SB 8 provides funding for compensation adjustments for Utah state employees and higher education staff for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It includes a 1% labor market pay increase, funding for health/dental benefit changes, retirement rate adjustments, and a $26-per-pay-period retirement plan match. The bill appropriates $124.5 million for 2027 (with significant portions from General and Income Tax Funds) to cover these specific employee compensation changes. It directly affects all state employees and higher education personnel covered by these funding provisions. The bill focuses on operational budget adjustments rather than new policy mandates.
SB 151 modifies how Utah allocates insurance premium tax revenue to fund public safety. It directs $5 million in FY 2027 toward firefighter retirement programs and creates a new Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Account to fund hiring new Highway Patrol troopers through annual transfers from insurance tax revenue. The bill clarifies funding priorities for firefighter retirement, requires the state to notify lawmakers if excess revenue is collected, and repeals outdated provisions. These changes directly affect firefighters' retirement benefits and Highway Patrol staffing levels.
HB 416 creates the Firefighter Cancer Benefit Trust Fund to provide financial support for firefighters diagnosed with cancer presumed to be work-related. The bill redirects existing revenue from property and life insurance premiums (specifically 50% of the first $4 million from property insurance tax and 10% of the first $1 million from life insurance tax) to fund this trust, replacing prior allocations. The trust fund, administered by an 11-member board (including firefighters, fire chiefs, medical experts, and officials), will cover benefits for affected firefighters and their families, with assets protected from creditor claims. This bill modifies tax distribution rules without new appropriations, directly affecting Utah firefighters with presumptive cancer diagnoses under existing law.
HB 190 expands Utah's tax credit for employers providing child care by increasing the credit rate for small businesses to 30% (from 10%) of eligible child care costs and allowing credits for off-site child care facilities employers don't own. It removes a previous requirement that employers must have claimed a construction-related credit to qualify for the child care credit. The bill directly affects Utah employers who provide child care for employees, particularly small businesses meeting IRS Section 45F criteria. The changes apply retroactively and make no new state funding appropriations.
This concurrent resolution directs Utah's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program (PEHP) to add hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatments for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms to its drug formulary. It specifically affects state employees covered by PEHP health plans, requiring the program to include these treatments in its approved medications. The resolution does not address "black box" warnings but mandates PEHP to cover HRT for symptom relief. As a procedural directive, it guides an agency's existing policy without creating new law.
SB 98 creates a voluntary certification program for employers to become "recovery ready workplaces," administered by Utah's Department of Health and Human Services. Employers seeking certification must implement specific practices, including preventing workplace factors that contribute to substance use disorders, reducing stigma, providing employee education, making naloxone (an opiate antagonist) available, and supporting employees accessing treatment. The bill authorizes the department to establish application criteria and an application process, with potential funding from the Electronic Cigarette Substance and Nicotine Product Proceeds Restricted Account. This program directly affects employers who choose to participate, aiming to improve workplace support for employees with substance use disorders.
HB 270 voids non-compete agreements between employers and licensed healthcare workers in Utah, effective May 6, 2026. It specifically targets agreements that restrict healthcare workers - such as nurses, doctors, therapists, and counselors - from practicing in certain areas or for specific time periods after leaving a job. The bill also makes void certain nonsolicitation agreements between employers and healthcare workers under defined circumstances. This applies to all 35+ licensed healthcare professions listed in the bill, including advanced practice nurses, psychologists, and physical therapists, without creating new financial obligations.
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.
HB 130 prohibits employers in Utah from requiring employees or job applicants to pay for medical examinations (including drug tests) as a condition of hiring or employment. It directly affects workers and prospective employees who might otherwise be charged fees for required health screenings. The bill mandates that employers cover all costs of these exams, bans reimbursement schemes where employees pay upfront and get refunded later, and establishes enforcement through the Labor Division, allowing workers to file claims within one year for violations. If an employer violates the law, they must reimburse affected individuals and may face daily penalties of up to 5% of the fees paid, with penalties retained 50% for enforcement costs and 50% returned to the worker.
