Sen. Dan McCay

Maddy summarySB 47 reauthorizes all existing administrative rules used by Utah state agencies, ensuring their continued operation without requiring new approvals. This affects Utah state agencies directly, as it preserves their current day-to-day regulations governing public services and compliance. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, unless overridden by a two-thirds legislative vote before May 1, 2026, with additional provisions for gubernatorial approval or veto overrides.

Maddy summaryHB 458 requires hospitals and birthing facilities to create and publish clear policies about caring for premature infants, including their specific capabilities for different gestational ages. It mandates that prenatal providers discuss preterm birth risks, care options, and facility capabilities with patients around 20 weeks of pregnancy, and ensures parents can request transfers or neonatology consultations before birth. The bill prohibits denying lifesaving care to infants based solely on gestational age and requires annual reporting to the health department on preterm birth outcomes, including survival rates. These changes directly affect birthing facilities, prenatal providers, and parents expecting preterm births in Utah, aiming to improve transparency and care coordination.

Maddy summaryHB 538 sets specific start dates for Utah's legislative sessions, contingent on a related constitutional amendment passing. It establishes that the annual budget session begins on the fourth Monday in February, the first general session on the first Monday in May, and the second general session on the second Monday in September. The bill amends Utah Code Section 36-3-201 and takes effect January 1, 2028, if the proposed constitutional amendment (H.J.R. 22) is approved by voters. This procedural bill directly affects the Utah Legislature's scheduling but does not involve new funding or substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryHJR 22 proposes amending the Utah Constitution to change the structure of legislative sessions. It would replace the current annual session with one February budget session (focused solely on budget/appropriations) and two general sessions (in May and September), each limited to 15 days. The amendment also sets strict duration limits for special sessions (10 days for legislature-convened, 30 days for governor-convened) and requires voter approval before taking effect on January 1, 2028. This directly affects how Utah's Legislature organizes its work and schedules meetings.

Maddy summaryHB 587 reduces Utah's corporate and individual income tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45% for taxable income. It directly affects corporations and individual residents subject to Utah income tax, applying the lower rate to all taxable income under sections 59-7-104, 59-7-201, and 59-10-104. The bill maintains the $100 minimum tax for corporations but makes no changes to tax exemptions or other provisions. It takes effect May 6, 2026, with retrospective application for tax years beginning January 1, 2026. The bill contains no new funding requirements.

Maddy summarySB 273 amends Utah's license plate system by changing how standard and special group plates are designed, issued, and managed. It creates a rotating process for standard plate options, updates visibility requirements for faded plates, modifies special group plate funding rules, and requires both license plates and driver ID card designs to be approved by a new design review board. The bill affects state agencies like the Motor Vehicle Division and State Tax Commission, not individual drivers or vehicle owners.

Maddy summarySB 262 prohibits Utah law enforcement agencies from using unmarked vehicles for routine traffic enforcement, such as general patrol for traffic violations. It defines "unmarked law enforcement vehicle" as one lacking clear, visible markings from 25 feet and specifies that agencies may only use such vehicles for targeted operations like crosswalk safety, construction zones, DUI enforcement, stopped school buses, or documented community traffic issues. Exceptions also include compliance with existing state law (Section 41-1a-407). The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, and has no fiscal impact.

Maddy summarySJR 18 proposes amending Utah's constitution to change how the state legislature schedules its annual sessions. It would allow sessions to occur on nonconsecutive days (while keeping the 45-day annual session limit), require both legislative chambers to meet on the same days, and adjust related session duration rules. If approved by voters, the changes would take effect January 1, 2028, and would apply to all future legislative sessions. This is a procedural change affecting how Utah's legislature organizes its work, not substantive policy.

Maddy summaryHB 255 requires health care sharing ministries in Utah to provide clear disclosures to consumers. Specifically, ministries must include a written "Notice" on applications, guidelines, and advertising materials stating they are not insurance, have no obligation to pay medical bills, and participants remain personally responsible for all expenses. This directly affects health care sharing ministries and their members by mandating transparency about their non-insurance status. The bill amends Utah Code to add these disclosure requirements, ensuring consumers understand these arrangements differ fundamentally from traditional health insurance.

Maddy summaryHB 138 clarifies that a person can be charged with child abuse homicide if a child dies by suicide directly caused by the abuse or torture. The bill amends Utah Code Section 76-5-208 to explicitly include suicide as a possible outcome under the child abuse homicide statute when abuse is the direct or immediate cause. It also corrects a technical error in the penalty structure for these offenses and adds a coordination clause for potential overlap with another bill (S.B. 32). This change affects how prosecutors charge individuals whose abuse leads to a child's suicide, making it a criminal offense under the specified felony classifications.