HB 167: Offender Reintegration Amendments - Utah

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 2/19/2025 15:02:821 · 2 edits

MINOR

Senate amendments to HB 167 clarify the name of the new Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund and adjust how the fund can be used to offset department expenses. The changes ensure consistent terminology and confirm that the fund can cover administrative costs related to reentry programs.

DEFINITION

Changed the fund name reference from 'Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund' to 'the fund' in the definitions section for consistency.

FISCAL

Modified the language allowing the department to use fund money to offset actual department expenses, clarifying that it applies to expenses related to administering the reentry programs.

Amended 2/19/2025 15:02:821 → Substitute #1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This substitute bill modifies HB 167 to add new provisions encouraging employer hiring of people with criminal records, changing the fund name from 'Special Revenue Fund' to 'Restricted Account', removing the $2 million appropriation, and updating the effective date to May 7, 2025. The bill also adds Section 58-1-402 to affected code sections and removes the requirement for a criminal justice coordinating council to report data on council impact.

Scope change

The bill now includes additional code sections (58-1-402) and modifies the fund name and reporting requirements for criminal justice councils.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement for criminal justice coordinating councils to identify strategies for educating and incentivizing employers to hire people with criminal or juvenile records.

FISCAL

Changed the fund name from 'Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund' to 'Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Restricted Account'.

Removed the $2,000,000 appropriation for fiscal year 2026; the substitute bill states 'None' under Money Appropriated.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from 'upon governor's approval' to May 7, 2025.

TECHNICAL

Added Section 58-1-402 to the list of Utah Code sections affected.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement for criminal justice coordinating councils to provide written reports on data regarding the council's impact on the criminal justice system.

Amended Excerpts 2/19/2025 15:02:821 → Amended 2/19/2025 15:02:821 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill fundamentally transforms HB 167 from a technical amendment to a comprehensive reentry and reintegration initiative. It adds new provisions for mental health coordination, creates a dedicated Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund with $2 million in funding, and expands protections for applicants with expunged records.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from minor technical amendments to include substantive provisions on offender reintegration, mental health service coordination, and new funding mechanisms.

FISCAL

Created a new Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund that allows the Department of Corrections to accept donations and restricts funds for offender reintegration purposes.

Appropriated $2,000,000 in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2026 to support the new reentry initiatives.

REQUIREMENT

Requires local mental health authorities to coordinate with the Department of Corrections to ensure continuity of mental health services for individuals on probation or parole.

Mandates criminal justice coordinating councils to identify strategies for connecting county residents on probation, parole, or leaving incarceration with county-based services.

Requires the Department of Corrections to procure or adopt technology to coordinate services with outside organizations supporting individuals on probation or parole.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded circumstances under which public employers cannot exclude applicants from interviews to include expunged convictions and juvenile arrests.

DEFINITION

Established new definitions and responsibilities for local mental health authorities in relation to county government structures.

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's offender reintegration laws to improve continuity of mental health services for people on probation or parole, expand hiring protections for applicants with expunged records or juvenile arrests, reduce the time threshold for unprofessional conduct claims against professionals, and create a new restricted fund to support reentry services. The changes aim to reduce recidivism by better connecting individuals with community resources and limiting barriers to employment.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of criminal justice coordinating councils to explicitly include strategies for connecting individuals leaving incarceration with county-based services, and broadens employment protections to include expunged convictions and juvenile arrests in initial interview decisions.

REQUIREMENT

Local mental health authorities must coordinate with the Department of Corrections to ensure continuity of mental health services for county residents on probation or parole.

Criminal justice coordinating councils must identify strategies for connecting individuals on probation, parole, or leaving jail/prison with county-based housing, employment, mental health, and substance use services.

The time threshold for unprofessional conduct based on incarceration was reduced from seven years to five years, with expanded exceptions for violent felonies, sexual offenses, fraud, and embezzlement.

Department of Corrections may procure technology to coordinate services with outside organizations supporting individuals on probation or parole.

ELIGIBILITY

Public employers may no longer exclude applicants from initial interviews based on expunged convictions or arrests that occurred before age 18.

FISCAL

Created a new Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Restricted Account to accept donations and grants, with $2,000,000 appropriated for FY 2026 for department administration.

TECHNICAL

The new restricted account is named 'Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Special Revenue Fund' in the long title but 'Restricted Account' in the enacted sections, requiring clarification.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill substitutes a revised version of HB 167 that expands reentry support for offenders, strengthens employment protections for people with criminal records, and creates a new funding account for rehabilitation services. The substitute adds specific language about connecting individuals leaving jail or prison with county services, expands the time threshold for unprofessional conduct from seven to five years, and introduces a $2 million appropriation for fiscal year 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include individuals leaving jail or prison in addition to those on probation or parole, and the unprofessional conduct time threshold was reduced from seven to five years post-incarceration.

FISCAL

Added a $2,000,000 appropriation for fiscal year 2026 to fund rehabilitation and reentry services.

Added authority for the Department of Corrections to procure or adopt technology to coordinate services with outside organizations supporting individuals on probation or parole.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the time threshold for unprofessional conduct from seven years to five years following incarceration.

Added language requiring criminal justice coordinating councils to connect individuals leaving jail or prison with county-based services.

TECHNICAL

Modified the Utah Code sections affected list to include 64-13-6 and remove 17-55-201 from the amended sections.

Introduced → Enrolled · 7 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

This bill expands reentry support for offenders by requiring mental health authorities to coordinate with corrections for probationers and parolees, updating criminal justice councils to include strategies for connecting residents with services, and creating a new restricted account for reentry funding. It also adds expunged convictions and juvenile arrests to circumstances where employers cannot exclude applicants from interviews, reduces time thresholds for certain unprofessional conduct definitions, and allows the corrections department to use technology for coordinating services.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of criminal justice coordinating councils to include individuals leaving jail or prison, adds new code sections for a dedicated reentry services fund, and modifies eligibility criteria for public employment by including expunged convictions and juvenile arrests in prohibited exclusion circumstances.

FISCAL

Created a new Rehabilitation and Reentry Services Restricted Account to accept donations and restricted funds for reintegration purposes.

Appropriated $2,000,000 in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for local mental health authorities to coordinate with Department of Corrections to ensure continuity of mental health services for residents on probation or parole.

Updated criminal justice coordinating councils to identify strategies for connecting residents on probation, parole, or leaving jail/prison with county-based services.

Authorized the Department of Corrections to procure or adopt technology to coordinate services with outside organizations supporting individuals on probation or parole.

ELIGIBILITY

Added expunged convictions and juvenile arrests to circumstances when public employers may not exclude applicants from initial interviews.

DEFINITION

Reduced time thresholds for defining unprofessional conduct in certain circumstances and expanded exceptions under which convictions would not qualify.

Offender Reintegration Amendments

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