Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 354: Rescue Tracking Equipment Offense Amendments

HB 354 creates a new criminal offense for damaging or interfering with public emergency alert devices designed to notify law enforcement during emergencies and help locate individuals needing assistance. The bill defines "rescue tracking equipment" as public devices that alert authorities and track locations for emergency response, and prohibits destroying, disabling, or tampering with them if it hinders their function. Violations are classified as class B misdemeanors, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and/or fines. This law directly affects anyone who intentionally damages or disrupts these emergency devices, ensuring they remain functional for life-saving assistance. The bill amends Utah Code Section 76-6-106.4 and takes effect May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates new offense to protect emergency response devices used by law enforcement, strengthening public safety infrastructure within criminal justice system.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Utah · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 230: Offender Amendments

HB 230 requires Utah county jails to help inmates serving six months or more obtain driver’s licenses or state ID cards before release, including coordinating with the Driver License Division and providing payment vouchers. It also mandates substance abuse treatment programs to share drug test results with probation/parole officers when inmates provide written consent, and directs the Department of Corrections to provide post-release housing resources, a secure online tool for attorney communications, and annual data on inmate incentives. The bill adds requirements for tracking parole housing and updates health information disclosure rules for probationers. These provisions directly affect inmates, county jails, probation/parole officers, and state correctional agencies.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires post-release support (driver's licenses, housing, treatment coordination) to reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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 290: Victim and Witness Privacy Amendments

SB 290 strengthens privacy protections for victims and witnesses in Utah criminal cases by regulating access to their nonpublic electronic data, such as personal messages or intimate images shared with law enforcement. It requires law enforcement to implement secure "virtual rooms" for defendants' attorneys to review sensitive data without copying it, creates a presumption against disclosing intimate images, and mandates clear disclosure of devices used in investigations. The bill directly affects victims/witnesses (who gain greater control over their private information), law enforcement (who must adopt new policies), and defendants (who must seek court approval to access nonpublic data). Key provisions include defining "nonpublic victim or witness data," requiring prosecutors to notify defendants about device searches, and limiting data sharing to specific court-approved scenarios. The bill makes no changes to existing evidence disclosure rules under Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly strengthens victim/witness privacy protections in criminal cases, aligning with civil rights and fair judicial procedures within criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill strengthens data privacy protections for electronic data via secure virtual rooms and restrictions on intimate image disclosure, directly advancing electronic privacy within technology policy.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 27: Assault or Threat of Violence Amendments

SB 27 amends Utah law to expand protections for peace officers and military service members against assault or threats of violence. It separates offenses into two distinct categories: one for peace officers (including off-duty officers and their families if the attack was due to their status) and another for military members (including off-duty members, those not in uniform, and their families under similar circumstances). The bill clarifies definitions, such as "family member" and "peace officer," and updates related code sections to reflect these changes. These amendments aim to strengthen legal safeguards for these groups without altering existing penalty structures.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly expands legal protections for peace officers and military members, strengthening law enforcement safety and authority within criminal justice system.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly expands legal protections for military service members (including veterans) against assault/threats, creating dedicated offense categories for their safety under 'Veterans and Military Affairs' subject.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice