SB 85 expands Utah's teacher performance award program to include teachers in school districts not participating in the program. It creates a "self-nomination" pathway for eligible teachers in non-participating districts who meet statewide performance thresholds (top 40% in their subject/grade using state data). The bill updates the program rules to allow these teachers to qualify without district nomination, using a state-calculated value-added growth model. The changes apply to all Utah public school teachers and require the state center to identify qualifying teachers and issue invitations. No new funding is appropriated for this eligibility expansion.
HB 216 amends Utah's child support law to exclude Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits from the gross income calculation used to determine child support payments. This change directly affects parents who receive SSDI, ensuring these disability benefits are not counted as income when calculating their child support obligation. The bill modifies Utah Code Section 81-6-203 by adding SSDI to a list of excluded benefits, alongside other means-tested programs like Medicaid and SNAP. This adjustment aligns with existing exclusions for similar benefits and prevents SSDI recipients from having these funds considered as available income for support payments. The change takes effect May 6, 2026.
This House Concurrent Resolution (HCR 5) is a non-binding statement urging Utah to seek greater management authority over certain federal public lands for recreation. It specifically requests that Utah's state parks division petition the Bureau of Land Management to transfer the Little Sahara Recreation Area for a new state park and negotiate with the Forest Service to acquire Antelope Flat Campground for Flaming Gorge State Park. The resolution also directs the state parks division to study additional areas like Monte Cristo and trust lands in the San Rafael Swell for potential state park designation. It does not appropriate funds or create new legal requirements, but instead asks federal agencies and Utah's congressional delegation to explore cooperative management frameworks.
SB 67 prohibits law enforcement agencies from requiring peace officers to meet arrest or citation quotas and bans retaliation against officers for refusing such quotas. It requires the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to collect and annually report alleged violations to the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee. The bill directly affects peace officers and local law enforcement agencies by preventing quota-based pressure and disciplinary actions. Key provisions include defining "impermissible quotas," mandating violation reporting, and amending existing statutes to align with this prohibition. The bill makes no financial changes and focuses solely on policy reforms to address alleged quota practices.
HB 255 requires health care sharing ministries in Utah to provide clear disclosures to consumers. Specifically, ministries must include a written "Notice" on applications, guidelines, and advertising materials stating they are not insurance, have no obligation to pay medical bills, and participants remain personally responsible for all expenses. This directly affects health care sharing ministries and their members by mandating transparency about their non-insurance status. The bill amends Utah Code to add these disclosure requirements, ensuring consumers understand these arrangements differ fundamentally from traditional health insurance.
HB 183 amends Utah state laws to replace the term "gender" with "sex" in all relevant statutes and removes protections based on gender identity. It repeals existing provisions covering gender identity in housing, employment, and crime, prohibits changes to sex designations on birth certificates, and restricts student access to privacy spaces based on biological sex. The bill also requires state agencies to use "sex" instead of "gender" in rulemaking, bars certain employees in child-related roles from having face-to-face contact with children if their work presents a different sex than their biological sex, and directs courts to consider parental opposition to a child's gender identity (conflicting with biological sex) as a factor in custody decisions. These changes directly affect transgender and gender-diverse individuals, schools, healthcare providers, and courts handling custody cases. The bill contains no funding impacts and is currently in early legislative stages.
HB 235 reduces Utah's corporate and individual income tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45% for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. It directly affects Utah corporations and residents who pay state income tax, lowering their tax burden slightly. The bill amends three key tax code sections (59-7-104, 59-7-201, and 59-10-104) to reflect the new rate, with no new state funding required. The change applies retroactively to 2026 tax years and takes effect on May 6, 2026.
SB 143 amends Utah's Exemptions Act to expand protections for motor vehicles used by individuals with disabilities. The bill allows people with disabilities (or their dependents) to exempt a vehicle specifically modified to accommodate their disability from unsecured debt collection, regardless of the vehicle's value. Previously, such vehicles were limited to a $3,000 exemption or a $15,000 value cap. This change directly affects individuals relying on modified vehicles for daily mobility, ensuring these essential assets cannot be seized to pay debts.
HB 138 clarifies that a person can be charged with child abuse homicide if a child dies by suicide directly caused by the abuse or torture. The bill amends Utah Code Section 76-5-208 to explicitly include suicide as a possible outcome under the child abuse homicide statute when abuse is the direct or immediate cause. It also corrects a technical error in the penalty structure for these offenses and adds a coordination clause for potential overlap with another bill (S.B. 32). This change affects how prosecutors charge individuals whose abuse leads to a child's suicide, making it a criminal offense under the specified felony classifications.
HB 338 requires all Utah first responder agencies to provide mental health services to current first responders, their spouses and children, surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths, and retired or separated first responders (and their spouses) for three years after separation. It creates a Mental Health Resources Reserve Account funded by agency contributions to provide grants for mental health plans, prioritizing small agencies, and mandates the Department of Public Safety to submit annual compliance reports to specific committees and a public safety portal. The bill also updates grant application requirements to ensure providers have first responder-specific experience and outlines detailed plan criteria for agencies seeking funding. No new state funds are appropriated; existing resources will support these expanded services.
This joint resolution amends Utah's civil procedure rules to change how courts handle sanctions and dismissals. It adds a new penalty option allowing courts to order charitable donations (instead of cash fines) for certain misconduct under Rule 11. It also updates Rule 41 to let defendants seek dismissal if named solely for representing another party in a related case, and permits awarding attorney fees to defendants in those situations. These changes directly affect lawyers, defendants, and courts handling civil lawsuits in Utah.
SB 129 establishes Utah Civic Engagement and Service Day, observed annually on the first Friday in September. This new commemorative day aims to promote civic responsibility, community service, and constructive dialogue in response to political violence that occurred in Utah on September 10, 2025. The bill amends Utah Code Section 63G-1-401 to add this day to the state's list of recognized observances, with no funding or additional policy changes. As a procedural bill naming a commemorative day, it does not directly affect specific groups beyond encouraging statewide participation in civic activities.
