HB 39 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Prison and Jail Standards Amendments

HB 39 requires county sheriffs and Utah's Department of Corrections to implement independent oversight systems for all county jails and state correctional facilities. Specifically, it mandates that every county jail under a sheriff's jurisdiction must operate under independently administered standards and undergo regular independent inspections, with the same requirement applying to state facilities managed by the Department of Corrections. These provisions apply directly to county sheriffs, jail operators, and the Department of Corrections, adding new inspection requirements on top of existing standards. The bill makes technical updates to Utah law without appropriating new funds or creating new programs.
Bill status passed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
Governor
Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 7, 2026
Floor votes · Senate Feb 4, 2026 · House Jan 20, 2026

How they voted

260
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 29
Feb 4, 2026
D Democratic6
6 Yea
100% Yea
N Forward1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican22
19 Yea 3
86% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
32
Key actions
5
Committee
4
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ 3nd Reading Calendar to Rules [Senate Rules Committee]
upper
Feb 4, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (26-0-3)
senate
Jan 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Committee
Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors