Criminal Justice

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 593: Bail Amendments

HB 593 amends Utah's bail procedures to improve pretrial release decisions. It requires jail staff to collect detailed information - including residential address, financial circumstances, community ties, and lethality assessments - when individuals are arrested without a warrant and booked. The bill also establishes new criteria for jail officials to release people on their own recognizance (without bail), prohibiting release for certain offenses like violent felonies, domestic violence, or recent bookings. These changes apply directly to arrested individuals, courts, and jail staff, aiming to inform release decisions with more comprehensive data while maintaining court oversight.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAmends bail procedures to require detailed assessments for pretrial release, aiming to reduce unnecessary detention and improve public safety through evidence-based decisions, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 168: Hunting and Fishing Amendments

HB 168 creates the Poaching Mitigation Fund to use restitution from poaching violations for anti-poaching efforts like education programs, wildlife crime detection equipment, and law enforcement training. It modifies the Guide and Outfitter Fund to allow the Division of Law Enforcement to use its money for wildlife enforcement, removes outdated references to "spotters," and updates definitions for guides and outfitters. The bill also clarifies rules about the number of people allowed to provide guide services, addresses unlawful aircraft activity during hunting/fishing, and requires reimbursement for investigatory expenses related to violations. These changes directly affect wildlife law enforcement, licensed guides/outfitters, and individuals violating hunting/fishing regulations. The bill makes technical updates to Utah code sections without appropriating new funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill uses poaching violation restitution to fund law enforcement training and wildlife enforcement, directly strengthening law enforcement within criminal justice.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates Poaching Mitigation Fund using restitution for anti-poaching efforts, strengthens wildlife enforcement funding, directly advancing conservation and natural resource protection.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 183: Sex Designation Amendments

HB 183 amends Utah state laws to replace the term "gender" with "sex" in all relevant statutes and removes protections based on gender identity. It repeals existing provisions covering gender identity in housing, employment, and crime, prohibits changes to sex designations on birth certificates, and restricts student access to privacy spaces based on biological sex. The bill also requires state agencies to use "sex" instead of "gender" in rulemaking, bars certain employees in child-related roles from having face-to-face contact with children if their work presents a different sex than their biological sex, and directs courts to consider parental opposition to a child's gender identity (conflicting with biological sex) as a factor in custody decisions. These changes directly affect transgender and gender-diverse individuals, schools, healthcare providers, and courts handling custody cases. The bill contains no funding impacts and is currently in early legislative stages.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill removes gender identity protections in crime statutes, weakening legal safeguards for transgender individuals in criminal justice contexts.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts student access to privacy spaces based on biological sex in schools, removing gender identity protections affecting K-12 educational access and curriculum policies.85% confidence ✗ HousingOpposes HousingRepeals gender identity protections in housing, weakening tenant safeguards per bill summary.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 341: Animal Fighting Penalties

HB 341 amends Utah's animal fighting laws to strengthen penalties for dog fighting, game fowl fighting, and attending such events. It clarifies that owning dog fighting equipment (like breaking sticks or treadmills) is evidence of intent to commit a crime, and creates new offenses for promoting or attending game fowl fights. The bill directly affects individuals who organize, participate in, or spectate dog or game fowl fights, including those allowing minors to attend. Penalties range from class B misdemeanors for first-time attendance or minor offenses to third-degree felonies for repeat dog fighting violations.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new offenses for animal fighting events, aligning with 'oppose' indicators like increased penalties and expanded criminalization.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 345: Victim Amendments

HB 345 modifies Utah's victim reparations law to expand access for specific victims. It specifically allows mental health counseling as part of reparations for individuals who experienced sexual assault while incarcerated in a prison, jail, or correctional facility. The bill also updates the legal definition of "criminally injurious conduct" and makes technical changes to existing code sections (63M-7-502, 63M-7-509, and 63M-7-510). These changes directly affect incarcerated sexual assault victims seeking reparations for psychological harm. The bill does not appropriate new funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands victim reparations to include mental health counseling for incarcerated sexual assault survivors, strengthening support within correctional facilities and aligning with criminal justice reform priorities.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands mental health counseling access for incarcerated sexual assault victims under reparations, directly supporting mental health services as a healthcare component.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 39: 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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates independent oversight and inspections for correctional facilities, strengthening accountability and standards per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 70: Correctional Health Services Amendments

HB 70 requires Utah's Department of Health and Human Services to implement a new electronic health record system for inmate care by 2026, based on a working group's recommendations. It makes funds for unexpected high-cost correctional health care non-lapsing (meaning they won't expire if unused), and mandates a treatment plan for all inmates with substance use disorders, including medication-based treatment. The bill also sets accreditation standards for correctional health facilities and allows parole boards to consider health examiner reports when deciding parole conditions. These changes directly affect inmates in Utah's correctional facilities, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Corrections.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates substance use treatment plans and accreditation standards for correctional health, advancing rehabilitation and facility standards within criminal justice reform.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates substance use treatment plans, ensures non-lapsing funds for care, and sets accreditation standards for correctional health facilities.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 114: Adult-oriented Performance and Material Amendments

HB 114 reorganizes Utah's laws on adult performances and materials by creating new standalone criminal offenses. It moves conduct like presenting pornographic performances in public places, aiding minors in such performances, and harmful performances near minors into separate charges, rather than grouping them under existing "distributing material" offenses. Penalties now vary by the actor's age (third-degree felony for adults, misdemeanors for minors), with specific fines and jail terms. The bill clarifies existing prohibitions - such as on school property or harmful material - without introducing new restrictions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offenses for adult performances/material, increasing penalties (3rd-degree felony for adults), aligning with 'oppose' indicators of expanded criminalization.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 49: Law Enforcement Salary Amendments

HB 49 requires the salary ranges and pay progression for law enforcement officers in Utah's Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to match those of peace officers in the Department of Public Safety, with similar experience and qualifications. This directly affects DNR law enforcement officers, ensuring their compensation aligns with comparable state law enforcement roles. The bill includes an exception allowing DNR leadership (majors and division directors) to have lower salary ranges than other division directors within the department. It makes technical updates to Utah Code Section 63A-17-110 and takes effect on May 6, 2026, with no new funding required.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAligns law enforcement salaries with comparable roles, supporting officer retention and effectiveness within the criminal justice system.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAligns DNR law enforcement salaries with comparable peace officers, ensuring fair compensation for state workers in this role per bill's explicit wage-matching requirement.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 116: Criminal Fines Amendments

HB 116 increases mandatory fines for certain prostitution-related offenses in Utah. It raises the minimum fine for patronizing an adult sex worker or exploiting prostitution from $5,000 to $10,000 for repeat offenders, and clarifies that higher fines ($20,000 minimum) for offenses involving children only apply to offenders aged 18 or older. The bill also requires courts to mandate completion of an educational program about prostitution's harms for all convicted offenders. These changes directly affect individuals convicted of specific sex crime offenses under Utah law, with no new state funding required.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases mandatory fines for prostitution offenses, expanding criminalization and harsher penalties without reform elements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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