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
26–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 29
Feb 4, 2026
D
Democratic6
100% Yea
N
Forward1
100% Yea
R
Republican22
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
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HB 39
Scope: UT
Hi! I can help you understand HB 39. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline