Rep. Christine Watkins

Maddy summaryHB 401 directs Utah's Office of Energy Development to study whether geothermal energy facilities can be developed at or near existing or retired coal power plants. The study must assess underground heat levels, infrastructure suitability, potential electricity output, costs, and economic impacts for each site, with results published online by December 31, 2027. The office must report annually to the Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee before November meetings. This procedural bill affects the Office of Energy Development and coal plant sites, but does not fund construction or alter energy regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 61 amends Utah's Navajo Trust Fund governance, directly affecting the Board of Trustees, Trust Administrator, and Diné Advisory Committee. It changes the board's meeting frequency from "once every other month" to "quarterly," exempts certain investment records from public disclosure requirements, and modifies annual reporting obligations for the fund. The bill also includes technical updates to existing code sections governing the fund's operations and oversight. These changes aim to streamline administrative processes without adding new funding or altering the fund's core purpose of managing resources for Navajo communities.

Maddy summaryHB 468 requires health insurance plans in Utah to cover mobile mammography screenings when provided by an approved mobile unit (like a bus or vehicle with FDA-accredited equipment) in rural areas. It defines "rural area" as specific county classifications and mandates that coverage must reimburse mobile units at the same rate as in-network facility screenings. The bill also requires mobile units to accept the reimbursement amount plus any patient cost-sharing as full payment and to follow U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for screenings. This law takes effect January 1, 2027, directly affecting insurers, mobile mammography providers, and patients in rural Utah.

Maddy summarySB 141 amends Utah's child welfare laws to improve transparency and coordination for families and foster care systems. It requires the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) to notify all parties when filing court reports or child and family plans, clarifies timelines for foster parent rights, and sets deadlines for resolving placement objections. The bill also allows DCFS to share information with the Division of Professional Licensing regarding child abuse/neglect licensing violations and updates definitions related to "relatives" and post-adoption agreements. These changes directly affect DCFS, foster parents, families involved in custody proceedings, and licensing authorities. The bill makes no new funding commitments and focuses on procedural clarity in child welfare processes.

Maddy summaryHB 105 amends Utah law to clarify and expand juvenile court authority regarding search and investigative warrants in child welfare cases. It authorizes juvenile courts to issue warrants allowing peace officers or child welfare caseworkers to search for a child, examine a child’s home, or interview a child about their health, safety, or welfare when there is probable cause to believe the child faces a credible threat. The bill requires these warrants to be based on verified petitions or sworn affidavits, and specifies that officers must first attempt other legal means to ensure a child’s safety before seeking a warrant. It directly affects child welfare caseworkers, law enforcement, and children in dependency or neglect cases by establishing clearer legal procedures for interventions. The bill makes no changes to funding or policy outcomes, only to the procedural framework for warrant issuance.

Maddy summaryHB 522 modifies Utah's child support laws for children placed in state custody or with relatives by juvenile courts. It requires courts to notify parents/guardians of support obligations within 30 days, establishes when support accrues (typically day 61 after a hearing), and exempts parents relying solely on disability benefits for their own condition. The bill also clarifies that parents aren't liable for support if a child is improperly removed from their home and later returned. These changes apply to cases involving the Division of Child and Family Services and juvenile courts, directly affecting parents, guardians, and child support enforcement offices. (Cites Utah Code 78A-6-356 and 81-5-607 amendments)

Maddy summarySB 299 allows Utah candidates to use name variations like nicknames, middle names, or maiden names on ballots under specific conditions. To qualify, candidates must submit a written request by the candidacy deadline, along with their own sworn affidavit and affidavits from five non-family county residents confirming they are commonly known by the variation. The bill permits common variations (e.g., "J. Smith" instead of "John Smith" or "Mia" instead of "Maria") but prohibits offensive, misleading, or slogan-like names. This applies to all Utah election candidates seeking ballot access with a name different from their legal first and last name.

Maddy summaryHB 162 allows certain Utah municipalities to impose a local sales tax specifically to fund infrastructure improvements for their local law enforcement agencies. It requires municipalities to hold a public hearing before approving the tax and mandates that all revenue be deposited into a separate special fund, not the general municipal fund. The bill also establishes procedures for reauthorizing the tax after its initial period and permits the State Tax Commission to retain a small administrative fee from collected revenue. This legislation modifies existing tax code provisions to create a structured framework for this targeted local funding mechanism, affecting only qualifying municipalities seeking to fund law enforcement infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 189 requires Utah's Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee to adjust funding formulas for technical colleges to ensure they provide equal funding value for secondary and adult students and fully account for the colleges' statutorily required services. This change, effective May 6, 2026, directly affects how state funds are distributed to Utah's technical colleges. The bill does not appropriate new money but mandates specific adjustments to existing funding mechanisms to better align with institutional responsibilities and workforce needs. It amends Section 53H-1-402 of Utah Code to formalize these requirements in funding calculations.

Maddy summaryHB 208 amends Utah's parentage laws to clarify and limit timelines for establishing parentage. It limits past child support liability to one year before filing a claim (previously four years), sets new deadlines for filing parentage actions (children must file before age 18, or by age 26 for those born after May 6, 2026), and clarifies how parentage claims can be raised during divorce proceedings. The bill directly affects unmarried biological fathers, birth mothers, and children seeking to establish legal parentage. These changes take effect on May 6, 2026, with no new funding required.