Labor & Employment

HB 245, the Construction Wage Standard Act, requires contractors working on Utah public construction projects (costing $100,000 or more) to pay qualifying employees at least the minimum wage set by the Labor Commission for their occupation and county. The Labor Commission must determine and publish these wage standards annually, based on prevailing wages, and contractors must keep records of wages paid. This applies to workers directly on-site (excluding transport workers or prisoners) for projects like roads, schools, or public buildings funded partly by taxpayer money. Noncompliance carries penalties, but the bill does not appropriate new state funds.

HB 338 requires all Utah first responder agencies to provide mental health services to current first responders, their spouses and children, surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths, and retired or separated first responders (and their spouses) for three years after separation. It creates a Mental Health Resources Reserve Account funded by agency contributions to provide grants for mental health plans, prioritizing small agencies, and mandates the Department of Public Safety to submit annual compliance reports to specific committees and a public safety portal. The bill also updates grant application requirements to ensure providers have first responder-specific experience and outlines detailed plan criteria for agencies seeking funding. No new state funds are appropriated; existing resources will support these expanded services.

HB 150 updates eligibility for Utah's Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators program to explicitly include speech-language pathologists and technicians working in designated high-needs school assignments. It also adjusts funding for teaching supplies, providing $500 per classroom teacher position for pre-K through grade 6 and $250 for grades 7-12. The bill makes technical changes to existing funding distribution rules without appropriating new money, clarifying how school districts calculate payments. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and directly affect school districts, charter schools, and educators in qualifying roles.

HB 49 requires the salary ranges and pay progression for law enforcement officers in Utah's Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to match those of peace officers in the Department of Public Safety, with similar experience and qualifications. This directly affects DNR law enforcement officers, ensuring their compensation aligns with comparable state law enforcement roles. The bill includes an exception allowing DNR leadership (majors and division directors) to have lower salary ranges than other division directors within the department. It makes technical updates to Utah Code Section 63A-17-110 and takes effect on May 6, 2026, with no new funding required.