HB 149 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Sexual Material Modifications

HB 149 creates new civil rights for individuals harmed by the non-consensual depiction of themselves in obscenity or child sexual abuse material, including being portrayed on child sex dolls. It allows victims to sue offenders directly without needing a prior criminal conviction and specifies court remedies like injunctions or damages. The bill also clarifies that online platforms (like social media or cloud services) cannot be held liable for such content if they didn’t create it. These changes apply specifically to Utah residents affected by these types of material, with no new government funding required.

Bill status passed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to change the Senate sponsor, clarify the liability exemption for internet intermediaries, and add a formal severability clause to ensure remaining parts of the bill stay valid if one part is struck down.

Scope change

The scope of liability for online intermediaries was broadened by removing the specific exclusion of 'algorithms' from the safe harbor provision, and the bill now explicitly includes a severability clause.

TECHNICAL

The Senate sponsor was changed from 'LONG TITLE' to 'Brady Brammer'.

A severability clause was added to ensure that if any part of the new law is found unconstitutional, the rest of the bill remains in effect.

The effective date of the bill was updated from February 3, 2026, to February 19, 2026.

ENFORCEMENT

The exemption for online intermediaries was modified to remove the specific mention of 'algorithms' as a reason for liability, broadening the protection for platforms that do not create content.

Floor votes · House Feb 27, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Introduced

Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

House/ passed 3rd reading

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

House/ comm rpt/ substituted/ Consent Calendar [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Not Considered [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Committee

House/ to standing committee [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor