Strong Communities

H.B. 101 - Distracted Driver Amendments

Updates Utah’s law prohibiting texting while driving to encompass common smartphone uses, with limited exceptions.

H.B. 109 - Universal Background Checks for Firearm Purchasers

Requires a background check for all gun sales, with limited exceptions.

H.B. 115 - Dangerous Weapon Custodian Liability

States that a gun owner can be civily liable for damage caused by someone else’s use of that firearm if it was negligently entrusted to that person

H.B. 197 - Fishing and Hunting Restrictions for Nonpayment of Child Support

Prohibits someone from getting a hunting or fishing license, permit, or tag if they are delinquent in paying child support

H.B. 207 - Insulin Access Amendments

Creates an incentive for health benefit plans to reduce the required copayments for insulin, directs the Public Employees’ Benefit and Insurance Program to purchase insulin in bulk, increases the number of days for which an insulin prescription can be refilled, and authorizes a pharmacist to refill an expired insulin prescription.

H.B. 211 - Renter Expenses Disclosure Agreements

Requires a landlord to make expense-related disclosures to a potential renter and prohibits a landlord from charging a renter under a rental agreement for costs not disclosed in the rental agreement.

H.B. 222 - Smart Start Utah Breakfast Program

Creates the Start Smart Utah Program to expand access to school breakfast in public schools.

H.B. 264 - Infant At Work Pilot Program

Creates the Infant at Work Pilot Program for employees to bring their infants to work.

H.B. 271 - Firearm Preemption Amendments

Removes a local authority or state agency’s ability to regulate firearms in Utah if those regulations exceed those adopted by the Legislature

H.B. 32 - Crisis Services Amendments

Creates new mental health resources including expanded mobile crisis outreach teams, a health receiving center pilot program, and a state-wide peer support line.

H.B. 332 - Special Needs Scholarship Amendments

Creates a voucher-like program for Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship recipients to use towards private school tuition.

H.B. 38 - Substance Use and Health Care Amendments

Directs the Dept. of Health to apply for a Medicaid wavier to enroll inmates up to 30 days before release.

H.B. 69 - Sick Leave Amendments

Allows employees who have accrued sick leave to use it to care for a sick family member.

H.B. 88 - School Water Testing Requirements

Mandates testing drinking water for lead in all schools every five years with reporting and required improvements if lead is found.

H.B. 99 - Enhanced Kindergarten Amendments

Provides funding for enhanced kindergarten early intervention programs.

S.B. 165 - Emergency Response Plans for Homelessness

Requires local coordinating committees to develop an emergency response plan for the health and safety of people experiencing homelessness.

S.B. 39 - Affordable Housing Amendments

Provides funding to incentivize the development and preservation of affordable housing.

H.B. 100 - Sexual Violence Protective Orders

Creates a protective order and ex-parte protective order for sexual violence, which are included on the statewide warrant system.

H.B. 114 - Self-Defense Amendments

“Stand your ground” bill stating that an individual does not have a duty to retreat from an aggressor if possible to do so.

H.B. 17 - Firearm Violence and Suicide Prevention Amendments

Requires state to set up firearm safety literature and suicide prevention course; distribute cable locks; coupons toward gun safes

H.B. 212 - Expungement Changes

Prohibits employer inquiry into an applicant’s expunged criminal history, except for law enforcement agencies and other sensitive public jobs.

H.B. 213 - Promotion of Student Loan Forgiveness

Requires public entitites to annually provide materials to employees about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program or the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.

H.B. 296 - Rural Online Working Hub Amendments

Creates a grant program to develop coworking and innovation centers in rural areas, enabling remote online work.

H.B. 318 - Inmate Restrictions Standards Amendments

Requires the least restrictive restraints be used on a pregnant inmate and prohibits shackling during labor and delivery.

H.B. 346 - Higher Education Responses to Allegations

Creates honor code immunity for reporting sexual violence and requires victim consent for campus coordination with outside law enforcement. Makes retaliatory violence or threats to a victim or witness a third-degree felony.

H.B. 40 - Criminal Code Task Force Amendments

Grants immunity for sex workers who work notify police of assault; repeals crimes of adultery and sodomy.

H.B. 431 - Expungement Act Amendments

Allows for automatic expungement of some criminal records after a certain time.

H.B. 47 - Early Childhood Coordination Amendments

Creates a cabinet level agency and advisory commission to coordinate all agencies who work with early childhood services.

H.B. 71 - Health Education Amendments

Clarifies that teachers are allowed to discuss contraceptives in a sex education curriculum.

H.B. 84 - Economic Development Programs Amendments

Reduces number of months observed for Rural Fast Track eligibility from 24 to 12 and removes caps on money the Business Expansion and Retention Initiative can award a rural economic development entity.

S.B. 134 - Campus Safety Amendments

Requires colleges to have a campus safety plan and curriculum addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

S.B. 32 - Indigent Defense Amendments

Ensures that all minors have a state-appointed attorney in court.

S.B. 34 - Affordable Housing Modifications

Adds provisions for municipal and county planning that encourage moderate and affordable housing development in transit areas. Requires cities to adopt at least 3 affordable housing strategies to be eligible for Transportation Investment Fund money.