Budget & Taxes

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 217: Local Food Amendments

SB 217 simplifies regulations for local food producers by redefining raw milk and raw milk products as "homemade food" under Utah's Home Consumption and Homemade Food Act. It removes signage requirements for direct-to-sale farmers markets, clarifies when producers can sell homemade foods at such locations, and exempts these sales from state sales tax. The bill also ensures producers retain ownership of their products sold through representatives and repeals previous Department of Agriculture regulations governing raw milk. These changes primarily affect small-scale food producers, farmers markets, and local direct-to-consumer food businesses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts homemade food sales from state sales tax, providing tax relief for small producers under Agriculture regulations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

signed · Utah · House Feb 1, 2026

HB 6: Criminal Justice Base Budget

HB 6 is a state budget bill that allocates funding for Utah's criminal justice system for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It appropriates $1.35 billion for 2027 (including $949 million from the General Fund) and $27.8 million for 2026 to support agencies like the Governor's Office, Attorney General's Office, and Board of Pardons and Parole. Key provisions include funding for factual innocence payments ($95,000), jail reimbursements ($412,900), indigent defense services ($283,400), and non-lapsing funds for casework acceleration ($5 million) and children's justice centers ($1 million). The bill specifies how funds may be used and includes intent language to prevent certain appropriations from expiring at year-end.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.35B for criminal justice funding including $949M General Fund, directly advancing state budget appropriations for public safety services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllocates $1.35B for criminal justice agencies including indigent defense and factual innocence payments, directly funding reform-oriented services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Corrections Probation & Parole

in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 118: Mental Health Services in Higher Education

SB 118 creates a $1.5 million grant for Utah public universities to improve student mental health services. It requires institutions to either establish peer coaching programs - where trained student volunteers provide non-clinical support - or use funds for other mental health services. Peer coaches, defined as student volunteers (not licensed professionals), can offer support like mentoring or resource referrals but cannot diagnose or provide clinical therapy. The grant, funded by reallocating existing income tax revenue, takes effect July 2026 and exempts peer coaches from liability for their non-clinical support.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.5M from reallocated state funds to fund university mental health services, directly advancing budget resource allocation for public services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $1.5M grant for mental health services in higher education, directly funding student support programs under Education topic.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareSB 118 allocates $1.5M grant to fund mental health services at Utah universities, explicitly strengthening student mental health access through peer programs and service expansion.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Revenue Student Health Mental Health

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 141: International Money Transmission Amendments

HB 141 imposes a 2% tax on international money transfers processed by licensed businesses (like Western Union or MoneyGram) starting January 1, 2027. Customers can avoid the tax by presenting valid ID (e.g., passport, driver’s license) at the time of transfer. Licensed transmitters must collect the tax separately on receipts, remit it quarterly to Utah’s State Tax Commission, and submit annual reports detailing transactions and tax collection. The bill also requires the Department of Financial Institutions to provide the Tax Commission with a list of all licensed transmitters each year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes 2% tax on international money transfers to generate state revenue, directly increasing tax collections under Budget & Taxes.95% confidence

Track

introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 162: Local Sales Tax Modifications

HB 162 allows certain Utah municipalities to impose a local sales tax specifically to fund infrastructure improvements for their local law enforcement agencies. It requires municipalities to hold a public hearing before approving the tax and mandates that all revenue be deposited into a separate special fund, not the general municipal fund. The bill also establishes procedures for reauthorizing the tax after its initial period and permits the State Tax Commission to retain a small administrative fee from collected revenue. This legislation modifies existing tax code provisions to create a structured framework for this targeted local funding mechanism, affecting only qualifying municipalities seeking to fund law enforcement infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new local sales tax authority specifically to fund law enforcement infrastructure, establishing dedicated revenue stream for public services.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds law enforcement infrastructure via local sales tax, directly supporting criminal justice operations as explicitly listed in bill subjects.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Law Enforcement

Track

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 185: Carbon Credit Amendments

HB 185 establishes new rules and funds for carbon credit transactions in Utah. It creates a Carbon Credit Investment Fund funded by a 19% assessment on carbon credit sales (administered by the State Tax Commission) and a Carbon Credit Litigation Fund. The bill requires carbon credit brokers to hold licenses, imposes criminal penalties for unlicensed sales, and gives the Office of Energy Development a right of first refusal to purchase in-state carbon credits. State agencies must report carbon credit details and deposit sale revenue into the General Fund, while 5% of the Investment Fund’s annual earnings go to rural counties and eligible rural colleges meeting specific enrollment and completion rate criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates 19% assessment on carbon credit sales to fund state programs via new Carbon Credit Investment/Litigation Funds, directly establishing revenue mechanism.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyCreates Carbon Credit Investment Fund to support emissions reduction initiatives under energy policy, directly funding carbon credit transactions and renewable energy infrastructure development.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates Carbon Credit Investment Fund, requires licensing for brokers, and gives agencies authority to manage carbon credits - directly advancing emissions reduction efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 106: Educator Compensation Amendments

SB 106 preserves current educator salary adjustments by removing a legal dependency on the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program's status. It ensures educators (including teachers, counselors, librarians, and specialists) receive a fixed $10,350 salary adjustment for fiscal year 2026, regardless of litigation affecting the scholarship program. The bill makes this change to prevent potential pay reductions if the scholarship program faces legal challenges. No new funding is appropriated, and the amendment applies to all school districts, charter schools, and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesPreserves educator salary funding without new appropriations, preventing potential budget cuts by removing dependency on scholarship program litigation.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationPreserves educator salary adjustments to prevent pay cuts, ensuring fixed compensation regardless of scholarship program litigation, directly supporting teacher compensation.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPreserves fixed $10,350 educator salary adjustment for FY2026, preventing potential pay reductions from scholarship program litigation, directly protecting compensation for school personnel.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid Teachers

Track

failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 210: Tax Penalties Amendments

HB 210 modifies Utah's Individual Income Tax Act to reduce tax burdens for certain filers. It removes marriage penalties by setting half the income phaseout limits for single, head of household, and married filing separately filers compared to joint filers, and creates a new nonrefundable tax credit for married filers. The bill directly affects Utah taxpayers with these filing statuses, particularly married couples who file separately. It applies retroactively to prior tax years, requires no new state funding, and amends multiple tax code sections to implement these changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReduces tax burdens for married filers via removed penalties and new tax credit, directly providing tax relief per Budget & Taxes indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits

Track

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 376: Land Management Funding Amendments

HB 376 creates the Utah Forest Restoration Institute at Utah State University to improve forest and watershed health. The institute will conduct research, develop wildfire risk mitigation strategies, and coordinate with the existing Watershed Restoration Initiative to fund projects, including emergency requests after natural disasters. The bill appropriates $3.8 million from the Income Tax Fund for fiscal year 2027 to support these efforts. It requires the institute to monitor project effectiveness, review funding requests, and submit annual reports to legislative committees.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $3.8M from Income Tax Fund to fund forest/watershed programs, strengthening public service funding.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds research and projects to improve forest/watershed health, directly advancing environmental protection through conservation and natural resource management.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Forestry Public Lands Water Quality

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 247: Great Salt Lake Related Amendments

HB 247 redirects $125,000 annually from brine shrimp tax revenue to the Sovereign Lands Management Account instead of the Species Protection Account. This change affects how funds from brine shrimp harvesting are allocated, specifically directing a portion toward Great Salt Lake management projects under the Sovereign Lands Account. The bill does not create new funding but modifies existing revenue streams, with the remainder of brine shrimp tax revenue continuing to fund species protection efforts as before. It makes technical adjustments to Utah code sections governing these accounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $125k annually from brine shrimp tax to Great Salt Lake management under Sovereign Lands Account, actively funding a specific environmental program via budget reallocation while maintaining species protection funding.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRedirects $125k to Great Salt Lake management (natural resources), supporting conservation under Sovereign Lands Account while maintaining Species Protection funding.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue