Legislation

The original version of HB174 would have largely ended the provision allowing some minors to continue receiving gender-affirming care after being grandfathered in under the original ban passed in 2023, SB16. After much negotiating, the final version of the bill allows minors who are at least 16 years old and already taking hormone therapy on the effective date of the bill to continue their treatment. However, the bill requires all other minors to end their gender affirming care by January 28, 2027. .  

HB183 was a broad attack on trans and nonbinary Utahns. The bill would have prohibited anyone who does not present as their biological sex from working as a teacher or staff member in public schools, or as certain healthcare providers licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services, if their role requires contact with a child for more than five minutes, such as pediatricians.  

HB193 would have prohibited the use of public funds to pay for gender affirming care for both minors and adults, including hormone treatment and surgical procedures. If passed, individuals would no longer be able to use Medicare, Medicaid, the state health plan, or other public funds to cover such treatment.

Like the proposed SAVE Act in the U.S. Congress, HB209 will require individuals to provide proof of citizenship to be able to vote in state elections. Under the bill, proof of citizenship would include a state ID that verifies your citizenship (such as your driver’s license if you provided proof of citizenship in your application), your birth certificate, passport, naturalization documents, or tribal identification card or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. This requirement will likely be burdensome to women or other voters who have undergone a name change, who will now need to provide even more documentation, such as a marriage certificate.    

SB110 would end common law marriage in Utah and require all marriages to be properly solemnized.

This bill would further erode the Judiciary's power, undermining the essential checks and balances in our government. The bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the governor to nominate judges whether or not they were recommended by the judicial nominating committee. It also removes deadlines for appointments and the ability of the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court to fill vacancies that the governor does not fill in a timely manner. If the bill is passed, the proposed amendment will be on the ballot in 2026.  

HB197 sought to expand on the prior sensitive materials law, HB29, passed in 2024. This bill would have required schools to use automated filters in screening databases and other online content and to immediately ban access to materials upon a “plausible” complaint.  

This bill would have eliminated Utah’s driving privilege card program, which allows Utah residents who are not eligible for a REAL ID document or are unable to establish lawful presence to obtain a driver’s license. This program promotes public safety by allowing all drivers to be screened for driving ability and to obtain auto insurance, protecting everyone on Utah roads. The bill would have also required local law enforcement to notify ICE of car accidents involving a driver without lawful immigration status, further intertwining local law enforcement duties with federal immigration enforcement.  

SB134 increases the number of justices on the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven, and the number of judges on the Court of Appeals from seven to nine. While a seemingly neutral change, the context and timing raise concerns that the catalyst is political rather than purely administrative, given the Court’s recent rulings against the Legislature in hot-topic cases on redistricting and gerrymandering, abortion, and public unions.