Utah's SB 56 requires public schools to provide legal awareness education to all 10th-grade students starting in the 2026-27 school year. The bill mandates coverage of specific topics like voting rights, jury duty, contracts, healthcare consent, tax obligations, workplace protections, and interactions with law enforcement. Schools may deliver this information through existing courses, assemblies, or digital resources, without creating new courses or requiring student testing. The law emphasizes using current, age-appropriate materials and does not alter existing curricula or create new assessments. It directly affects Utah's 10th-grade students and public school districts.
SB 53 amends Utah's Public Land Management Advisory Board by adding two permanent membership slots: the state historic preservation officer (or their designee) and the director of the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (or their designee). This increases the board's membership from 11 to 13 members while maintaining its existing structure of governor-appointed representatives for sectors like mining, agriculture, and environmental groups. The bill makes technical changes to the board's composition in Utah Code Section 63L-9-104 but does not alter funding, voting procedures, or the board's responsibilities. It takes effect on May 6, 2026.
HB 99 exempts corrective eyeglasses and contact lenses from Utah's sales and use tax by reclassifying them as "prosthetic devices" under existing tax law. This change directly affects consumers purchasing these items, removing a tax burden that previously applied. The bill amends Utah Code Section 59-12-102 to include eyewear in the definition of prosthetic devices, which already qualify for tax exemption. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment, with no additional state funding required.
HB 106 requires Utah school districts (LEAs) to collect and report detailed chronic absenteeism data starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of school days (excused or unexcused) and mandates reporting on student enrollment, grade-level absence rates, and individual absence records. The state board must then conduct a statewide study analyzing root causes (like transportation, health, or socioeconomic factors) and evidence-based solutions, consulting educators, parents, and community stakeholders. The study findings must be submitted to the Education Interim Committee by September 2027, including recommendations for interventions and potential policy changes.
HB 91 creates a legal presumption that individuals are indigent ( eligible for free legal representation) if they are incarcerated for 10 or more consecutive days. This applies directly to people facing criminal charges who are currently held in jail, prison, or a similar facility. The bill requires courts to automatically treat these individuals as indigent without needing to assess their income, assets, or family circumstances under existing rules. It streamlines access to court-appointed defense counsel for this specific group of incarcerated defendants, while maintaining other existing criteria for indigency determinations. The law takes effect on May 6, 2026.
HB 95 prohibits public employers (including schools and state agencies) from disciplining employees who use gender-specific language (like names or pronouns) related to a student's birth name or biological sex, or that aligns with parental preference, without knowledge of a student's preference. It also requires employers with policies mandating gender-specific language to exempt employees from discipline if using such language conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs in a reasonable, non-disruptive way. The bill amends Utah education law and adds new provisions to protect employees from disciplinary action in these specific circumstances. It does not require employees to use any specific language, only ensures they cannot be punished for using language consistent with the outlined conditions. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 96, the "Ivermectin Amendments," allows pharmacists to dispense FDA-approved ivermectin to patients aged 18 or older without a patient-specific prescription, based on a physician's "standard prescription drug order." It defines key terms, authorizes physicians to issue these standing orders, and permits pharmacists to dispense under this framework. The bill also limits liability for physicians who issue such orders and pharmacists who dispense under them, and clarifies that this dispensing is not unlawful conduct. These changes apply specifically to the use of ivermectin as an anti-parasitic drug, not other potential uses.
SB 48 amends Utah's controlled substances laws to regulate specific kratom compounds. It designates 7-hydroxymitragynine (if exceeding 2% concentration) and Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (including synthetics) as Schedule I controlled substances. The bill requires kratom processors to label products with mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine content and prohibits mixing kratom with harmful substances or selling unregistered products. Violations carry a class C misdemeanor penalty, directly affecting kratom businesses operating in Utah.
HB 115 exempts sales of motorcycles and passenger vehicles with a model year at least 10 years older than the current calendar year from Utah's sales and use tax. This directly affects buyers and sellers of older vehicles who would previously have paid the tax on these transactions. The bill amends Utah Code Section 59-12-104 to add this exemption while making minor technical corrections to existing tax law. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment with no new state funding required.
HB 35 extends the expiration date of the Bears Ears Visitor Center Advisory Committee from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2028. This procedural bill makes no changes to the committee's responsibilities or funding, as it only adjusts the committee's sunset date. The committee, which advises on the Bears Ears Visitor Center operations, will now continue functioning for two additional years. No new policy or financial provisions are introduced.
HB 104 creates a new state holiday called "Election Day" observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This amendment adds Election Day to Utah's official list of legal holidays, which currently includes dates like Pioneer Day and Thanksgiving. The bill directly affects state employees and businesses operating under state holiday regulations, requiring them to observe this new holiday. It makes a technical update to Utah Code Section 63G-1-301 without changing existing holidays or appropriating funds.
HB 67 removes the lead acid battery disposal regulations from Utah's sunset schedule, preventing them from automatically expiring on July 1, 2026. This ensures existing rules for handling and disposing of lead acid batteries (affecting auto shops, recyclers, and waste management entities) remain in effect indefinitely. The bill makes no new policy changes but maintains current requirements through technical amendments to the Utah Code. No additional costs or new provisions are introduced.
