Legislation

SB194 makes several changes to existing election law. Provisions of the bill would require proof of citizenship to vote in state elections, and others would reverse years of voter privacy built into the voter registration lists, allowing political parties and others to gain access to voter data in order to contact registered voters.

HB495 modifies and streamlines competency proceedings, removing important protections for individuals with intellectual disabilities by: requiring initial IQ tests and penalizing defendants who object to them, changing the criteria and process for automatic review of death sentences, creating expedited review timelines, and creating bars for appeal / ineffective assistance of counsel challenges. This bill risks turning thoughtful competency proceedings into a reckless sprint towards execution.

This bill is another attempt to end the overwhelmingly popular vote by mail system in Utah. It revives many of the unpopular elements stripped out of the bill amending voting laws passed in 2025, HB300. HB479 would require a voter to return their mail ballot in person with a valid ID, either to a polling location or a drop box staffed by two poll workers. This would fundamentally alter the vote by mail system used by over 95% of Utahns and essentially require in-person voting.

This bill would require the state Department of Health and Human Services to report to ICE the information of any applicants for SNAP or Medicaid who are denied due to lack of citizenship or immigration status. While those without status are not eligible for these programs, mandated reporting to ICE needlessly entangles state agencies with ICE and uses state resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement.

HB480 introduces the new definition “involuntary abortion” into the Utah Code pertaining to abortion care and allows individuals to request that their medical record reflect they received an involuntary abortion as opposed to an elective abortion. This is an unnecessary change that introduces a term that is not medically appropriate into code, which could be used to further limit reproductive rights in the future.

HB110 would place additional barriers for inmates seeking parole, requiring increased notification to parties who would oppose parole. This bill will cause even longer sentences, costing the Utah Department of Corrections over $10 million to house individuals who are eligible to be released.

HB122 provides safety guardrails for pregnant and postpartum inmates, ensuring that correctional staff refrain from unjustified use of restraints on inmates recovering from giving birth. This bill clarifies that postpartum healing goes beyond the time in the hospital after giving birth.

HB253 proposes a common-sense reform on our criminal legal system and would take jail time off the table the first time someone is caught possessing a small amount of marijuana. This bill makes a first offense an infraction and would mitigate racial disparities that come with criminalizing marijuana possession.

HB254 would expand access to justice for indigent defendants, allowing those who can't pay fees to qualify for a plea in abeyance. Pleas in abeyance are important mechanisms in our criminal legal system that allow defendants to have their case dismissed if they meet certain conditions. Access to a life without a record should not be based on someone's ability to pay. This bill also limits prosecutor's discretion and requires that a plea in abeyance be offered to young people who are charged with certain petty crimes and have no other criminal history, like minors who unlawfully possess alcohol.