Maddy summaryHB 321 establishes that Utah's Department of Health and Human Services must pay University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics the standard Medicaid base rate (not higher rates) for inmate medical care when no contract exists, creating a savings mechanism. It requires the department to deposit 50% of these savings into a new "Inmate Medical Treatment Restricted Account" for correctional health services, while the other 50% returns to the General Fund. The bill mandates annual reports to legislative committees detailing the savings calculations and account balances. This directly affects state departments managing inmate healthcare, hospitals providing services, and incarcerated individuals receiving medical treatment. The policy changes focus on standardizing reimbursement rates and tracking cost savings without altering healthcare delivery.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 444 amends Utah's rules for managing minor public access roads (class D roads) on state and school trust lands. It requires the state to identify and record these roads with county offices by specific deadlines (e.g., January 5, 2026, for certain counties), creates a formal process for abandoning roads (including mandatory public meetings), and ensures existing utility access rights remain protected. The bill also expands road closure rules to cover roads on public university or government property. These changes affect counties, landowners, and utility providers by clarifying procedures for road maintenance and access without appropriating new funds.
Maddy summaryHB 144 amends Utah's school community council rules to remove outdated requirements, including digital citizenship standards, parent members who are school employees, and the development of safety principles. It adds new requirements for councils to receive annual reports on school safety practices and document specific votes. The bill directly affects school community councils in Utah public schools, which include parent and school employee members (like principals) who advise on school programs and resource use. These changes streamline council operations by eliminating certain duties while clarifying reporting and documentation processes.
Maddy summaryHB 36 creates a three-year Gold Medal Schools Pilot Program administered by Utah's State Board of Education. It designates elementary schools in counties of the fourth, fifth, or sixth class (serving grades K-6) as eligible to receive a "Gold medal recognition award" for meeting physical education standards set by the board. The program includes reporting requirements and is scheduled to sunset after three years, with no funding appropriated. This pilot aims to recognize schools meeting specific physical education criteria but does not establish ongoing funding or permanent standards.
Maddy summarySB 288 requires Utah's Department of Health and Human Services to establish quality standards for Medicaid providers (including managed care entities and fee-for-service providers) and annually report their performance to the legislature. It mandates a new "closed loop referral system" to coordinate social needs care (like housing or food assistance) for Medicaid-eligible individuals, ensuring secure communication and tracking of referrals between providers. The bill appropriates $42.7 million for fiscal year 2027 to fund these requirements, including $16.9 million from the General Fund. This directly affects Medicaid providers through performance evaluations and new reporting duties, while improving care coordination for Medicaid enrollees with social needs.
Maddy summarySB 281 creates a Senior Nutrition Private Donation Matching Fund to encourage private contributions for senior meal programs. Local area agencies serving seniors can qualify for matching funds when they secure new private donations (not from program recipients or in-kind donations) that exceed prior public entity donations by a specific amount. The fund matches these qualifying donations to support home-delivered meals, with distributions based on "area need" factors like senior population served and rural service costs. This directly affects local agencies managing senior nutrition services by providing a mechanism to leverage private funding without new state appropriations.
Maddy summarySB 193 adds Good Friday as a legal holiday in Utah, making it the 11th official state holiday. This change directly affects state employees, public schools, and businesses that follow Utah's legal holiday schedule, requiring them to close or provide holiday pay on this day. The bill amends Utah Code Section 63G-1-301 to explicitly include "the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, Good Friday" in the list of legal holidays. It also makes minor technical adjustments to the holiday calendar without appropriating funds. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Maddy summarySB 100 requires Utah state agencies receiving federal guidance letters (federal government communications) to publish them electronically and submit detailed reports to the Federalism Commission. These reports must include impact assessments and recommendations about how the federal guidance affects state operations. The bill extends these reporting requirements to certain education entities and mandates the Federalism Commission to issue annual reports to the Legislative Management Committee. This bill aims to increase transparency around federal communications affecting state governance without altering federal law.
Maddy summaryHB 182 prohibits Utah medical and genomic research facilities from using genetic sequencers or software developed by foreign adversaries (as defined by federal law) or storing genetic data within foreign adversary countries. It requires facilities to certify compliance with these rules by December 2028 and every decade thereafter, while banning remote access to non-public genetic data by entities in foreign adversary nations without written approval. Violations carry $10,000 fines per instance, enforced by the attorney general, who may also pursue civil actions for damages. The bill protects employees who report suspected violations to the attorney general from workplace retaliation. It takes effect January 1, 2028.
Maddy summaryThis non-binding resolution encourages Utah to promote married-parent households and the "Success Sequence" (completing education, securing full-time work, and marrying before having children) as pathways to family stability. It highlights Utah's higher rate of two-parent households compared to national averages and urges maintaining terms like "mother" and "father" in state law to emphasize family focus. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds, instead serving as a symbolic statement to guide future policy discussions on family support.