HB 11 extends the operational deadline for Utah's Native American Remains Review Committee by five years, changing its sunset date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2030. The bill does not create new policies but keeps the committee active to continue its work handling matters related to Native American remains. This is a technical adjustment to existing law (Utah Code 63I-1-209), with no new funding or substantive changes to the committee's responsibilities. The committee itself is the direct beneficiary of this extension.
This resolution (HR 4) is a symbolic gesture urging the U.S. Postal Service to consider issuing a commemorative stamp honoring Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon. It highlights her historic role as Utah's first woman state senator (and the first woman state senator in U.S. history) and her advocacy for education, health, and women's rights. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funds, or directly affect any individuals or entities - it simply recommends the Postal Service recognize her contributions. The bill is purely commemorative with no legislative impact beyond expressing support for the stamp.
HB 97 updates disclosure requirements for private postsecondary schools in Utah. It clarifies that students have a three-business day "cooling off period" to cancel enrollment and receive a refund (excluding a reasonable application fee and a deposit not exceeding 10% of the first term's tuition). The bill mandates schools to provide clear written disclosures about program details, costs, accreditation status, refund policies, complaint procedures, and student outcomes before enrollment. This affects all private colleges and universities in Utah and their enrolled students.
HB 13 amends Utah's sexual extortion law to specifically include threats about distributing "counterfeit intimate images" (fake nude photos or videos). This directly affects victims threatened with the spread of fabricated intimate images and individuals making such threats. The key change adds "counterfeit intimate image" to the list of prohibited threats under the law, updating definitions in Section 76-5b-204. The bill makes no changes to sentencing or other provisions beyond this clarification.
HB 32 designates Utah's Route 102 as the "Borgstrom Brothers Memorial Highway." The Utah Department of Transportation must update official maps and install signage to reflect this name. The bill takes effect May 7, 2025, with no funding required, as it is a commemorative naming resolution.
HB 108 amends Utah’s Fraudulent Deeds Act by clarifying that "deed" does not include governing documents (like homeowners association rules) or reinvestment fee covenants recorded under specific laws. This change directly affects property owners, HOAs, and county recorders by preventing these common documents from being mistakenly classified as deeds under fraudulent deed laws. The bill’s key provision narrows the legal definition of "deed" to exclude these items, reducing potential confusion in property transactions. It takes effect on May 7, 2025, with no new funding or procedural changes required.
HCR 2 directs Utah's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program (PEHP) to provide state health plan members with the estimated value of pharmaceutical rebates at the point of drug purchase. This primarily affects state employees and their families enrolled in PEHP who use rebate-paying prescription drugs, particularly those with high out-of-pocket costs for medications. The bill requires PEHP to distribute rebate values directly to members based on their cost-sharing responsibility, reducing their immediate payment for covered drugs. To maintain cost neutrality for the state, PEHP will adjust member premiums or health savings account contributions across all plan members. This change aims to address the current system where rebate savings flow to the state risk pool rather than directly offsetting members' drug costs.
HB 41 amends Utah's state water policy to update the framework for managing water resources. It specifically adds requirements for groundwater quality protection, explicitly references "saved water" as a management tool, and mandates watershed monitoring in collaboration with local watershed councils. The bill also promotes regional approaches to water reuse, strengthens provisions for protecting Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and Bear Lake, and emphasizes state water planning. These changes apply to all state agencies and water management efforts under Utah's water policy, without creating new funding or programs. The policy updates take effect May 7, 2025.
HB 18 updates Utah's regulations for petroleum storage tanks, directly affecting tank owners, operators, and installation companies. It modifies key definitions (like "underground" and "petroleum"), adjusts fees based on fund balances, and ensures interest earned by the Petroleum Storage Tank Restricted Account stays in that fund. The bill also clarifies registration requirements for both underground and aboveground tanks, directs funds to the Petroleum Storage Tank Cleanup Fund, and updates fee structures for tank compliance. It appropriates $4 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these regulatory changes.
HB 50 increases civil penalties for workplace safety violations in Utah by adjusting maximum fine amounts under Utah Code § 34A-6-307. It raises the maximum penalty per violation from $13,653 to $16,131, with higher amounts for serious violations ($11,518-$161,323) and repeat offenses (up to $161,323). The bill directly affects employers who fail to comply with occupational safety standards, particularly those with serious or repeated violations. This amendment, effective May 7, 2025, adjusts penalty levels without adding new safety requirements or enforcement mechanisms.
HB 59 updates Utah's fireworks laws by replacing outdated terms like "class A, B, or C explosives" with current federal classifications (e.g., "division 1.1G") in the Utah Code. This technical correction affects the Utah Fire Prevention Board, local governments, and fireworks businesses by aligning terminology with national safety standards without changing existing regulations. The bill amends specific sections (11-3-10, 53-7-204, 53-7-225, and 53-7-225.1) to ensure consistency in rules governing fireworks sales, display safety, and storage. It makes no substantive policy changes - only clarifying language to reduce confusion in enforcement and compliance.
HB 14 allows licensed emergency medical personnel (like paramedics and EMTs) to provide non-911 emergency medical services - such as at community events, clinics, or community paramedicine programs - under specific supervision rules. It requires companies employing these personnel to have a medical director, approved protocols, quality improvement processes, and proper documentation, while ensuring services stay within the personnel's scope of practice. The bill defines "direct supervision" (on-site physician) and "indirect supervision" (consultation-based) and prohibits advertising such services as a 911 alternative. It does not change existing 911 emergency response protocols or scope of practice for traditional emergency services.
