Rep. Jeff Burton

Maddy summarySB 93 amends Utah's correctional laws to affect offenders under supervision and correctional facilities. It eliminates unpaid probation and parole supervision fees from offenders' debt records, directing these fees to the state debt collection office instead. The bill also prohibits removing any item from within a correctional facility's property (a change related to drone-related offenses) and updates definitions for direct supervision and correctional facility operations. These changes make technical adjustments to existing statutes without new funding.

Maddy summaryHB 132 requires municipalities within 5,000 feet of military installations (like Camp Williams, Hill Air Force Base, and the newly added Naval Reserve Industrial Ordinance Plant) to develop land use plans with the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs to ensure new developments don’t interfere with military operations. It reduces the Veterans and Military Affairs Commission’s permanent membership from 18 to 17 members and adjusts how its leadership is appointed. The bill also updates rules allowing the Utah National Guard to accept donations for military-related purposes. These changes primarily affect local governments, military installations, and the Commission’s operations, with no new funding required.

Maddy summarySB 194 modifies Utah's election laws to implement a two-tier voting system starting January 1, 2028. It requires voters to choose whether to provide U.S. citizenship proof when registering or voting; those who do not provide proof can only vote in federal races. The bill also reclassifies most private voter registration records as public (unless voters opt for extra privacy protection) and mandates an audit to verify citizenship documentation for all voter records. These changes directly affect all Utah voters participating in elections and election officials managing voter records.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Utah's Local Public Safety and Firefighter Surviving Spouse Trust Fund to reimburse employers for health coverage costs they paid between May 1, 2024, and May 7, 2025, for surviving spouses and dependent children of public safety or firefighter employees who died on duty. It specifically covers premiums and health savings account contributions already paid by employers during that period. The reimbursement uses existing money in the trust fund, requiring no new state funding. This change applies retroactively to costs incurred before the bill's effective date of May 6, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 311 amends Utah's election law to change which forms of identification are valid for voting and update procedures for verifying signatures on mailed ballots. It requires poll workers to compare signatures on mail-in ballot return envelopes with voter registration records if they suspect a signature mismatch, rather than automatically rejecting ballots based solely on missing driver's license digits. If signatures match, the ballot is counted; if not, the vote is disallowed. This directly affects Utah voters who submit ballots by mail, altering how their signatures are verified during the voting process.

Maddy summaryHB 447 allows remote sales (online, phone, mail) of cigars and pipe tobacco in Utah while establishing new regulatory requirements. It directly affects remote sellers of these products, requiring them to obtain licenses, post bonds, collect state taxes, and comply with reporting rules. The bill creates specific licensing and tax collection mechanisms for these transactions, with criminal penalties for non-compliance. It does not appropriate new funds and updates Utah's tobacco tax code to include these remote sales channels. The law applies to all consumers purchasing cigars or pipe tobacco online within Utah.

Maddy summarySB 210 amends Utah's regulations for nicotine products, primarily affecting retailers selling tobacco, nicotine, and electronic cigarette products. The bill repeals local health department inspections of e-cigarette retailers, modifies fees collected by the State Tax Commission on these products, and directs fee revenue toward disposing of confiscated products and enforcement. It also changes fines for selling unregistered products and updates criminal penalties related to nicotine products. These changes take effect between 2026 and 2030, with no new state funding allocated.

Maddy summaryHB 396 modifies disclosure rules for subcontractors working on Utah public construction projects. It requires subcontractors to sign a statement confirming they have no employees (to qualify for a "zero estimated exposure" workers' compensation policy) and to report employee details to the state division. The bill also mandates general contractors and property owners to keep records for audits, shifts interest rates and penalties for unemployment insurance to be set by rule, and expands "unprofessional conduct" to include failing to meet these new requirements. These changes directly affect subcontractors, contractors, and property owners involved in public construction projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office by updating the list of state agencies and institutions that must be represented on its board. It clarifies which entities, such as universities, hospitals, and public facilities, are included and specifies who represents each one. The update also reaffirms the rights of trust beneficiaries under existing state law. This change ensures the office continues to include relevant state stakeholders in its governance structure.

Maddy summaryHB 597 amends Utah's alcohol laws to simplify regulations for businesses. It requires bars and restaurants to verify age only for patrons under 35 (removing scanning device mandates), lowers the hotel room threshold for alcohol licensing, and allows cash price rounding for liquor. The bill also removes mandatory locking of liquor storage areas, updates beer retailer display language requirements, and streamlines license denial processes. These changes directly affect licensed alcohol establishments, including bars, restaurants, and retailers, by reducing compliance burdens and updating operational rules.