SB 42 amends Utah's consumer protection laws to strengthen enforcement and clarify rules for businesses and the Division of Consumer Protection. It clarifies what constitutes deceptive or unconscionable sales practices, specifies court factors for fines, and allows the Division to seek disgorgement of ill-gotten money in certain cases. The bill also explicitly permits government agencies to sue over defective construction and streamlines the Division's rulemaking and investigatory authority. These changes directly affect businesses operating in Utah and consumers seeking redress for unfair practices under current law.
SB 13 allows qualified rental businesses (those meeting specific NAICS codes with over 51% revenue from heavy equipment rentals) to charge renters a 1.5% recovery fee on heavy equipment rentals. This fee must be separately itemized on invoices and is not subject to sales tax, though it cannot be charged to government entities. The bill requires businesses to use collected fees to offset their own property taxes on heavy equipment, while mandating the State Tax Commission to study the fee rate by September 2027 and report findings to the Legislature. It takes effect January 1, 2026, with no new state funding required.
SB 64 amends Utah's medical cannabis regulations with administrative updates affecting pharmacies, couriers, and processing facilities. Key changes include allowing the licensing board to renew courier licenses year-round (not just in December), permitting processing facilities to operate at second locations under specific conditions, and requiring pharmacies to use opaque containers for patient transport. The bill also updates reporting requirements, removes outdated provisions (like the Cannabis Research Review Board), and aligns definitions with other legislation. These changes streamline operations without introducing new funding or altering patient access.
HB 459 updates the official names of three Utah legislative appropriations subcommittees to better reflect their current focus areas. It changes "Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee" to "Economic and Community Development Appropriations Subcommittee," "Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee" to "Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee," and "Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee" to "Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee." The bill also modifies related reporting requirements to match the new committee names and coordinates with another bill (H.B. 200) regarding recreation grant reporting. This is a purely administrative adjustment with no new funding or policy changes.
HB 20 recodifies Utah's property tax relief code to improve organization and clarity. It restructures existing provisions on property tax relief, tax deferral, abatement, and military exemptions into a new, unified code structure. The bill adds a General Provisions section to clarify procedures for each type of tax relief while making technical adjustments to code references. This reorganization does not change eligibility or benefits for taxpayers but simplifies how tax relief programs are administered. The bill was signed into law by the governor on March 25, 2025.
HB 67 allows Utah's state treasurer to deduct administrative costs (such as delivery and storage) for precious metal investments directly from the earnings generated by those investments in four specific state funds: the Disaster Recovery Account, General Fund Budget Reserve, Income Tax Fund Budget Reserve, and Medicaid Growth Reduction Account. This change eliminates the need for the state to allocate separate budget funds to cover these costs, as they will now be paid from investment returns. The bill also removes a prior requirement for the state treasurer to conduct a study on precious metals, making it a technical update to investment management rules. The amendment applies to existing investment policies without appropriating new funds.
HB 16 delays the repeal of Utah's Health Facility Administrator Act from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2035, extending its current regulatory framework. This procedural bill directly affects healthcare facility administrators and the licensing system governing their practice in Utah. The bill amends Section 63I-1-258 of Utah Code to update the repeal date for the Health Facility Administrator Act specifically. It does not create new rules or allocate funding, solely extending the existing law's validity. The change takes effect May 7, 2025.
HB 28, titled "On Premise Sign Installation Amendments," actually amends licensing definitions for alarm system businesses, not sign installation. It defines key terms like "alarm business," "alarm company agent," and "alarm system" to clarify licensing requirements under Utah law. The bill affects alarm system contractors, installers, and businesses seeking or maintaining licenses for alarm system services. It makes technical updates to existing code without adding new fees, requirements, or funding. (Note: The bill title appears inconsistent with its actual content, which focuses on alarm systems, not signs.)
HB 23 amends Utah's insurance code to update regulations for insurers and captive insurance companies. It directly affects insurers, captive insurance companies (including those formed as non-profits), and stop-loss insurers by reducing capital requirements for association captives, allowing non-profit structures, and clarifying rules for stop-loss contracts with small employers. Key provisions simplify compliance - such as eliminating certification needs for non-English policies - and clarify exemptions for public agency insurance mutuals. The bill makes technical adjustments to licensing, reporting, and preexisting condition rules without appropriating new funds or changing core insurance coverage.
HB 19 amends Utah's child labor laws to increase penalties for violations and strengthen enforcement. It classifies repeated violations as escalating offenses (from class B misdemeanor to third-degree felony) and requires the Labor Commission to report suspected criminal acts to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) when reasonable suspicion exists. The bill also permits the SBI to investigate or forward cases to law enforcement, and allows the commission to share relevant information with authorities. These changes directly affect employers who violate child labor rules and provide clearer pathways for prosecuting offenses involving minors. The bill takes effect May 7, 2025, with no funding impact.
HB 114 amends Utah's Architects Licensing Act to clarify what constitutes illegal practice. It narrows the definition of "unlawful conduct" by specifying that using words like "architectural" to describe services within the legally defined scope of architecture is not a violation. The bill also makes technical adjustments to Section 58-3a-501 of the Utah Code. These changes directly affect unlicensed individuals or businesses attempting to practice architecture without proper licensing. The amendments take effect May 7, 2025.
HB 69 protects voter privacy by classifying as private the specific information about whether a voter returned a ballot with postage attached. It prohibits government officers from accessing or using government records for personal purposes (requiring them to access records like the public), and makes violations a crime. The bill directly affects voters whose ballot return method is protected and government officers handling voter records. These changes amend Utah’s government records laws to strengthen privacy safeguards around election data.
