Immigration

signed · Utah · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 471: Social Services Amendments

HB 471 amends Utah's Medicaid and SNAP programs to implement work requirements for certain adults (ages 19-64, not pregnant or disabled), stricter verification for income, residency, and citizenship, and new citizenship eligibility rules. It requires documented proof (not self-attestation) for enrollment and annual redeterminations, and mandates hospitals to collect immigration status during applications. The bill directly affects Medicaid applicants and recipients who do not qualify for existing exemptions, beginning October 1, 2026, for citizenship rules and January 1, 2027, for work requirements. It also requires annual reports on compliance rates and exemptions to state legislators.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareImposes work requirements and stricter verification on Medicaid, restricting access to healthcare coverage for eligible adults.92% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill imposes strict citizenship verification, documented proof requirements, and mandates immigration status collection for Medicaid/SNAP access, directly restricting immigrant access to state services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Citizenship & Naturalization

introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 580: Detention Facility Amendments

HB 580 establishes new regulations for private civil detention facilities in Utah, directly affecting facilities operated by private entities under government contracts (e.g., for immigration processing). The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create rules ensuring safe conditions, including clean living spaces, nutritious meals, medical care, accessible communication, and staff training. It mandates regular unannounced facility inspections, public posting of results, and allows fines up to $10,000 per violation for noncompliance. The law takes effect in May 2026 and does not appropriate new funding.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates safe conditions, medical care, and unannounced inspections for detention facilities, enhancing oversight and civil rights protections in criminal justice.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill mandates safety standards (medical care, inspections) for immigration detention facilities, protecting immigrant rights in custody per immigration processing context.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 320: School-based Food Pantry Amendments

SB 320 creates a new legal definition for "school-based food pantry" (including teen centers within public schools) and exempts food distributed through these pantries from requiring proof of immigration status for students under 18 or their parents. It also modifies existing food rules to exempt pantry-distributed food from restrictions on certain additives (like bromate and artificial colors) that normally apply to school meals. The bill directly affects public schools, students, and families accessing food pantries by removing barriers to access and clarifying food distribution rules. The changes take effect on May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts school food pantries from immigration status proof and additive restrictions, directly expanding access to nutrition for K-12 students and supporting educational access and student well-being.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts food pantries from immigration checks and additive restrictions, improving access to nutritious food for students, a public health measure.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationExempts food distribution from requiring immigration status proof for students/parents under 18, directly enabling immigrant access to school food services without documentation barriers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 571: Immigrant Amendments

HB 571, titled "Immigrant Amendments," primarily targets immigration enforcement within Utah's state systems. It prohibits Utah financial institutions from accepting certain forms of identification and requires money transmitters to verify senders' immigration status before international transfers. The bill also mandates employers to verify work eligibility, imposes penalties for hiring undocumented workers (including personal liability for medical costs), and restricts undocumented immigrants from qualifying for first-time homebuyer assistance. Additionally, it requires county jails to share prisoner immigration status with federal agencies upon request and prevents local governments from blocking cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationProhibits financial ID acceptance, mandates immigration status verification for transfers, imposes employer penalties, and restricts undocumented immigrants - clear enforcement restrictions aligning with 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Sanctuary Policies Work Authorization

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signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 293: Public Education Student Athlete Protections

HB 293 prohibits Utah public schools from joining athletic associations that fail to include specific student athlete protections. The bill requires associations to mandate holiday breaks, summer rest periods, and limit practice time to 15 hours per week. It also sets documentation standards for verifying student eligibility, with accommodations for non-citizen students (using alternative IDs or affidavits) and homeless youth (using school records or affidavits). This directly affects public schools and the athletic associations they partner with, ensuring associations comply with these policies before schools can participate.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates student athlete protections including rest periods, practice limits, and eligibility documentation, directly enhancing student health/safety within K-12 athletics per bill's requirements.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill explicitly allows non-citizen students alternative IDs/affidavits for eligibility, enabling access to school sports programs.85% confidence

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 386: Immigration Amendments

HB 386 ends several existing Utah immigration programs, including the Guest Worker Program and the Utah Pilot Sponsored Resident Immigrant Program. It also removes a planned restriction on employer verification systems and eliminates a related identity theft victim account. These changes apply to employers and workers who would have been affected by the repealed programs. The bill makes no new funding commitments and focuses solely on repealing specific provisions without creating new policies.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRepeals Utah's immigration programs (Guest Worker, Pilot Program), removing state-level services and protections for immigrants without replacement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Work Authorization

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failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 294: Employer Verification Amendments

HB 294 requires private employers with 50 or more employees to verify new hires' federal work authorization using a designated system (like E-Verify) starting July 1, 2027. It directly affects larger private employers by mandating this verification process for all new hires, with an exception for H-2A and H-2B visa holders. The bill also specifies criminal penalties for using fraudulent or stolen identification to obtain employment, referencing Utah’s fraud and identity theft laws. This amendment updates an existing law (Utah Code 13-47-201) to lower the employee threshold from 150 to 50 and adjusts the effective date. The bill does not appropriate new funds or create new administrative requirements beyond the verification mandate.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationMandates E-Verify for large employers, increasing state enforcement of immigration status checks per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Work Authorization

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in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 171: State Commercial Driver License Amendments

SB 171 allows non-domiciled individuals lawfully present in the U.S. and authorized to work to obtain a Utah commercial driver license with a "K" restriction. This license permits driving commercial vehicles only within Utah, not across state lines, and requires a signed statement acknowledging these limitations. The license expires when the individual's federal work authorization ends, and it does not qualify for interstate driving under federal rules. The bill updates Utah law to create this specific restriction while requiring applicants to meet all standard commercial driving standards.

Topics ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationAllows lawfully present immigrants with work authorization to obtain state CDLs for in-state employment, enabling access to transportation work opportunities without interstate driving privileges.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Work Authorization

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in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 136: Enforcement Activities Amendments

This Utah bill restricts state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities in sensitive locations (like schools or hospitals) or houses of worship, with limited exceptions for emergencies or facility owner requests. It also prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing opaque face coverings during official duties, except for tactical units, undercover operations, or if their agency has a publicly posted facial covering policy. Violations could result in a class C misdemeanor penalty for officers, unless their agency had a compliant policy in place. The bill requires law enforcement agencies to create and publish such policies to avoid criminal liability for officers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts law enforcement cooperation in sensitive locations to protect civil rights and mandates transparent officer identification, enhancing accountability in criminal justice operations.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationRestricts state/local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities in sensitive locations, limiting cooperation with federal enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 287: Immigrant Driving Amendments

HB 287 repeals Utah's driving privilege card program, which allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain limited driving authorization. It prohibits the Driver License Division from issuing these cards after May 6, 2026, and removes provisions for multilingual driver's exams. The bill also requires insurance providers to offer coverage to people without driver's licenses and creates a rebuttable presumption of fault for insurance claims involving "unlawfully present individuals" in accidents. These changes affect undocumented immigrants who currently use privilege cards and alter insurance and driver licensing procedures in Utah. The bill makes related technical updates to Utah Code sections, with most provisions taking effect July 1, 2027.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRepeals driving privilege program for undocumented immigrants, restricting access to driver's authorization and multilingual exams per bill's core provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs

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