppel or inequity would disrupt an existing parent-child relationship.

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's domestic relations laws to align the definition of 'parent' with the Uniform Parentage Act, ensuring consistency across child support, custody, and offender registration statutes. It introduces a new coordination clause to address conflicts with H.B. 304 regarding make-up parent-time requirements and clarifies rules for genetic testing in parentage disputes.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of 'parent' to include individuals with a legal parent-child relationship under the Uniform Parentage Act, affecting child support calculations, custody determinations, and sex offender registration eligibility.

DEFINITION

Added a coordination clause to address substantive conflicts regarding make-up parent-time requirements if this bill and H.B. 304 both become law.

Modified the definition of 'parent' in multiple sections to reflect the Uniform Parentage Act, ensuring consistent application across child support and custody laws.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified sex offender registration requirements to clarify that natural parents are exempt from registration for certain kidnapping and trafficking offenses involving their own children.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the authority of courts to deny genetic testing motions or disregard test results based on estoppel and equitable considerations to prevent disruption of established parent-child relationships.

Modified the Office of Recovery Services' duties to review minimal child care award requirements and report findings to the Judiciary Interim Committee.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's domestic relations laws to align the definition of 'parent' with the Uniform Parentage Act, clarifies marriage solemnization rules for out-of-state couples, and modifies how courts handle genetic testing and child support calculations. It also adjusts juvenile code definitions and removes specific holidays from the standard parent-time schedule.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of 'parent' to include individuals with parent-child relationships under the Uniform Parentage Act, regardless of biological connection, and modifies marriage licensing rules to address remote solemnizations.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'parent' in multiple sections to reflect the legal parent-child relationship under the Uniform Parentage Act rather than solely biological ties.

REQUIREMENT

Changed marriage license requirements to allow solemnization if parties are not in the same location as the officiant, provided specific warnings are given online and verbally.

Added a requirement for the Office of Recovery Services to review and report on minimal child care award calculations.

Removed Columbus Day and Veterans Day from the statutory parent-time schedule while retaining Mother's Day and Father's Day.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the criteria for courts to deny genetic testing motions, emphasizing estoppel and the inequity of disrupting established parent-child relationships.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the deadline for reporting child support guideline reviews from October 1, 2025, to October 1, 2029.

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill significantly updates Utah's domestic relations laws to align the definition of 'parent' with the Uniform Parentage Act, ensuring consistency across child support, custody, and offender registration statutes. It introduces new restrictions on remote marriages, clarifies when courts can deny genetic testing to protect established parent-child relationships, and modifies sex offender registration rules to exclude natural parents from certain mandatory registration requirements. The bill also adds coordination clauses to manage potential conflicts with other pending legislation regarding human trafficking and Juneteenth observances.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of 'parent' to include individuals with legal parent-child relationships under the Uniform Parentage Act, rather than relying solely on biological or adoptive ties, thereby affecting eligibility for child support, custody rights, and exemptions from sex offender registration.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'parent' in multiple titles to reflect the legal parent-child relationship under the Uniform Parentage Act, removing reliance on biological status alone.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements prohibiting remote marriages solemnized on or after May 6, 2026, unless specific conditions regarding residency and physical presence are met.

Created new authority for courts to deny genetic testing or disregard test results if doing so would disrupt an established parent-child relationship.

Modified marriage license procedures to include specific warnings and language requirements for online solemnizations.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified sex offender registration laws to exempt natural parents from registration requirements for certain offenses involving their own children.

TECHNICAL

Added coordination clauses to address potential conflicts with H.B. 30 (Human Trafficking) and H.B. 309 (Juneteenth) if both bills pass.

Domestic Relations Amendments

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