Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 184: Justice System Amendments

SB 184 allows Utah courts to reduce a defendant's recorded conviction to a lower offense degree under specific conditions. It applies to defendants who meet criteria such as providing substantial assistance in criminal investigations within one year of sentencing, successfully completing probation/parole or a rehabilitation program, or waiting five years without new offenses. Key requirements include prosecutor consent for violent felonies, no pending charges, and no current incarceration. The bill modifies Utah Code Section 76-3-402 to establish these pathways while maintaining safeguards for serious offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows courts to reduce convictions for rehabilitation completion, aligning with reform goals to reduce recidivism and enhance rehabilitation programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 274: Sentencing Amendments

HB 274 amends Utah's sentencing structure by changing the membership of the Sentencing Commission and updating its responsibilities. The bill requires the Commission to consider specific factors - like public safety, rehabilitation, and risk reduction - when setting adult sentencing and supervision guidelines, directly affecting courts, offenders, and correctional systems. Key provisions include adding new member roles (e.g., prosecutors, sheriffs, victim services representatives), mandating a full review of sentencing guidelines by November 2026, and requiring guidelines to address probation/parole violations and incentives. It makes technical updates to existing statutes (63M-7-401.2, 63M-7-404.3, and 76-3-201) without appropriating new funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates Sentencing Commission to prioritize rehabilitation and risk reduction in guidelines, directly advancing criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 313: Recidivism Amendments

SB 313 amends Utah's Adult Probation and Parole Employment Incentive Program to tie funding to measurable outcomes. It defines key terms like "parole employment rate" and "recidivism percentage," then requires regional probation/parole offices to report annual employment rates and reoffending data. Regions earn funding by showing improved employment rates for people on parole/probation compared to baselines, calculated by multiplying the rate difference by the region's average daily population and $2,500. However, funding is reduced to zero if recidivism increases compared to the previous year, directly affecting how probation/parole departments allocate resources to support employment programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesTies public funding to measurable outcomes (employment rates) for probation/parole programs, promoting fiscal accountability and efficient use of public funds per 'Public Funds and Accounts' subject.92% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill ties funding to reduced recidivism through employment metrics, directly targeting rehabilitation outcomes per its summary and subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 92: Prosecution Amendments

SB 92 restricts prosecutors from charging defendants with additional offenses after a prior conviction related to bodily injury that later caused death. Specifically, it prohibits prosecuting a defendant for any offense other than homicide in a subsequent case where the death resulted from the same prior injury that was already prosecuted. This bill directly affects prosecutors and defendants in homicide cases stemming from previously charged bodily injury incidents. The key provision prevents multiple prosecutions for the same incident, ensuring a defendant cannot face new charges beyond homicide after the initial injury case concluded with a conviction, acquittal, or dismissal.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill prevents prosecutors from adding non-homicide charges for same injury causing death, reducing overcharging and aligning with criminal justice reform by protecting defendants from redundant prosecutions.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 86: Firearm Safe Harbor Amendments

SB 86 creates a temporary firearm safekeeping program allowing cohabitants or owners to voluntarily give firearms to law enforcement if they believe someone in the home poses an immediate threat (e.g., domestic violence situations). Law enforcement must hold firearms for 60 days (extendable by request) and return them to the owner unless the owner is a restricted person or subject to a domestic violence court order. The bill requires law enforcement agencies to anonymously report aggregate usage data (e.g., number of requests, firearms held) to the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice annually, starting July 1, 2026, with data collection sunsetting in 2028. This affects individuals seeking temporary firearm storage for safety during crises, without changing existing firearm ownership laws.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates firearm safekeeping program for domestic violence prevention, aligning with criminal justice reform goals to reduce violence and enhance public safety.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 183: Surveillance Camera Amendments

SB 183 prohibits law enforcement officers or their agents from tampering with, repositioning, or disabling privately or commercially owned surveillance cameras without specific authorization. The law allows exceptions when the camera owner consents, a court issues a warrant beforehand, or during urgent emergencies - requiring officers to notify owners within 24 hours or obtain a court order as soon as possible after the emergency ends. This directly affects camera owners (including businesses and residents) and law enforcement agencies operating in Utah. The bill creates two new Utah Code sections (53-25-1201 and 53-25-1202) and excludes trail cameras from its provisions. It takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects privacy rights by requiring warrants for law enforcement to interfere with private cameras, enhancing police accountability and aligning with civil rights in criminal justice.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits unauthorized law enforcement interference with surveillance cameras, requiring warrants/consent to protect data privacy and digital rights as per technology policy indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 30: Human Trafficking, Exploitation, and Smuggling Amendments

SB 30 updates Utah's laws against human trafficking and smuggling by redefining key terms and strengthening criminal penalties. It creates new offenses targeting individuals who "patronize" victims of labor trafficking, child trafficking, or trafficking involving vulnerable adults, while removing certain legal defenses for traffickers. The bill also splits aggravated trafficking into separate labor and sexual exploitation offenses and incorporates updated definitions into relevant statutes. These changes directly affect victims of trafficking (by expanding protections) and individuals who exploit or profit from trafficking (by increasing criminal liability). The law makes no changes to funding or administrative procedures.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal penalties for trafficking, creates new offenses against 'patronizers', and removes defenses for traffickers, directly advancing criminal justice enforcement against human trafficking.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 321: Inmate Medical Treatment Rates Amendments

HB 321 establishes that Utah's Department of Health and Human Services must pay University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics the standard Medicaid base rate (not higher rates) for inmate medical care when no contract exists, creating a savings mechanism. It requires the department to deposit 50% of these savings into a new "Inmate Medical Treatment Restricted Account" for correctional health services, while the other 50% returns to the General Fund. The bill mandates annual reports to legislative committees detailing the savings calculations and account balances. This directly affects state departments managing inmate healthcare, hospitals providing services, and incarcerated individuals receiving medical treatment. The policy changes focus on standardizing reimbursement rates and tracking cost savings without altering healthcare delivery.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill standardizes inmate medical rates to save costs, directing 50% of savings to General Fund, promoting fiscal responsibility and budget management.92% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allocates 50% of inmate medical savings to correctional health services, directly funding a key criminal justice component per bill's funding mechanism.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill redirects 50% of savings from lower inmate medical payments into a dedicated correctional health services account, explicitly funding this healthcare subsector.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 218: Constable Modifications

SB 218 requires all constables contracted by Utah cities or counties to hold a state-issued license starting January 1, 2027. It creates a Constables Licensing Board to set qualifications, handle disciplinary actions, and manage applications for constable, deputy constable, and apprentice constable licenses. The bill modifies how local governments contract with constables, including new selection processes and mandatory contract terms like insurance requirements and a four-year maximum term. State law now overrides local regulations regarding constable licensing and operations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates licensing board with disciplinary authority for constables, strengthening oversight and standardization in local law enforcement - aligns with accountability indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 156: Constable Amendments

SB 156 amends Utah Code Section 17-78-603 to allow constables to offer individuals a payment schedule instead of seizing their property for unpaid debts. This directly affects constables (county-appointed officers enforcing warrants and collecting debts) and individuals who owe money to a county or court. The key change permits constables to establish agreed-upon payment plans as an alternative to immediate property seizure, as specified in the updated code section. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, and makes only technical adjustments to existing law without appropriating funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows constables to offer payment plans instead of property seizure for unpaid debts, reducing punitive enforcement and aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice