HB 46 amends Utah's water rights application process to clarify procedures for reinstating lapsed applications. It requires applicants to submit a reinstatement request within 60 days of receiving notice of lapse, using a state-provided form, and includes a request for an extension under separate law. If reinstated, the application's priority date changes to the reinstatement request date - not the original filing date - unless the original date was lost due to a state engineer's mistake or fraud. This directly affects water rights applicants whose applications lapse for non-compliance, streamlining their path to reactivating applications while maintaining priority rules.
This bill extends the expiration date for a law limiting employer liability when an employee is convicted of an offense. Specifically, it changes the repeal date of Utah Code Section 78B-4-518 from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2029. The amendment does not alter the substance of the liability rule itself, only delays when the law would automatically expire. This directly affects employers covered under this specific liability provision, providing them continued legal certainty for an additional four years. The change takes effect May 7, 2025.
HB 98 amends Utah's landowner liability law by expanding the definition of "recreational purpose" to include new activities like skateboarding, skydiving, rock climbing, and target shooting. This change directly affects landowners (both public and private) who allow these activities on their property and the individuals participating in them. The bill adds these specific activities to the legal list, ensuring they fall under the existing liability rules for recreational use without altering the standard of liability protection. The amendment takes effect on May 7, 2025.
SB 26 amends Utah's Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone Act to create a new process for designating "Convention Center Reinvestment Zones" in first-class counties. It allows counties to capture increased sales and property tax revenue generated by development near convention centers to fund revitalization projects, including bonding for infrastructure. The bill also adjusts housing requirements (using county median income for unit affordability) and adds rules limiting fund use in convention zones, while clarifying tax increment collection timelines and frequency. This directly affects counties managing convention centers and developers working on mixed-use projects within designated zones. The changes restructure existing tax mechanisms but do not appropriate new state funds.
HB 288 extends the time patients have to file health care malpractice lawsuits from four to eight years after discovering an injury. It expands the definition of "collateral sources" (such as insurance payments) that reduce damage awards and increases the cap on non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) to $400,000, with annual inflation adjustments. The bill also modifies rules for when fault is allocated to other providers, affecting how statute of limitations deadlines apply. These changes directly impact patients filing claims and health care providers defending against them.
HB 543 creates a new "controlled substance certification" requirement for healthcare practitioners in Utah who distribute, dispense, or administer controlled substances. Starting July 1, 2025, practitioners must obtain this certification - which requires active federal DEA registration and 3.5 hours of annual continuing education on controlled substances - to legally handle these medications, replacing the previous "controlled substance license." The bill affects licensed medical professionals (like doctors and pharmacists) whose practice involves controlled substances, while allowing those with existing licenses to continue operating until their current license expires. It updates multiple Utah Code sections to reflect this new certification system and repeals outdated licensing provisions.
HB 559 requires Utah cities and counties to create or update local ordinances governing agritourism activities on farms. It defines specific activities (like petting zoos, pumpkin patches, farmers' markets, and event rentals) and mandates that all municipalities list which are permitted, restricted, or conditional on agricultural properties of at least one acre. The bill ensures existing agritourism uses can continue under current rules while requiring new ordinances to allow all listed activities (e.g., farm tours, on-site produce stores) on properties meeting the acreage threshold. Local governments may still enforce zoning, safety, and licensing rules but cannot impose stricter limits than existing regulations for current operations. This affects farmers hosting agritourism activities and local governments responsible for creating compliant ordinances.
HB 549 amends Utah's anti-discrimination laws to explicitly include antisemitism as a protected characteristic. It defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's 2016 standard and requires all businesses and public accommodations to provide equal service without discrimination based on antisemitism. The bill also adds antisemitism as a factor for enhanced criminal penalties when a crime is motivated by antisemitism, requiring courts to consider this in sentencing. These changes apply to businesses, public spaces, and criminal cases across Utah, without appropriating new funds.
HB 113 requires Utah death certificates to include whether the deceased person was a firefighter, directly affecting funeral homes, coroners, and state vital records offices that process these forms. The bill amends Utah law to add this specific question to the "additional information" section collected during death certificate completion, while making technical updates to existing code. It does not change other requirements like Social Security number handling or diacritical mark policies. The policy change takes effect on May 7, 2025, with no new funding or major procedural changes beyond adding this data point.
HB 417 allows Utah public safety retirees (such as police and firefighters) working for local education agencies providing law enforcement services to return to their jobs without losing retirement benefits. It sets specific conditions: retirees cannot earn over $15,000 annually or half their final salary (adjusted for inflation), and cannot receive employer-paid benefits like health insurance or retirement contributions. The bill also creates exceptions for retirees injured on the job who didn’t qualify for long-term disability, and caps supplemental payments for emergency services workers and board members. This directly affects Utah Retirement Systems members in public safety roles who seek part-time reemployment under defined limits.
HB 126 creates a new process for property owners to request sheriff assistance in removing unauthorized occupants from residential dwellings, requiring a verified complaint meeting specific conditions (e.g., trespasser not a tenant or family member, no pending litigation). It also establishes criminal penalties, including second-degree felonies for fraudulently selling, renting, or advertising residential property without legal title, and for causing $1,000+ in damage while trespassing. The bill directly affects property owners, sheriffs, and individuals committing these offenses, with no new state funding required. It provides a limited civil remedy for owners while imposing penalties for fraud and trespass-related damage.
SB 167 amends Utah's guardianship law to require courts to address voting rights for incapacitated individuals. For new guardianship cases starting May 7, 2025, courts must determine (using clear and convincing evidence) if the person is "mentally incompetent" under Utah Constitution Article IV, Section 6, which restricts voting or holding office. For existing guardianships appointed before that date, the bill creates a presumption that the person cannot vote until the court makes a specific finding. This affects individuals under guardianship who may have voting rights under state law. The bill takes effect May 7, 2025, and makes no changes to voting eligibility rules - only clarifies court procedures for addressing them.
