Labor & Employment

HB 329 increases state employee paid leave for childbirth, adoption, and foster care. It extends postpartum recovery leave from 3 to 9 weeks and adds 9 weeks of paid leave for adopting children under six, plus 3 weeks for fostering children under six. School districts (LEAs) can apply for reimbursement through a new program if they implement similar paid leave policies for their employees, with $3 million appropriated for fiscal year 2027. The bill also updates the Breastfeeding Protection Act to include breast pump use and requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish rules for administering these leave provisions.

SB 229 modifies Utah state employee benefits by replacing separate annual and sick leave with a single paid time off (PTO) system. It requires agencies to convert accrued leave hours to PTO at a 1:1 ratio, grants the Division of Human Resources authority to set PTO rules, and expands postpartum recovery leave for eligible employees. The bill also adds parental leave eligibility for State Board of Education employees and adjusts 401(k) match rates and maximum employer contributions for specified employees. These changes directly affect all Utah state employees covered under the modified benefit provisions, with no new funding required.

SB 248, the Child Care Expansion Act, requires licensed child care providers to maintain specific insurance coverage (general liability, property, and workers' compensation) at minimum levels set by the Division of Risk Management. It also mandates that employer-sponsored child care facilities reserve 50% of their capacity for the children of the employer's employees, with the remaining space available to the broader community. The bill directly affects licensed child care providers and employer sponsors operating such facilities. It failed in the House during third reading on March 4, 2026, and did not advance further. The bill focuses on regulatory standards for insurance and space allocation, not on expanding access or providing new funding.

This bill changes Utah's wage law by setting a one-year time limit for employees to sue employers over unpaid wages exceeding $10,000. For claims under $10,000, employees must first use administrative processes before filing a lawsuit, unless they combine claims (with other employees or additional claims against the same employer) totaling over $10,000. The law also adds daily penalties of 2.5% for unpaid wages after a court order. It directly affects employees seeking unpaid wages and employers who owe them. The bill takes effect May 6, 2026.