HB 41: Construction and Fire Codes Amendments - Utah

Substitute #3 → Enrolled · 6 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's construction codes to adopt newer national standards for building safety and wildfire prevention. It specifically adds the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to ensure homes in fire-prone areas meet stricter building requirements. The bill also delays the start date for a new annual fee charged to property owners in high-risk wildfire zones from 2026 to 2027, giving counties more time to prepare. Additionally, it mandates that the state division provide copies of its wildfire risk maps to counties and allows counties to suggest changes to those maps before they are finalized.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of adopted construction codes by incorporating the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which applies specifically to properties in the interface between wildlands and urban development.

REQUIREMENT

Adopts the 2024 edition of the Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code and the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to update building standards for wildfire safety.

Requires the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to provide copies and explanations of the wildfire risk assessment mapping tool to each county.

Establishes a process for counties to submit written recommended changes to the wildfire risk mapping tool, which the division must either implement or reject with a written justification.

Deleted a previous requirement that designated wildland-urban interface areas could not be below the risk category 5 threshold unless approved by the division.

TIMELINE

Delayed the effective date of the annual fee assessment for high-risk wildfire properties from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) and the Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code (UWUI) to the state construction code.

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to change the effective date from May 6, 2026, to July 1, 2026, and to add a special clause noting this change. Additionally, the bill now explicitly states it provides a special effective date in the long title. The core policy regarding construction code updates remains the same.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability remains unchanged; only the timeline for when the new rules take effect was modified.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the bill was delayed from May 6, 2026, to July 1, 2026, giving stakeholders more time to prepare for the new construction standards.

TECHNICAL

A new line was added to the long title stating that the bill provides a special effective date, clarifying the legislative intent behind the date change.

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill updates construction code definitions to remove a conflicting Utah-specific code and adds new requirements for the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to share wildfire risk mapping tools with counties and consider their feedback. It also delays the effective date of the fee assessment on high-risk wildfire properties from 2026 to 2027.

Scope change

The bill expands the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands' responsibilities to include a formal review process for county wildfire risk assessments and extends the timeline for implementing a new fee on high-risk properties.

DEFINITION

Removed the definition for 'UWUI' (Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code) to prevent confusion with the new 'IWUIC' (International Wildland-Urban Interface Code) and to align with the adoption of the 2024 edition of the IWUIC.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to provide counties with the wildfire risk assessment mapping tool, explain how it works, and formally review any written recommendations from counties before rejecting changes.

TIMELINE

Delayed the effective date for the fee assessment on high-risk wildland-urban interface properties from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's construction codes to align with newer national standards, specifically replacing the 2006 Utah Wildland-Urban Interface Code with the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to improve wildfire safety. It also removes a conflicting definition for the Utah-specific code and clarifies the adoption of the National Electrical Code. The changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of wildfire safety regulations by adopting a newer, nationally recognized standard (IWUIC 2024) instead of the older state-specific version, and it removes a redundant definition for the Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code with the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to ensure compliance with updated wildfire mitigation standards.

Confirmed the adoption of the 2023 National Electrical Code and maintained other 2021 International Codes as state standards.

DEFINITION

Deleted the definition for 'UWUI' (Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code) because it is no longer being adopted as a standalone standard.

Renumbered the definition list for adopted codes to accommodate the removal of the UWUI definition.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted section numbering and formatting to reflect the removal of the Utah-specific code definition.

Construction and Fire Codes Amendments

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