Maddy summaryHB 463 modifies Utah's child support laws to better address ongoing child care costs. It requires courts to include child support arrears details when terminating parental rights and mandates divorce decrees to reference the Office of Recovery Services. Starting July 2026, child support orders must include a provision for parents to pay recurring child care expenses as a standard requirement, replacing the current receipt-based system. The Office of Recovery Services must study and propose a new method for calculating these costs and report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee by 2026. The bill does not appropriate funds and affects parents obligated to pay child support, courts issuing orders, and the Office of Recovery Services.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 326 modifies Utah's Judgment Renewal Act to change how long creditors have to enforce judgments. It allows judgments to be renewed multiple times, with each renewal resetting the enforcement deadline to run from the renewal date (not the original judgment date), while maintaining the original judgment's collection priority. This directly affects creditors seeking payment and debtors who owe judgments, as it extends the time they can pursue or defend against collection. The bill makes no changes to judgment amounts or interest, only to the timing of enforcement.
Maddy summaryHB 273 requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing reverse-keyword information (data about who searched for specific terms online or visited websites) for certain serious felony investigations or public safety threats. It mandates that warrant applications include a specific notice explaining the data may capture innocent individuals and requires anonymizing device data before disclosure. The bill applies to law enforcement agencies and data holders, with a sunset provision expiring January 1, 2033. It does not appropriate funds or affect other policy areas.
Maddy summaryHB 119 prevents homeowners associations (HOAs) from banning solar panel installations on most residential properties. It allows HOAs to impose limited restrictions on panel size, placement, or appearance (e.g., matching roof color) only if the changes reduce energy production by 5% or less and increase installation costs by 5% or less. For attached homes (like townhouses), all neighboring lot owners must agree to solar installations. The bill also requires solar systems to meet safety standards and not visibly disrupt neighborhood aesthetics (e.g., not extending above roof lines), while prohibiting HOAs from adding new installation bans without 67% owner approval. This directly affects homeowners in HOAs seeking to install solar energy systems.
Maddy summaryHB 188 updates Utah's regulations for physical and occupational therapists who use dry needling. It requires therapists to register for dry needling as part of their license (moving it from an exception to a formal requirement) and expands the definitions of physical therapy and occupational therapy to explicitly include dry needling. The bill also removes the need for a referral to access these therapies and creates a separate registration requirement for occupational therapists performing dry needling. Additionally, it allows occupational therapists to assist with mental wellness as part of their practice.
Maddy summaryHB 383 allows judges to credit the cost of court-ordered treatment (like substance abuse programs) toward criminal fines for minor offenses, directly affecting defendants sentenced to pay fines for infractions or class B/C misdemeanors. The bill requires defendants to complete the treatment and provide proof, after which the court may apply the cost toward reducing the fine amount - excluding restitution or principal amounts. Judges can also issue this credit via a petition for remittance if paying the fine would cause "manifest hardship" to the defendant or their family. This modifies existing Utah laws (76-3-301.7 and 77-32b-105) to expand options for resolving fine obligations without cash payment.
Maddy summarySB 83 requires Utah law enforcement agencies to create and maintain written policies for handling investigations into violations of specific protective orders, stalking injunctions, jail release agreements, or jail release court orders. These policies must include best practices for investigating repeat violators and contacting victims, and must be posted online with victim resource information and contact details. The bill directly affects all Utah law enforcement agencies (including local police and county offices) and the victims of violations covered under the policy requirements. It takes effect January 1, 2026, and does not appropriate new funding.
Maddy summarySB 169 amends Utah's Governmental Immunity Act to clarify how citizens can sue government entities. It requires all governmental entities to file specific details - like any business name they use, their legal service address, and who receives legal notices - with the Division of Corporations. If a government entity fails to file this information but knows about a legal claim, it cannot later challenge the validity of the notice or lawsuit. This change primarily affects citizens seeking to file claims against government agencies by making it harder for those agencies to avoid liability due to incomplete records. The bill makes no changes to funding or substantive immunity rules.
Maddy summaryUtah's SB 206 amends estate planning laws to clarify and update requirements for wills, guardianships, and trusts. It removes the requirement for an allegedly incapacitated person to attend guardianship hearings, updates standards for testamentary capacity when making a will, and allows trustees to transfer assets between trusts under specific conditions. The bill also revises rules for asset protection trusts, including clarifying when distributions are considered made and allowing temporary transfers to secure financing. These changes directly affect Utah residents creating wills or trusts, trustees managing estates, and guardians handling guardianship cases. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on March 26, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 171 creates a Youth Defense Fund to provide free legal help for minors in Utah juvenile court cases. It requires counties to apply for participation and pay annual assessments to access the fund, which covers court-appointed attorneys and necessary defense resources for indigent youth. Counties that fail to pay their assessments lose eligibility for the fund’s services. The fund is administered by the Utah Indigent Defense Commission, with the state covering deficits if the fund runs short. This bill directly affects minors in juvenile court and participating counties, establishing a new funding mechanism for their legal representation.