Sen. Mike McKell

Maddy summaryHB 548 clarifies when Utah municipalities and special districts must hold primary elections for local offices. It requires a primary election if candidates exceed twice but not more than three times the number of seats available, and mandates one if candidates exceed three times the number of seats. The bill also specifies conditions under which special districts may hold primaries and makes minor technical updates to election procedures. These changes apply directly to cities, towns, and special districts managing local elections, without adding new funding or altering voter eligibility.

Maddy summaryHB 154 directs Utah's Division of Water Resources to study water loss in public water systems from 2015 to 2024, compiling data on system size and analyzing industry practices for both public systems and end-use losses. The study requires the division to make recommendations for improving water loss estimates and reducing actual water losses. The division must report findings to the Legislative Water Development Commission by October 31, 2026. The bill also repeals related provisions by July 1, 2027, with most provisions effective May 6, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 266 designates a specific segment of Route 198 in Utah County - from Main Street in Payson to Main Street in Santaquin - as the "Sgt. Billy D. Hooser Memorial Highway." The bill requires Utah's Department of Transportation to update official highway maps to reflect this name and install commemorative signs along the route. This is a commemorative naming bill with no funding or policy changes beyond the highway designation. It takes effect on May 6, 2026, and directly affects the identified highway segment in Utah County.

Maddy summaryHB 201 extends Utah's existing radioactive waste facility expansion tax until December 31, 2026. It applies to facilities submitting new applications for waste disposal capacity before that date, requiring a $3.45 tax per cubic yard of new capacity (capped at 8.7 million cubic yards). Revenue from this tax must be paid within 60 days of application and deposited into the Electrical Energy Development Investment Fund. The bill makes minor technical updates to tax code sections but does not create new funding or alter the tax's core structure.

Maddy summaryHB 328 prohibits the use of overhead spray irrigation for nonfunctional turf (aesthetic turf not used for sports, recreation, or active community purposes) in new or redeveloped projects on specified land within the Great Salt Lake drainage area, effective January 1, 2027. It applies to property owners and developers of commercial, industrial, institutional, or multifamily projects in this region, excluding agricultural land, single-family homes, schools, and government properties. Municipalities must include warnings about the prohibition in land use permits and may inspect projects for compliance. The bill defines key terms like "nonfunctional turf" and "specified land" to clarify which developments and landscapes are affected.

Maddy summaryHB 286, the Artificial Intelligence Transparency Amendments, requires developers of large "frontier AI models" (those trained with massive computing power and used by over 1 million people monthly, especially in chatbots interacting with minors) to create and publish public safety and child protection plans. It mandates developers to summarize risk assessments for these models, report serious safety incidents to Utah's Office of AI Policy, and prohibits false claims about risks. The bill establishes whistleblower protections for employees reporting safety concerns and creates a dedicated fund to enforce these requirements. These changes directly affect major AI developers, focusing on transparency around risks of serious harm to people or property.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution amends Utah's court rules to clarify procedures for jury selection in felony cases and hearing formats. It updates Rule 17.5 to require courts to consider specific factors (like participant preferences, technology access, and safety) when setting in-person, remote, or hybrid hearings, and amends Rule 18 to standardize jury selection methods. The changes directly affect courts, judges, attorneys, and defendants in felony trials by providing clearer guidelines for hearing formats and jury selection. No funding is appropriated, and the resolution follows Utah's constitutional process for amending court rules.

Maddy summaryHB 392 creates a "three-judge panel" process for specific civil cases in Utah district courts involving state entities or officials. It requires that when the attorney general, governor, or Legislature is a party, a panel of three randomly selected district judges (each from a different judicial district) must hear the case instead of a single judge. The Utah Supreme Court gains exclusive authority to review decisions from these panels, and standard venue rules no longer apply to such cases. This applies only to civil actions where state entities or officials are involved, with no new funding or policy changes for the public.

Maddy summaryHB 1005 requires counties in Utah operating under a "county executive-council" or "council-manager" government structure to elect county council members by geographic district instead of at-large. Starting October 15, 2025, most counties must adopt a district map ensuring each council member represents a specific area where they reside and is elected by local voters, with exceptions for counties already having 65% district representation. Counties failing to comply face penalties including lawsuits by voters, suspended room tax revenue, and state auditor intervention beginning January 1, 2026. The bill also establishes deadlines for map implementation, defines district requirements, and makes technical updates to Utah Code sections governing county government.

Maddy summarySB 276 allows individuals or businesses affected by the Utah Horse Racing Commission’s decisions (such as license denials or fines) to appeal those rulings to a court. If the Commission wins the appeal, the Department of Agriculture and Food can recover legal fees, court costs, and other expenses. The bill also requires the Commission to create specific rules for how the Board of Stewards conducts hearings. This is a procedural update to administrative processes, not a change to horse racing regulations or funding.