SB 307 modifies the fee charged to garnishees (like banks or employers) for processing writs of garnishment in Utah. It adjusts the fee structure under Utah Code Sections 63A-3-507 and 78A-2-216, directly affecting businesses and entities that handle wage or asset garnishments for debt collection. The bill makes this change without appropriating new funds or altering core procedures for issuing garnishment orders. This is a technical adjustment to existing fee rates, not a substantive policy change to debt collection rules.
This non-binding resolution urges Utah public schools to prioritize student health by encouraging at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity for all K-12 students through existing programs like PE, recess, or classroom movement. It specifically recommends elementary schools (including charters) hold annual field trips to working farms or whole-food restaurants to teach nutrition and food systems. The resolution emphasizes local flexibility, allowing schools to implement these suggestions based on community needs without mandating specific methods. It does not allocate funds or create new legal requirements, instead serving as a policy recommendation aligned with national health guidelines.
SB 314 requires Utah's Division of Population Health to create public education materials and outreach programs about sleep disorders, directly affecting Utah residents, healthcare providers, and schools. The bill mandates coverage of specific conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and circadian disorders, with goals to increase awareness, promote early diagnosis, reduce stigma, and address safety risks like drowsy driving. The division may partner with health organizations, insurers, school districts, and transportation agencies to distribute materials. No new funding is allocated, and the law takes effect in May 2026. This focuses on public health education, not treatment or regulation.
SB 311 requires the Huntsman Mental Health Institute to develop a multilingual SafeUT software application (including Spanish) to support a 24/7 crisis line for school safety. The SafeUT Crisis Line enables anonymous reporting of incidents like bullying, violence, or abuse in schools, while providing crisis intervention for emotional distress. The bill establishes a commission with representatives from state agencies, education, and the public to oversee the program. The application will be accessible to students, parents, and school staff to report concerns and access support, with no funding appropriated and effective May 6, 2026.
HB 493 establishes a tiered penalty system for businesses violating weights and measures standards enforced by the Department of Agriculture and Food. It sets specific civil fines: $500 for a second violation, $1,000 for a third, $5,000 for a fourth, and up to $10,000 for a fifth or subsequent violation, plus costs for department inspections. Businesses selling goods by weight or measure (like grocery stores or retailers) directly face these penalties for inaccuracies. The bill also makes technical updates to the enforcement process and requires collected fines to fund the department's enforcement efforts.
HB 531 establishes safety rules for body art facilities offering scarification (a permanent skin-marking practice involving cuts, distinct from tattoos). It requires facilities to use dedicated rooms, verify client age before procedures, and provide written aftercare instructions. The bill also creates a new criminal offense for performing scarification on minors for payment or in business, punishable as a class B misdemeanor with a $1,000 minimum fine. Additionally, it mandates the Office of Professional Licensure Review to study scarification practices and report findings by November 2026. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
SB 326 modifies term lengths for school board president and vice president in *new* Utah school districts. It allows newly formed districts to set initial terms as either: (a) the remainder of the calendar year they join plus one additional year, or (b) the remainder plus three additional years. This change applies only to the first terms of officers in districts established after the bill takes effect in 2026. Existing districts and subsequent terms remain unchanged under current two-year election cycles. The bill does not appropriate funds or alter voting procedures for regular elections.
SB 296 requires Utah schools and colleges to obtain clear, informed consent from students before sharing their educational data (like transcripts, enrollment records, and course history). It mandates a secure digital consent system by July 2027, prohibits bundling unrelated terms with consent requests, and ensures students can revoke consent anytime. The bill directly affects students (including minors, where parents must consent) and educational institutions, while prohibiting schools from restricting consent rights or requiring waivers of unrelated privacy protections. It aligns with federal FERPA law but adds Utah-specific rules for data disclosure, including creating a private right of action if third parties violate these requirements.
HB 513 modifies how Utah state agencies pay for legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. It requires agencies to agree annually on a "retainer" amount for expected legal costs, calculated based on actual time spent by the AG's Office, rather than estimates. These funds are collected into a new Legal Services Retainer Fund, which the AG's Office uses to cover agency legal charges during the fiscal year, with agencies covering any excess from their existing budgets. The bill also creates a non-lapsing Legal Services and Litigation Program to fund state defense in civil lawsuits meeting specific criteria, using existing appropriations without new money.
SB 298, the "Programmable Money Amendments," modifies Utah's Uniform Commercial Code to regulate digital payment methods (like digital tokens or programmable currency). It directly affects businesses that issue or accept programmable money by requiring them to offer free non-digital payment options and banning discrimination based on political views, religion, medical history, or lawful firearm ownership. The bill prohibits denying transactions due to environmental/social/governance compliance or diversity programming, mandates written explanations for denied transactions within 30 days, and allows affected parties to seek punitive damages or revoke an issuer’s license. It explicitly clarifies that the law does not restrict cryptocurrency purchases or sales by any party.
HB 491 establishes a formal process for designating Utah state highways to honor deceased individuals. The bill sets specific rules, including requiring honorees to have been deceased for at least five years, limiting designations to one per year, and mandating at least a five-mile gap between designated sections on the same highway. A dedicated committee will review all proposals to ensure they meet these standards. This bill directly affects how Utah can commemorate individuals through highway naming, applying only to state highways and not other road types.
SB 240 reorganizes governance structures for Utah's public higher education institutions by clarifying the relationship between boards of trustees and university presidents. It establishes specific duties for boards regarding budgeting, faculty matters, presidential performance evaluations, and internal audits, while prohibiting presidents from using outside legal counsel for litigation. The bill directly affects all public universities and technical colleges in Utah by standardizing board responsibilities and requiring transparency in institutional compensation reporting. Key changes include consolidating board duties, defining presidential evaluation criteria, and ensuring board oversight of financial and legal matters.
