Assault or Threat of Violence Amendments
SB 27 amends Utah law to expand protections for peace officers and military service members against assault or threats of violence. It separates offenses into two distinct categories: one for peace officers (including off-duty officers and their families if the attack was due to their status) and another for military members (including off-duty members, those not in uniform, and their families under similar circumstances). The bill clarifies definitions, such as "family member" and "peace officer," and updates related code sections to reflect these changes. These amendments aim to strengthen legal safeguards for these groups without altering existing penalty structures.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Jan 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 20, 2026
Signed Mar 23, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Substitute #1
·
4 edits
MODERATE
This bill separates the law into two distinct statutes: one for assaulting peace officers and another for assaulting military service members. It expands protections to include off-duty peace officers and family members of both officers and military personnel, provided the attack is motivated by their status. Additionally, the definition of 'military service member' is broadened to include those not in uniform and members of the National Guard or State Defense Force.
Scope change
The scope of protection was expanded from only uniformed military personnel to include all military service members regardless of uniform status, and now explicitly covers family members of both peace officers and military service members.
SCOPE
Split the single assault statute into two separate sections to clearly distinguish offenses against peace officers from offenses against military service members.
ELIGIBILITY
Added protection for family members of peace officers and military service members when the assault is motivated by their relationship to the protected individual.
DEFINITION
Expanded the definition of 'military service member' to include individuals not in uniform and added 'State Defense Force' to the list of protected groups.
REQUIREMENT
Updated the conditions for murder penalties to reflect the new separate statutes, ensuring the correct section is cited when a peace officer or military member is killed during an assault.
Floor votes · Senate Jan 20, 2026 · House Feb 5, 2026
How they voted
28–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 29
Jan 20, 2026
D
Democratic6
100% Yea
N
Forward1
100% Yea
R
Republican22
95% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
46
Key actions
8
Committee
3
Amendments
1
Mar 23, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed
executive
Feb 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Senate/ concurs with House amendment
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ comm rpt/ substituted [House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee]
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee]
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Committee
House/ to standing committee [House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee]
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
Jan 20, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (28-0-1)
senate
Jan 20, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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