Criminal Justice

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.

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.

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.