SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature has adjourned, passing a $29 billion budget and hundreds of new laws that will impact your life.
Throughout the 45-day session, lawmakers requested 1,487 bills and actually introduced 933 of them. They passed a record 591 bills.
Here’s your guide to the bigger bills that passed, failed and never got off the ground in the Utah State Legislature:
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
The legislature got excited about sports. They passed a pair of bills designed to lure a Major League Baseball team and a National Hockey League team to Utah by helping to construct stadiums. Neither bill directly gives taxpayer money to stadiums. Instead, the MLB bill creates a special district across from the Utah State Fairpark and dips into sales tax dollars generated from the Larry H. Miller Company’s multi-billion dollar development plans to help pay for a state-owned stadium.
The NHL bill creates a “reinvestment district” in downtown Salt Lake City and lets city leaders opt to raise the sales tax by .5% to help construct a joint NBA and NHL arena (likely a remodel of the Delta Center) in the event Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith lure a team to the state.
Lawmakers also passed a bill that shifts funds into an account in anticipation of venue upgrades for the 2034 Winter Olympics that Salt Lake City is currently bidding for.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
Governor Spencer Cox asked for hundreds of millions of dollars for housing and homelessness, but got only some of that. Lawmakers did do something to find more money. In the annual liquor bill, they created a path for people to “round up” sales tax from purchases at state-owned liquor stores earmarked for the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund. But lawmakers did fund $25 million at the end of the session for a “low barrier” shelter, which would expand access.
A bill by Rep. Tyler Clancy to work toward “functional zero” homelessness in Utah while also demanding cities enforce anti-camping laws passed. So did a bill by Rep. Steve Eliason that would increase the temperature from 15 degrees to 18 degrees for a “Code Blue” allowing people to get into emergency shelter and allows cities to implement emergency measures for people experiencing homelessness in extreme weather conditions.
Rep. Joel Briscoe sponsored a bill that would provide some money for neighborhoods near homeless shelters that experience property damage or theft. It failed to pass.
A series of bills were run by the legislature to expand housing development in the state. There were bills designed to advance housing affordability, by allowing landowners to create “infrastructure finance districts” granting them access to the bond market. Other bills made it easier for development, including incentives and zoning changes. A bill was passed to allow more “modular” houses to more easily come in.
A bill to expand who can inspect homes faced initial objection from cities, but was amended to let someone seek a third party inspector if they can’t get it done quickly by a municipality.
Rep. Nelson Abbott passed a bill to require Utah’s Division of Professional Licensing to come up with sample contracts for home remodels for people to use.
The legislature passed a bill to address what happens to pets when someone is evicted. Sen. Jennifer Plumb’s bill has animal control officers take custody if the tenant is not present at the time of eviction and let them know where they can get their pet.
Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion proposed a bill to require short-term rentals and vacation homes to be licensed through cities and evidence of that be posted on websites and apps that advertise them. The bill failed to pass. Rep. Stewart Barlow tweaked tax law to include short-term rentals, which passed.
Rep. Marsha Judkins proposed a bill to require landlords to give tenants more notice if they’re going to raise the rent. It passed the House, but failed to pass the Senate.
EDUCATION
As always, the biggest battle for education is one around funding. Lawmakers did appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars more for public education in the form of teacher salaries, paid professional hours and the weighted pupil unit. A bill to boost some teacher salaries to over $100,000 passed, but over the objections the state’s largest teachers union (the Utah Education Association) and others which disagreed with the criteria for how the money is handed out.
A bill to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in higher education and other parts of government in favor of a broader definition passed and was signed into law. The law was championed as “academic freedom” and no longer placing one person above another. Critics blasted the bill as sending a harmful and chilling message to minority communities in Utah about how welcoming they are.
The Utah State Legislature issued a historic censure of Utah State School Board member Natalie Cline over a social media post she made attacking a high school athlete. The post was roundly condemned and some wanted the House to begin impeachment proceedings, but House Speaker Mike Schultz said he did not believe he had the votes to get that far. Numerous elected bodies have called for Cline to resign from office. She has not and has said she is running for re-election to her seat.
Lawmakers passed a pair of bills designed to improve school safety. One increases penalties for hoax threats of school shootings. Another by Rep. Ryan Wilcox would significantly increase school safety measures, including better training, coordination among schools and a controversial provision to allow trained and armed “guardians” in schools.
A bill by Rep. Tim Jimenez to offer trainings to teachers to carry concealed weapons (storing them in gun safes). But a requirement that schools post signs that warn it is “not a gun free zone” was stripped out of the bill. A separate bill to teach firearm safety in schools did not advance.
The controversial “Utah Fits All Scholarship” school choice program that critics say as a voucher program taking money from public schools sought another $150 million in the budget. It got $40 million. Lawmakers funded money to offer some student teachers a stipend as they work to earn certification (right now they work for free).
School closures need more public notice and input under a bill that passed. Lawmakers also advanced legislation that sets up a more robust process when it comes to school district splits.
A bill that rewrote the rules for books with objectionable content in schools passed. It attempted to undo the mess created when the Bible was banned from the Davis School District. Now, if there’s a bill with objectionable material on school shelves? Three or more public school districts must agree that it shouldn’t be there before it’s banned statewide. Then the state school board takes it up. A coalition called “Let Utah Read” is urging the governor to veto the bill.
A bill that would have demanded that classrooms be “neutral” in response to a what its sponsor called a “perception” that some ideologies are being pushed on students. It faced pushback from Republicans and Democrats alike on the House floor (some lawmakers appeared to question whether a teacher could say Hitler was evil) and it failed to pass the House.
A bill by Senate Majority Whip Ann Millner to offer students up to $7,400 in tuition assistance for doing community service passed the legislature. A bill to have child sexual abuse prevention and human trafficking education taught in Utah schools passed.
Lawmakers passed a bill by Rep. Mark Strong that allows schools to have on hand epinephrine and albuterol in emergencies for students. A bill by Rep. Rosemary Lesser to allow school employees to administer adrenal insufficiency medication also passed.
A bill to eliminate general school fees in junior high and high school passed the legislature. It will go into effect in 2025. The legislature has previously worked to eliminate school fees in elementary school.
A bill passed that would offer teachers more money for classroom supplies, instead of having them dip into their own pocketbooks. Elementary school teachers will get $500, while secondary school teachers get $250.
Rep. Karen Peterson passed a bill to require college and university presidents to come up with plans on tenure and state them in writing to professors who seek it.
The Utah State Board of Education has been directed to come up with ideas for traditional and alternative programs for teacher licensing under a bill passed by Rep. Norm Thurston.
Student athletes who are homeless or not a U.S. citizen can provide alternative form of identification in order to play.
Student surveys will be “opt-in” but the Student Health and Risk Prevention survey, which has been the subject of scrutiny by conservative state school board members, will remain under a bill that passed the legislature.
FAMILY MATTERS
A bill that would “re-license” abortion clinics in Utah passed. The bill’s sponsor, House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, said it was designed to simplify questions about the legality of Utah’s abortion “trigger law” (which bans all abortions in Utah with exceptions for rape, incest and health and safety of the mother) before the state Supreme Court. Planned Parenthood Association of Utah took no position on the change.A bill that would have allowed pregnant people to use the carpool lane by counting their unborn child as a person did not advance in the final days of the legislature.
A bill to regulate “life coaches” was introduced by Sen. David Hinkins, but never got a hearing.
CRIME & PUNISHMENT
A bill to increase the penalties for gun possession while drug trafficking passed. Rep. Andrew Stoddard’s bill creates an indeterminate sentencing (meaning it’s open-ended how long someone could get). He also passed a bill increasing penalties for threats against a public servant, political party official or voter.
A bill to create a “bias incident” hotline where people could report incidents of hate that may not rise to the level of a crime had support from Jewish and Muslim community leaders, but failed to advance in the final days of the legislative session.
A bill to require the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office to track how many hours they are working on a criminal case after complaints that some cases have dragged on for years passed after heated debate in the House. The bill allows for the governor to recommend to the Utah Supreme Court a “replacement prosecutor” if he deems DA Sim Gill has failed to do his job.
A bill expanding crime victim rights before the parole board and in sentencing consideration passed. That same bill also made it a crime of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, even if the defendant is 18 and still in high school at the time of the crime. A separate bill made it a crime for a person in a position of trust (like a teacher) to engage in sexual activity with a high school student, even if that student is over 18. Lawmakers made “pantsing” a misdemeanor crime.
A bill to crack down on police quotas (which are already illegal but FOX 13 News has found some agencies have tied tickets to performance reviews) was introduced, but never got a hearing.
Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard’s bill to expand education opportunities in jails and prisons to inmates passed. It was part of a larger bill to prepare inmates for eventual release.
A bill passed that makes a crime of “unlawful kissing of a minor,” basically that would be kissing a child with tongue. Lawmakers also passed a bill making a crime of “interruption of a connected service.”
Juveniles who are interrogated by police must have their interviews recorded under a bill passed by Rep. Marsha Judkins.
It is now a crime for someone to falsely claim they ingested drugs during an arrest to get a trip to the hospital and avoid jail.
Lawmakers repealed the offense of “criminal defamation” (it remains a civil issue).
Lawmakers passed a bill cracking down on road rage by enhancing penalties in extreme cases, allowing for easier seizure of cars and suspension of driver licenses. Rep. Paul Cutler’s bill also creates a public awareness campaign about road rage.
A bill to have the Utah Highway Patrol take over policing of Salt Lake City International Airport was introduced, but never got a hearing. A bill that lets people who accidentally brings a firearm to the airport to get a warning on their first violation. Any seized firearm must be returned within three days.
Propelling a bodily substance at someone can count as an act of domestic violence under a law passed unanimously through the legislature.
Gun control bills to require a waiting period to purchase a firearm, expand background checks and require locking devices failed to pass the legislature. Rep. Brian King sponsored a bill to have law enforcement better track gun seizures in crimes.
Sen. Todd Weiler passed a bill reworking indigent defense in Utah. People who are charged with a crime have the right to counsel, and the bill makes changes to the process by which funding is doled out for serious cases.
Utah’s Department of Natural Resources will consolidate its policing agencies into one under a bill that passed.
Police serving a “knock” warrant must wait a reasonable amount of time so that someone knows the police are there under a bill that passed the legislature.
House Minority Leader Angela Romero also passed a bill to require Utah’s Peace Officer Standards & Training to come up with a model training and policy for officers to use when conducting sexual assault investigations. She passed similar legislation establishing standards of care for rape crisis centers.
ALCOHOL AND OTHER VICES
The Utah State Legislature’s omnibus liquor bill will increase the number of restaurant and bar licenses. But where the legislature giveth, the legislature taketh away. Everclear and similar products over 80% alcohol by volume, and frozen cocktails will be banned from state-run stores. The “sin tax” will also be going up on all alcohol products sold in the state, most notably for beer.
Rep. Kera Birkeland proposed a constitutional amendment to legalize the lottery in Utah. She argued as much as $200 million is spent by Utahns every year on lottery tickets in surrounding states and that’s money that could be better used here. The bill never got a hearing.
Protesters showed up to demonstrate against a bill that would ban flavored vape juices (with exceptions of menthol and tobacco) and ban non-FDA approved substances. Vape shop owners argued it could put them out of business. Sen. Jennifer Plumb’s bill passed. The legislature also passed Rep. Thomas Peterson’s bill that lets minors enroll in nicotine cessation programs without having to inform their parents.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
Lawmakers got aggressive about artificial intelligence, passing laws that criminalize AI being used to generate sexual content involving children, demanding that AI in political advertising be properly labeled and regulating other uses of the emerging tech, including criminalizing the activity of using generative AI in the commission of a crime. But the state also carved out a “sandbox” where companies can experiment with AI for good purposes with some regulatory oversight.
The Utah State Legislature rewrote the laws they passed just a year earlier regulating social media platforms. The bills still require some type of age-verification by platforms and blocking targeted advertising, push notifications and more data privacy for minors. An amended version of one of the bills removed a requirement that timelines be in chronological order. Utah is being sued over its existing laws, while the state is also suing social platforms for alleged harms to the mental health of youth with addictive algorithms and targeted ads.
Rep. Trevor Lee passed a bill that blocks police from compelling someone to produce a “private electronic key” that gives access to someone’s digital assets, identity or transaction history.
A bill to require cell phones and tablets to come with filtering software to protect children from exposure to pornography passed. It won’t go into effect until 2025.
Rep. Kera Birkeland passed a bill that would have the state seek to remove personal information about lawmakers from the internet. The bill is designed to avoid doxxing. House Majority Leader Jefferson Moss passed a bill setting guardrails around state data collection and protecting against breaches.
Lawmakers passed Rep. Cheryl Acton’s bill that requires companies to give you more notice when a free trial for an app or other service expires and you start to be billed for it.
A bill passed declaring some types of digital currency are not “money” under Utah’s legal definition.
LGBTQ RIGHTS
At the beginning of the legislative session, lawmakers pushed through a “bathroom bill” restricting access in public facilities to sex designated at birth (it will not apply to private businesses). While the bill also increases the number of unisex spaces, LGBTQ+ rights activists opposed the bill warning it would create more problems and invite a legal challenge. The bill was signed by Governor Spencer Cox into law earlier in the session.
The legislature did pass a bill by Rep. Sahara Hayes to streamline the process for a transgender person to change their name and gender marker.A bill enacting a local version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which allows for some objections to performing government services if it interferes with someone’s deeply held religious beliefs. The LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Utah negotiated in exceptions that preserve the rights of members of that community.
A bill that some initially worried could have placed restrictions on drag shows and Pride parades under Utah’s “lewdness involving a child” statute passed after being modified to effectively limit its application to people engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior targeted at a child.
House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee passed a bill that blocks jails and prisons from assigning inmates of the opposite biological sex in the same housing area. But the bill also leaves it up to correctional facilities where to house a transgender inmate.
On the final night of the session, a bill on school employee conduct got substituted to focus on banning non-approved flags in classrooms (like a Pride flag). Senators were not amused and voted to kill the bill entirely.
RELIGION
A bill to allow clergy to report disclosures of ongoing child abuse passed the legislature. After years of bills seeking to make reporting to law enforcement mandatory, Rep. Anthony Loubet offered a “passive” reporting that also gave churches who do report some immunity from litigation. The bill got no opposition from the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A bill to allow volunteer chaplains in schools passed the House, despite warnings that groups like the Satanic Temple would seek to use the law to bring in their people. On the final night of the legislative session, the Senate rejected the bill in a surprise vote.
Lawmakers passed Rep. Brady Brammer’s bill that prohibits an employer from compelling an employee to act in a manner that the employee believes would burden or offend the employee's “sincerely held religious beliefs” in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision. Employers must accommodate a religious expression unless it interferes with an employer’s core mission.
A bill that originally required Utah school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments on posters was modified to allow it to be taught alongside other historical documents like the Magna Carta.
ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION
You no longer have to have a front license plate under a bill passed by Sen. Dan McCay.
Lawmakers will significantly hike the fines for speeding in a school zone or passing a bus with its lights and stop sign activated. Fines jump from $50 to $260 for the first nine miles over 20mph and goes all the way up to $760 for anyone going 40 miles per hour the speed limit in a school zone.
The House of Representatives rejected a bill that lifted the cap on Utah’s “road user charge” program that allows electric vehicles to pay for miles driven in lieu of a gas tax. Some lawmakers objected to a series of increasing fees.
A bill passed by Rep. Candice Pierucci seeks to get transit service to a fast growing area of Salt Lake County. Currently, Riverton, Herriman and surrounding communities do not have dedicated bus service. Her bill shifts some funding toward grants to start up transit service in the communities.
A bill to create the “Jake Garn Legacy Highway” on Highway 40 from I-80 to Highway 32 passed the legislature. It’s named after the former U.S. Senator and astronaut from Utah.
Lawmakers passed a bill to allow motorcycles to “lane filter” at an offramp, just like they can at stop lights.
A bill requiring you to register any “novelty” form of vehicle passed. So did Sen. Wayne Harper’s bill creating more of a regulatory framework for flying cars and delivery drones.
Rep. Cory Maloy originally proposed to have snowplows declared emergency vehicles alongside ambulances and fire trucks. The bill was amended to allow them to use brighter lights.
The new West Davis Corridor will appear on maps (yes, you have to run a bill to designate a highway as part of state inventory).
Rep. Andrew Stoddard passed a bill that says a vehicle operator intending to turn left is not required to yield the right-of-way to a vehicle operator approaching from the opposite direction that fails to stop when required by a stop sign or red signal at the intersection.
Digital vehicle registration cards will be allowed for boats and off-highway vehicles under a bill that passed by Rep. Jordan Teuscher.
A person with a permanent disability can obtain a special license plate that lets them remove the windshield placard to park in disabled spaces.
A bill to streamline towing paperwork passed following FOX 13 News reporting on police who were not filling it out, making it harder for people to find their vehicles.
GOVERNANCEA bill that tweaks Utah’s public records laws generated controversy. Sen. Curt Bramble’s bill blocks the calendars of some public officials from view. He argued it was clarifying existing law, but the bill passed out of the legislature on the same day a judge ruled that Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ calendar ought to be public. The bill also gives attorney fees to those who prevail for their trouble. Governor Spencer Cox signed it less than 24 hours later.
The legislature passed Rep. Andrew Stoddard’s bill that blocked the Utah Attorney General from participating in any “side hustles.” Rep. Stoddard told FOX 13 News he ran the bill over questions about attorney general Sean Reyes’ work with Operation Underground Railroad.
Lawmakers passed a bill to tweak the definition of what constitutes an electronic meeting to include audio or video attendance. The bill also says elected officials “may not act together outside a meeting in a concerted and deliberate way to predetermine an action to be taken by the public body at a meeting on a relevant matter.”
An elected official who serves in the U.S. Armed Forces reserves and is deployed does not create a vacancy in office, according to a bill passed this year.
A bipartisan bill to have metro townships like Kearns and Magna incorporate into cities passed the legislature.
Utah’s historic ban on interracial marriage, long since struck down by the courts, was finally wiped off the books in a bill that passed the legislature.
Consumer complaints will be protected under Utah’s public records laws, though the bill that passed grants Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection the ability to declassify them in certain circumstances.
Electronically notarized documents can be recorded in a county recorder’s office under a bill that passed. The Utah State Engineer can also publicize water rights applications by electronic means.
Lawmakers ran a series of bills that went after foreign interests, including one that requires military permission for certain land uses near an installation and another that blocks restricted foreign governments like China, North Korea, Iran and Russia from owning lands in Utah (or through any companies not too far removed from those governments). If they already own the land? They’ll be forced to sell.
Lobbyists will be blocked from contacting a lawmaker’s employer for the purposes of influencing their vote under a bill that passed.
A bill to revert back to the old Utah state flag was introduced and got a hearing — but failed to pass a committee.
TAXES, BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY
Lawmakers passed an income tax reduction. Middle class Utahns will see a slight drop in their tax burden. The bill faced pushback from Democrats on Utah’s Capitol Hill who felt the money should have been spent on social services. Lawmakers also expanded the child tax credit.
A bill to keep rural Utah film incentives going for another year passed. It offers perks for filming movies and TV shows in rural areas with local lawmakers say it helps boost the local economy.
A bill by Rep. Phil Lyman that modifies the income level for “circuit breaker” property tax relief to make more people eligible passed.
Lawmakers passed Sen. Heidi Balderree’s bill that allows a local government’s use of revenue bonds payable with excise taxes to be subject to a citizen referendum.
But a bill that would have required public votes on any property tax increase for the next three years never got off the ground. A bill by Rep. Brian King to create a graduated tax bracket to collect more from Utah’s wealthier people never got a hearing.
Lawmakers passed a bill requiring better information for “truth in taxation” hearings anytime an elected body wants to raise taxes. Sen. Chris Wilson’s bill even blocks a property tax increase if the public entity fails to properly notice hearings.
A bill that sought to raise the minimum wage in Utah was introduced, but never got a hearing.
Labor unions could have seen automatic payroll deductions taken out and been blocked from doing certain activities on public property under a bill introduced by Rep. Jordan Teuscher. The bill appeared to go after teachers unions. He offered a carveout for public safety unions. They rejected it and instead chose to stand with the teachers. To ensure the bill never passed, labor union representatives kept vigil in the House chamber throughout the legislative session to ensure it was never brought up again.
Unions were effective in killing a bill that sought to make state employees who are “career service” status into “at will” employees.
Lawmakers lowered the threshold of money for a job for someone to engage in construction without a license. But they still need to pull building permits.
People on unemployment have three days to accept a job offer or risk losing their benefits under a bill passed by Rep. Trevor Lee.
The Utah State Treasurer can invest certain amounts of money in precious metals under a bill that passed.
Bills passed that expand on state plans for the Inland Port and Point of the Mountain Development projects.
The state will offer a bonus for people who reenlist in the Utah National Guard.
WATER AND THE GREAT SALT LAKE The Great Salt Lake had a great year in the legislature, politically speaking. The imperiled lake saw millions more in funding allocated and some significant bills. Rep. Casey Snider’s bill rewrote how mineral extraction companies use water on the lake and passed with the support of Republican leaders over the objections of at least one mineral company.
Lawmakers funded an idea by Rep. Doug Owens to pay farmers not to grow a third or fourth crop in a season and instead send that water downstream to the Great Salt Lake. A bill by Sen. Scott Sandall to allow agriculture producers to donate or sell that water without fear of losing their water rights also passed.
The Senate President and House Speaker personally sponsored a bill they said was “generational” in its approach to water. It creates a special water commission to explore new ways to get water in Utah (it could be a pipeline or something like building California a desalination plant and taking their Colorado River water shares). Opponents of the bill criticized provisions that kept the commission’s activities shielded from public records laws.
A bill to track how much water golf courses use passed the Senate. But the House appeared to object to a provision that shielded the water data from Utah’s public records laws. It was a stunning defeat.
A bill to study how to get more water from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake passed. Lawmakers also repealed a law they previously passed that allowed proposals like the controversial Utah Lake “islands” project.
A bill that would have banned outdoor watering from October to May never got a hearing.
A bill to carve out parts of rural Utah from secondary water metering, which tracks outdoor water use, passed the legislature. A bill to restrict turf on new government construction was amended due to objections from turf farmers, so the bill’s sponsors decided to prohibit sprinkler systems on turf and make it drip irrigation only. The bill passed.
Tucked into a bill on HOA law, a requirement that forces them to adopt water-wise landscaping where applicable, passed. Lawmakers passed a bill to have students taught in Utah schools the importance of water conservation.
Lawmakers blocked an effort by environmental groups to give natural entities (like the Great Salt Lake) legal “personhood” status by passing a bill to prohibit such things.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
A bill rewriting energy policy in the state passed. It focuses on an “all of the above” approach to energy including fossil fuels and nuclear power, as well as “dispatchable” energy. Rep. Colin Jack argued it’s necessary in order to have electricity when the light switch is flipped. But critics say it relies too much on fossil fuels at the expense of greener forms of energy. A separate bill that lets the state scrutinize the retirement of some coal plants and their impact on ratepayers passed after heated debate over whether the state is propping up fossil fuels.
Intermountain Power Project, a massive facility in central Utah that generates the bulk of its electricity for California, became the subject of an intense battle in the Utah State Legislature. A bill passed that essentially allows the state to take over the plant because it is backing away from using coal as it pivots to other forms of energy. The bill may run afoul of federal environmental regulations and lead to lawsuits.
Lawmakers also passed a bill that advocates for state interests on federal energy and environmental programs and authorized a study for a state fuel storage reserve.
Rep. Christine Watkins passed a bill to create the San Rafael Energy Lab to do research on new energy innovations.
A bill that sought to cut emissions along the Wasatch Front by 50% by 2033 was introduced by Rep. Tyler Clancy, but never even got a hearing. Air quality legislation didn’t do so well, but on the final night of the session, Senate President J. Stuart Adams announced Union Pacific had agreed to move to much more environmentally friendly “railroad switchers” which are considered a big source of pollution.
Rep. Walt Brooks passed a bill to allow agriculture and clean up burns in “attainment areas” which are places where air quality is considered better (off the Wasatch Front).
Bills were run taking aim at local decisions to block mining operations, but was ultimately amended to become a study of mining operations and critical infrastructure in the state.
A bill passed that collects data on how much is actually recycled in Utah and what happens to that recycled material, whether it’s really re-used or just goes into a landfill.
Backed by Republican legislative leaders, a resolution to back out of Utah’s land swap with the federal government for land inside Bears Ears National Monument passed. State leaders argued the monument management plan was too much for them and they sought to unwind the agreement.
Lawmakers blocked so-called “natural asset companies” from purchasing or leasing state public lands. Such companies would purchase and hold lands, but Utah State Treasurer Marlo Oaks has blasted them as “one of the greatest threats to rural communities in the history of our country.”
Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands will do a study on wildland urban interface, which are homes built up against wilderness areas, under a bill that passed.
Hunters will now need to wear a piece of “hunter orange” clothing on the outside under a bill passed that clarifies the rules for safety when in the outdoors. It can be a hat, a jacket, a vest or a sweater.
COURTS
A significant bill run by Rep. Kera Birkeland will open the doors for people to pursue civil actions over sexual harassment. It declares nondisclosure agreements as a term of employment unenforceable in cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault. It also blocks retaliation against anyone who refuses to sign one and makes it easier to subpoena witnesses who may also have experienced problems. Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill into law earlier this week.
A bill that sought to establish state jurisdiction over natural resources and federal lands within Utah failed to pass the legislature.
House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee passed a bill that makes it easier for people to expunge their criminal records.
Rep. Stephanie Gricius’ resolution to allow parties in a civil lawsuit to seek a new judge passed over objections it would open the door to “judge shopping” for someone more favorable to a case.
House Minority Leader Angela Romero passed a bill allowing for termination of parental rights if a child was conceived as a result of a sexual offense. It also requires more notice to crime victims about what happens to sexual assault testing kits. A separate bill by Rep. Kera Birkeland tweaked the requirements for someone to terminate parental rights.
Rep. Walt Brooks amended Utah’s legal definition of “child abandonment” in an effort to help people exiled from the Fundamentalist LDS Church. Those cast out of the polygamous communities could return to reassert their parental rights without fear of having the finger pointed at them that they abandoned their child.
A bill on court restitution sets a minimum $50 per month payment if a judge doesn’t specify an amount.
A bill to require child welfare caseworkers to wear bodycams and get a warrant before entering a home in some cases was introduced, but never got a hearing.
“Om’s Law” named after 16-year-old Om Gandhi who died in a murder-suicide, tweaks child custody proceedings and things a judge must consider. It limits expert testimony to licensed or qualified people and sets more guidance on reunification treatment ordered by judges.
AGRICULTURE
Rep. Carl Albrecht passed a bill to expand protections for working farms, including creating a registry to keep track of those who participate in “agrotourism” that allows people to visit those farms. They get increased liability and nuisance protections.
A bill to insist on a “right to repair” farm equipment without having to go to a dealership was introduced late in the legislative session and didn’t advance.
A bill to tweak laws surrounding raw milk and when the public could be notified about an outbreak related to it was introduced, but never got a hearing.
HEALTH CARE
A bill by Rep. Ashlee Matthews to apply a minimum standard of health regulation on body art studios passed.
A piece of legislation dubbed the “Medicaid Doomsday Bill” envisioned a scenario of funding shortfalls. But the notion of knocking tens of thousands of Utahns off of coverage brought out health care organizations and community advocates. On the House floor, Rep. Brady Brammer conceded he did not have the votes to pass it and it never advanced.
Rep. Tyler Clancy originally proposed a bill to sell the Utah State Hospital land in Provo for development, with money being earmarked for mental health needs. Utah’s Department of Health & Human Services had concerns, so he modified the bill to help those experiencing a mental health crisis. Instead of civilly committing someone for 24 hours? It’s now 72 hours to stabilize them better. A separate bill to let psychiatric nurses make decisions about civil commitment for someone having a mental health crisis also passed the legislature.
A bill to require insurers to cover telemedicine visits by raising the reimbursement rates started to advance in the legislature, but lost signal when it ran out of time.
Rep. Sandra Hollins passed a bill to create a compact for social workers licensed in other states to more easily work here. The bill won unanimous support through the entire legislature.
After years of trying, House Minority Whip Jennifer Dailey-Provost secured some money for people on the waitlist for services for those with disabilities. She has argued it is not enough.
Rep. Ray Ward passed a bill to allow a medical examiner to indicate on a death certificate that an immediate cause of death is unknown.
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla sought to get the attention of cities that refused to recognize medical cannabis as a legal prescription drug, which has been a longstanding policy. So her bill threatened to withhold funding from cities that refused to abide by it. She won concessions and withdrew her threat, ensuring there would be no unnecessary adverse action for legitimate cannabis cardholders.
Sen. Kirk Cullimore proposed a bill to allow people to try psilocybin, MDMA and other drugs in a highly-controlled pilot project run by University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare. It passed both chambers unanimously.
Sen. Curt Bramble passed a bill requiring patients to be notified if they are being treated with stem cells or placental tissue.
A bill that sought to give medical students vaccine and masking exemptions was amended to lift quarantine orders that health departments can issue to stop extremely contagious diseases. It got watered down to preserve that power in the event of new, emerging diseases or re-emerging diseases like tuberculosis or measles.
VOTING
A proposed constitutional amendment would have raised the threshold for citizen ballot initiatives that would have raised taxes to 60% passage. Rep. Jason Kyle argued that if taxes will be raised, it deserves more scrutiny. The bill cleared the House, but lawmakers abandoned it after backlash from a number of groups including Better Boundaries and the League of Women Voters of Utah.
A bill to strip Utah’s Lt. Governor of powers to oversee the election system was introduced and then dropped within 24 hours. The concept of the legislation is expected to be brought back up in the interim.
Rep. Rosemary Lesser proposed a bill to help emergency medical workers vote electronically if they’re on the job in another county than the one they live in. The bill failed to pass the House of Representatives.
A bill to abandon Utah’s system of automatically mailing active registered voters their ballots and instead have them request a mail-in ballot was introduced, but never got a hearing.
A bill that abruptly ended Utah’s ranked choice voting pilot project passed the House, but died in a surprise vote in the Senate.
CHILD CARE
Advocates for children were left frustrated by this year’s legislative session. Warning of pandemic-era money drying up to pay for child care, lawmakers didn’t fund as much as advocates wanted.
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla proposed an “out of the box” idea to take unused office space in state buildings and turn them into child care centers that employees and the public could use. The bill had support in the Senate, but failed to pass the House.
A bill to expand neighborhood child care (while also expanding a child tax credit) faced opposition over concerns that people doing it would be unlicensed and the number of children that could be in a home. The bill passed.
Rep. Christine Watkins introduced a bill to offer a sales tax break for construction or remodeling of child care centers. The bill never got a hearing.
Rep. Stephanie Gricius passed a bill that lets state employees use paid parental leave to bond with a child, foster child or incapacitated adult they must care for.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Senate leaders raised concerns that too many constitutional amendments on the ballot before voters in November could lead to voters simply rejecting all of them, when they really want voters to approve removing the earmark on the income tax for education in exchange for dropping the state portion of the sales tax on food. Lawmakers still field quite a few:
A proposed constitutional amendment to lower the age to be a legislator from 25 to 21 was introduced, but never got traction.
Rep. Ken Ivory tried to run one that removes the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits in sex abuse lawsuits following a controversial Utah Supreme Court ruling. It never got considered.
Rep. Jason Kyle ran a proposed constitutional amendment that would “prohibit an elector for President and Vice President of the United States to vote for any person based on voting results in any other state.” It also never got considered.
Rep. Kera Birkeland proposed one to legalize lotteries (scroll up for details) that never got heard.
A proposed constitutional amendment to require a citizen ballot initiative to have a 60% threshold of passage should it raises taxes was introduced, but abandoned by lawmakers (scroll up for details).
Sen. Lincoln Fillmore proposed a constitutional amendment to change the effective date of legislation. It passed and will go before voters this November.
RESOLUTIONS AND COMMEMORATIONS
A resolution is a statement by the legislature in support of something. Here’s some of the things lawmakers had statements about:
Lawmakers passed Sen. Mike Kennedy’s resolution condemning communism and socialism, which also praised the free market.
A resolution passed recognizing school support staff.
Sen. Chris Wilson passed a resolution that dissolves the Richmond City Justice Court.
The Senate passed a resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Utah Association of Counties.
A resolution passed encouraging Congress to review federal public accommodation laws pertaining to website accessibility.
Senators adopted a resolution to create a Golden Spike State Monument in Box Elder County.
Sen. Kathleen Riebe passed a resolution to support women in STEM.
Sen. Karen Kwan passed a resolution honoring Utah’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
Sen. Dan McCay passed a bill to make Sept. 11 a state commemorative day.
A resolution passed honoring the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A resolution passed expressing friendship and support for Taiwan.
A resolution passed honoring Utah’s Division of Arts & Museums.
The House had a lot of resolutions introduced in the legislature on things like congressional term limits, supporting private property ownership, and the importance of insects. They were not considered.
