HB 539: Public Safety Modifications - Utah

Substitute #4 → Enrolled · 7 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's pretrial release and domestic violence laws by modernizing definitions, clarifying when individuals can be released on bail, and strengthening protections for victims of domestic violence and workplace violence. Key changes include adding new definitions for pretrial risk assessments, establishing specific monetary bail limits for county jails, and expanding the list of offenses that qualify as domestic violence to include various forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of domestic violence to include more specific offenses such as human trafficking and sexual extortion, and clarifies the criteria for 'cohabitant' relationships to better define who is covered under domestic violence protections.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'pretrial risk assessment,' 'pretrial services program,' and 'temporary pretrial status order' to standardize how courts evaluate release conditions.

Expanded the definition of 'domestic violence' to explicitly include offenses like human trafficking, sexual extortion, and violations of jail release court orders.

Updated the definition of 'cohabitant' to clarify relationships involving spouses, family members, and individuals living together, while excluding minor siblings and parent-child relationships.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified bail eligibility rules to allow county jail officials to set monetary bail for specific felony offenses under certain conditions, with a maximum limit of $5,000.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for law enforcement to submit detailed reports on domestic violence incidents and to evaluate complaints to determine the predominant aggressor.

Introduced new provisions for workplace violence protective orders, allowing courts to issue orders without notice in urgent situations to protect employees and volunteers.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the bill to May 6, 2026, and included coordination clauses to align future amendments with related bills.

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was expanded from focusing solely on criminal justice to include broader public safety and prosecution amendments, adding new protections for workplace violence victims and clarifying definitions for domestic violence and battered person mitigation. It also introduced coordination clauses to ensure consistency with other related bills if they pass.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new workplace violence protective orders and amendments to definitions in the domestic violence chapter to align with potential future legislation.

SCOPE

Added new sections establishing a framework for workplace violence protective orders, including ex parte orders and extensions up to 18 months.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'domestic violence offense' to include specific vulnerable adult offenses and clarified the definition of 'cohabitant' to include minors and parents in specific contexts.

REQUIREMENT

Added restrictions preventing parents from waiving jail release agreement conditions if the parent is the arrested individual and the child is the victim.

TECHNICAL

Added coordination clauses to modify specific subsections if H.B. 221 or H.B. 90 also pass and become law.

Substitute #3 → Substitute #4 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This substitute bill updates the public safety amendments to align with a new version of H.B. 221, specifically adding sexual extortion offenses to the list of crimes that qualify as domestic violence. It also corrects a typo in the list of excluded vulnerable adult offenses and adds a new section to the bill's affected code list that was missing in the previous version.

Scope change

The bill's scope is expanded to include sexual extortion as a domestic violence offense under specific conditions, and the list of amended statutes is updated to include a missing section.

DEFINITION

Added sexual extortion offenses (Sections 76-5b-204 and 76-5b-204.1) to the list of crimes that can be classified as domestic violence if committed by a cohabitant.

Corrected a typo in the list of excluded vulnerable adult offenses by changing 'Section 76-5-111.3' to 'Section 76-5-111.3' (removing a duplicate number) and ensuring the list matches the intended exclusions.

TECHNICAL

Added Section 77-36-2.6 to the list of Utah Code sections affected by the bill, which was missing in the previous version.

Updated the highlighted provisions summary to reflect the change in language regarding the requirements for responding to domestic violence allegations.

Substitute #2 → Substitute #3 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's public safety laws by clarifying where criminal trials can be held, expanding the definition of domestic violence to include more offenses, and tightening rules on bail for domestic violence cases. It also strengthens protections for victims by restricting when parents can waive restrictions in jail release agreements if their child is the victim of domestic violence.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of domestic violence offenses and modifies the applicability of bail rights and jail release agreements for specific scenarios involving children and vulnerable adults.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'domestic violence' was expanded to include additional offenses such as sexual extortion, aggravated sexual extortion, and specific human trafficking charges.

The definition of 'cohabitant' was clarified to better include various family and household relationships for battered person mitigation statutes.

REQUIREMENT

Parents are now prohibited from waiving communication restrictions in jail release agreements if they were arrested for domestic violence and their child is the alleged victim.

Jail release agreements were modified to allow communication between a parent and a minor child even when the parent is arrested for domestic violence in the child's presence.

ELIGIBILITY

Bail rights for domestic violence offenses were modified to include stricter conditions, particularly for repeat offenders or those on parole/probation for similar crimes.

ENFORCEMENT

Requirements for law enforcement reports during domestic violence calls were updated to include specific data points on marital status and arrest outcomes.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's public safety laws to clarify venue rules for criminal trials, expand the definition of domestic violence to include more offenses, and strengthen protections for victims in domestic violence cases. It also modifies how law enforcement handles domestic violence calls and restricts parents from waiving jail release conditions when they are the arrested parent and the child is the victim.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of what constitutes a 'domestic violence offense' and clarifies the definition of 'cohabitant' to include more family relationships, thereby broadening the protections and legal definitions available to victims.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'domestic violence offense' to include additional crimes such as sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion, and clarified the definition of 'cohabitant' to include specific parent-child and stepparent relationships.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated procedures for law enforcement responding to domestic violence calls, requiring officers to evaluate complaints separately to determine the 'predominant aggressor' rather than arresting all parties.

REQUIREMENT

Added restrictions preventing parents from waiving jail release agreement conditions on behalf of a minor child victim if the parent is the one arrested or cited for the offense.

Modified jail release agreements to allow communication between an arrested parent and their minor child victim in certain circumstances, overriding previous blanket prohibitions.

TECHNICAL

Made technical corrections to venue statutes and updated effective dates and coordination clauses for consistency with other pending legislation.

Public Safety Modifications

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