Housing

SB 224 amends Utah's vital records access law to allow a designated liaison for homeless youth or children (as defined under the federal McKinney-Vento Act) to obtain a minor's vital records on their behalf. This change adds homeless youth liaisons to the list of individuals permitted to access vital records, alongside immediate family members, guardians, and designated legal representatives. The bill directly affects homeless youth and children without stable housing, enabling their school or social service liaisons to help them access critical documents like birth certificates. The amendment does not alter existing rules about public access to records after specific time periods (e.g., 100 years for birth records) or other access categories.

SB 215 would allow eviction records to be removed from public databases under two specific conditions: (1) if a case was fully dismissed with no pending appeal and at least one year has passed since dismissal, or (2) if both the tenant and landlord agreed to expunge the record and formally filed a stipulation with the court. The bill directly affects tenants whose eviction cases meet these criteria, enabling them to have the records removed from their history. Key provisions require either a court dismissal with a waiting period or a written agreement between parties filed with the court. This change aims to provide relief for individuals with dismissed cases or resolved disputes, without altering eviction procedures themselves.