Healthcare

signed · Utah · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 97: Medical Waste Amendments

HB 97, titled "Medical Waste Amendments" (though it addresses medication distribution, not waste), requires health facilities like hospitals, urgent care centers, and surgical facilities to offer unused portions of specific medications to patients upon discharge if continued treatment is needed. The bill covers topical antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, dilation drops, or glaucoma treatments provided during procedures or visits. It mandates that these medications be labeled per pharmacy laws and requires prescribers to counsel patients on proper use, while exempting them from standard pharmacy counseling rules. This applies directly to patients receiving facility-provided medications during care, effective May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates free medication distribution to patients upon discharge, improving access to necessary treatments and reducing waste of usable medications.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Utah · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 71: Health Provider Directory and Access Amendments

HB 71 requires health insurance companies (covered insurers) to help enrollees access behavioral health services (like mental health and substance use treatment) in a timely manner when in-network providers aren't available. Insurers must publish and regularly update accurate provider directories, facilitate out-of-network care within 7 days (or 24 hours for emergencies), and follow specific rules for single case agreements to cover out-of-network services. The bill also extends these requirements to Utah's Medicaid program and directs the state to create a working group to study a statewide behavioral health provider directory. These changes apply to all insurers offering behavioral health coverage, effective July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates insurers to ensure timely access to behavioral health services, update provider directories, and facilitate out-of-network care, directly improving patient access to mental health coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 50: Anesthesia Dosage Amendments

SB 50 requires health insurance plans in Utah to cover medically necessary anesthesia services regardless of procedure duration, directly affecting patients needing anesthesia and insurers offering health coverage. It prohibits insurers from denying payment for anesthesia solely based on exceeding preset time limits, ensuring coverage isn't withheld for extended care. The law applies to health benefit plans renewed or entered after January 1, 2027, and is codified under Utah Code Section 31A-22-663. This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, with no new state funding required.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for medically necessary anesthesia regardless of duration, preventing denial based on time limits and expanding patient access to essential services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 31: Office of Professional Licensure Review Amendments

SB 31 amends Utah's professional licensure laws for health care providers, directly affecting physical therapists, occupational therapists, acupuncturists, nurse practitioners, and medication aides. It expands practice authority - allowing physical therapists to prescribe medical equipment and order certain imaging, and letting occupational therapists prescribe adaptive devices - and changes licensing requirements, such as replacing certification with a license for medication aides. The bill also increases registered nursing experience needed for nurse practitioner licensure, adjusts supervision rules for therapists, and clarifies prescriptive powers for acupuncturists. These changes aim to modernize scope-of-practice standards while maintaining safety protocols.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands practice authority for therapists, improving patient access to care without physician referral, aligning with healthcare access indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 480: Medical Record Amendments

HB 480 amends Utah's medical record laws to clarify abortion classifications. It defines "elective abortion" as one not needed for health reasons and "medically indicated abortion" as one required to save a woman's life, treat a pregnancy loss, or address serious health risks. The bill allows patients to request that their medical records reflect a prior abortion as "not elective" (i.e., medically necessary), and requires healthcare providers to update records upon such a request. These changes affect patients who have had abortions and the healthcare providers maintaining their records, with no new funding or major procedural shifts.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies medical records to protect patient rights by allowing correction of abortion classifications to reflect medical necessity, advancing patient-centered healthcare documentation.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 216: Child Support Calculation Amendments

HB 216 amends Utah's child support law to exclude Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits from the gross income calculation used to determine child support payments. This change directly affects parents who receive SSDI, ensuring these disability benefits are not counted as income when calculating their child support obligation. The bill modifies Utah Code Section 81-6-203 by adding SSDI to a list of excluded benefits, alongside other means-tested programs like Medicaid and SNAP. This adjustment aligns with existing exclusions for similar benefits and prevents SSDI recipients from having these funds considered as available income for support payments. The change takes effect May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExcludes SSDI (disability benefits) from child support calculations, protecting access to healthcare-related disability benefits per Utah Code changes.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 338: First Responder Health Amendments

HB 338 requires all Utah first responder agencies to provide mental health services to current first responders, their spouses and children, surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths, and retired or separated first responders (and their spouses) for three years after separation. It creates a Mental Health Resources Reserve Account funded by agency contributions to provide grants for mental health plans, prioritizing small agencies, and mandates the Department of Public Safety to submit annual compliance reports to specific committees and a public safety portal. The bill also updates grant application requirements to ensure providers have first responder-specific experience and outlines detailed plan criteria for agencies seeking funding. No new state funds are appropriated; existing resources will support these expanded services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health services for first responders and families via agency funding, creating dedicated resources and prioritizing small agencies.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates mental health services for first responders, enhancing workplace safety and worker well-being per Labor & Employment topic description.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 156: Blood Transfusion Amendments

HB 156 allows patients to use their own blood or blood from a designated donor (like a family member) for transfusions, unless it's an emergency, there's insufficient time to arrange it, or the healthcare facility already has a process for patient-provided blood. It prohibits healthcare facilities from blocking this option and provides liability protection for providers if injuries occur from using such blood, unless the provider was grossly negligent. The bill directly affects patients needing transfusions and Utah healthcare facilities, taking effect in May 2026. It defines key terms and aligns with federal blood collection laws, with no funding impact.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands patient access to blood transfusion options by allowing self-donated or family donor blood, prohibiting facility barriers, and protecting providers from liability.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 295: Overdose Amendments

HB 295, the "Overdose Amendments," updates Utah's criminal code to better address overdose situations. It expands the affirmative defense for reporting overdoses to include both the person experiencing the overdose and anyone who stays with them during the event. The bill also creates a new option for courts to dismiss first-time drug offenses if the individual commits to substance abuse treatment, and clarifies that reporting an overdose can be used as a sentencing mitigating factor for both parties involved. These changes aim to reduce criminal penalties for overdose-related incidents while encouraging treatment engagement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands overdose reporting defense, allows treatment diversion for first-time drug offenses, reducing criminal penalties and promoting rehabilitation per bill's sentencing mitigating factor and dismissal provisions.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables court dismissal for first-time drug offenses when committing to substance abuse treatment, directly expanding healthcare access for substance use disorders.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 442: Feminine Hygiene Products Amendments

HB 442 requires manufacturers of menstrual products sold in Utah to list specific chemicals (like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and PFAS) and intentionally added ingredients on product packaging. It directly affects manufacturers of tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, and similar products sold in the state. The Division of Consumer Protection will enforce these labeling rules and create related regulations. This bill increases transparency about ingredients in feminine hygiene products without changing product safety standards or requiring new funding.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires labeling of harmful chemicals in menstrual products to enhance consumer health transparency and safety, aligning with public health protections in healthcare policy.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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