Rep. Ashlee Matthews

Maddy summaryHB 531 establishes safety rules for body art facilities offering scarification (a permanent skin-marking practice involving cuts, distinct from tattoos). It requires facilities to use dedicated rooms, verify client age before procedures, and provide written aftercare instructions. The bill also creates a new criminal offense for performing scarification on minors for payment or in business, punishable as a class B misdemeanor with a $1,000 minimum fine. Additionally, it mandates the Office of Professional Licensure Review to study scarification practices and report findings by November 2026. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 299 requires Utah public schools to create specific policies for responding when students are arrested, charged, or convicted of serious offenses or sexual crimes. The bill clarifies that school policies must address crimes occurring both on and off school property, mandates school resource officers to provide safety input before a student's return, and requires alternative school placements if a student shares a school with a victim or someone protected by a restraining order. These policies must comply with state and federal law and apply to all Utah local education agencies (LEAs). The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, with no new funding required.

Maddy summarySB 38 reorganizes Utah's consumer protection laws by renaming and renumbering existing chapters, such as moving the Health Spa Services Act to "Fitness Center Services," and adds a new Chapter 77 specifically requiring generative AI service providers to disclose certain information to consumers. It updates registration and reporting rules for businesses, clarifies the Division of Consumer Protection's enforcement authority, and specifies when the division may deny or revoke business registrations. The bill directly affects businesses operating in regulated sectors like credit services, charitable solicitations, fitness centers, and now AI service providers. Key changes include mandatory AI disclosures, updated surety bond requirements, and streamlined processes for maintaining registration with the division.

Maddy summaryHB 525 creates the Child Care Center Employee Subsidy Pilot Program, which provides subsidies to licensed child care centers to reduce tuition costs for their own employees' children. It directly affects licensed child care centers (eligible employers) and their staff (eligible employees) who enroll children at the center but don't qualify for standard income-based subsidies. The program allows centers to receive up to 50% of average monthly tuition costs for each eligible employee's child, funded by a $3 million appropriation from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027. Funds in the new restricted account are designated as nonlapsing, ensuring they remain available for the program's duration. The bill amends existing child care subsidy laws to establish this targeted support, preventing duplicate benefits for the same child under other subsidy programs.

Maddy summaryHB 453 creates a new "Unspent Balances Restricted Account" to manage state funds that would otherwise expire at fiscal year-end. It requires the Division of Finance to annually transfer specified percentages of unspent balances from various state accounts into this restricted account. The bill directs how money in this account can be used, though it does not appropriate new funds. This affects all state agencies and departments that hold unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year, ensuring those funds are redirected for specific purposes rather than returned to the general fund.

Maddy summaryHB 561 updates Utah's vehicle laws to clarify that mini-motorcycles are legally treated the same as motorcycles. This means minors riding mini-motorcycles must now follow the same rules as motorcycle riders, including needing proper driver licenses, registration, and insurance. The bill also adds provisions allowing law enforcement to impound motorcycles involved in certain traffic violations. These changes directly affect minor riders of mini-motorcycles and impact how law enforcement handles related traffic offenses.

Maddy summaryHB 251 makes Utah's pollinator program permanent by renaming it from "pollinator pilot program" to "pollinator habitat program" and removing its expiration date. It updates grant rules to cover up to 75% of costs for planting pollinator-friendly native plants on private or public land, replacing the previous 25% limit. The program directly affects landowners, local governments, and nonprofits seeking funding for habitat projects through the Utah Department of Agriculture. No new funding is appropriated, and the bill takes effect May 7, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 382 modifies Utah's child care subsidy program by requiring the Office of Child Care to submit an annual report on subsidy implementation to specific legislative committees, including the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee. It also mandates the Office of the Legislative Auditor General to conduct annual audits of the Office's financial operations, compliance, and performance. The bill appropriates $9 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2026 (to be spent $3 million per year through 2028) specifically for the Child Care Assistance Program. These changes directly affect the Office of Child Care, legislative oversight bodies, and families receiving subsidized child care services under the updated income-based subsidy structure.

Maddy summaryHB 407 updates Utah's traffic laws to clarify safety rules for mini-motorcycles, e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. It modifies existing bicycle regulations to explicitly include these devices under the same operational rules, such as requiring helmets for certain riders and defining speed limits for e-bikes (20 mph for Class 1/2, 28 mph for Class 3). The bill directly affects riders of these vehicles by standardizing their legal classification and safety requirements. Key changes include adding specific definitions for e-bikes and scooters, repealing outdated terms, and ensuring all covered devices follow consistent traffic rules.

Maddy summaryHB 161 amends Utah's rules for student eligibility for state-funded school bus transportation. It sets distance thresholds: students in kindergarten through grade 6 must live at least 1.5 miles from school, while students in grade 6 (if in middle school) and grades 7-12 must live at least two miles away. Students in approved special education programs with severe disabilities who cannot walk to school, regardless of distance, remain eligible. The bill makes technical updates to existing eligibility criteria without changing funding formulas or adding new costs. It takes effect July 1, 2025.