HB 343 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Nursing Care Facility Program Amendments

HB 343 amends Utah's Medicaid certification rules for nursing care facilities, primarily affecting facilities seeking to renew or transfer certification when relocating or renovating. The key change allows facilities with a previously approved two-year extension for relocation to request a longer four-year extension under specific circumstances, such as emergencies or documented need. It also clarifies requirements for maintaining certification during facility transitions, including written assurances to avoid disputes over facility ownership. The bill makes technical updates to existing code but does not appropriate new funds or change bed capacity rules without director approval. This streamlines certification continuity for facilities relocating within counties or within five miles of their original site.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed Mar 18, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 18, 2026
MODERATE
This bill updates Utah's nursing home Medicaid certification rules to allow longer grace periods for facilities relocating or renovating. It specifically permits a previously approved two-year extension for certification timelines to be extended to four years under certain conditions. The changes aim to provide more flexibility for facilities undergoing significant changes while maintaining oversight on bed capacity and quality standards.
TIMELINE

Extended the maximum allowable extension for Medicaid certification timelines from two years to four years for facilities that previously received a two-year extension.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified and reorganized the requirements for renewing, transferring, or increasing Medicaid certification, including specific rules for facilities moving to new locations or renovating existing ones.

Updated the criteria for approving additional beds, including occupancy thresholds and financial viability analyses required from facility owners.

ENFORCEMENT

Refined the process for handling claims by third parties who believe they have a right to operate a certified program at a specific facility.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 26, 2026 · House Feb 13, 2026

How they voted

220
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 29
Feb 26, 2026
D Democratic6
6 Yea
100% Yea
N Forward1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican22
15 Yea 7
68% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Mar 18, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed
executive
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Health and Human Services Committee]
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
Feb 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ committee report favorable [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Committee
House/ to standing committee [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors