As the 2026 Utah Legislative Session enters its final day, lawmakers are working through the last round of votes on bills and finalizing the state budget before adjournment. With budget details now released and floor calendars full, the final hours of the session are focused on passing remaining legislation, reconciling differences between chambers and wrapping up the policy priorities that will shape Utah’s direction in the coming year.
This year’s session has been an active one:
- Bill requests: 1,505 bill requests
- Bills numbered and introduced: 1,014 bills numbered
- Bills passed so far: 355 bills passed, with more to come
- Substitute bills: over 400 substitute bills adopted
- Amendments adopted: over 200 amendments adopted
The volume of bills, including substitutes and amendments, reflects the extensive negotiations and refinements that take place as proposals move through committees and floor debates.
Lawmakers also finalized Utah’s FY 2027 state budget, directing funding toward priorities that support continued economic growth and quality of life. The roughly $30 billion budget includes about $10 billion for public and higher education, $3.2 billion for transportation and infrastructure and $2.5 billion for health and human services, along with continued funding for water infrastructure, housing programs and economic development initiatives. The budget also maintains Utah’s strong fiscal position by preserving more than $1.4 billion in rainy day reserves, while investing in long-term priorities that support the state’s growing population and economy.
We also want to thank our members for their engagement throughout the legislative session. Your insights, expertise and willingness to share how policy decisions affect Utah’s businesses helped inform our advocacy and strengthen the business community’s voice at the Capitol. The Chamber is grateful for the collaboration and partnership that make it possible to advance policies that support a strong and competitive Utah economy.
Priority Pending Bills
As the session comes to a close, many pieces of legislation continue to evolve through late amendments, substitutions and negotiations between the House and Senate. The Utah Chamber continues to closely review these proposals and meet with bill sponsors to ensure the business community’s perspective is represented as final decisions are made.
Because the language of several bills may still change before adjournment, the Chamber has designated the following legislation as “Priority Pending.” These bills align with the Chamber’s legislative priorities and the long-term goals outlined in the Utah Rising initiative, including housing affordability, workforce development, natural resources and growth, infrastructure investment and economic competitiveness. We will continue monitoring these bills closely as they move through the final hours of the legislative process.
Housing, Transportation and Infrastructure
- H.B. 68, Housing and Community Development Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Calvin Roberts
- This bill creates a new Division of Housing and Community Development within the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, bringing together several housing programs that were previously spread across different state agencies. The bill also establishes a state housing coordinator and moves key housing and homelessness programs into the new division to improve coordination and strengthen the state’s approach to housing policy.
- H.B. 475, Development and Planning Coordination Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Calvin Roberts
- This bill reorganizes and clarifies the state’s economic development structure by renaming the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity as the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and establishing a new Economic Development Council to help guide statewide economic development strategy. The bill also updates responsibilities within the office and improves coordination among state agencies and programs involved in economic development.
- H.B. 492, Transportation, Infrastructure and Housing Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Calvin Roberts
- This bill creates the State Housing Infrastructure Partnership Fund and Board to provide loans and grants to local governments for infrastructure projects that help enable new housing development. The bill also increases bonding capacity for affordable housing infrastructure and prioritizes projects that support starter homes and additional housing supply.
- S.B. 242, Transportation Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper
- This bill makes a series of updates to Utah’s transportation policies, including changes to road usage charges for certain electric vehicles, expanded uses of local option transportation sales taxes and increased bonding authority for commuter rail expansion. The bill also clarifies the relationship between Salt Lake City and the Utah Department of Transportation by replacing a prior joint study on highway reduction strategies with codified provisions requiring coordination with UDOT when changes to state highways are proposed.
- S.C.R. 10, Concurrent Resolution Emphasizing Utah’s Commitment to Advanced Air Mobility, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper
- This resolution recognizes Utah’s leadership in aerospace innovation and affirms the state’s commitment to developing Advanced Air Mobility technologies, including aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The resolution outlines Utah’s long-term goal of establishing an operational air mobility system and vertiport network ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympic Games and expresses intent to coordinate with federal partners such as the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Education and Workforce
- H.B. 373, Higher Education Innovation, sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson
- This bill creates a pilot program to fund research projects at Utah colleges and universities that support priority industries, economic development and public policy needs. The bill also renames the Utah Innovation Fund to the Nucleus Fund, expands the role of the Nucleus Institute at Point of the Mountain and appropriates $50 million to support research grants.
- S.B. 195, Workforce Development, sponsored by Sen. Ann Millner
- This bill establishes a Statewide Youth Apprenticeship Governance Council to coordinate youth apprenticeship programs among education, workforce and economic development agencies while strengthening collaboration with industry. The bill also allows Utah to participate in the federal Workforce Pell Grant program, enabling short-term workforce training programs at colleges and technical schools to qualify for federal Pell Grant support.
- S.B. 241, Early Literacy, sponsored by Sen. Ann Millner
- This bill establishes a statewide framework to improve reading proficiency in kindergarten through third grade, with a goal of 80% of Utah students reading on grade level by 2030. The bill requires early reading assessments, individualized reading intervention plans for struggling students, expanded literacy coaching and science-of-reading training for educators and, in some cases, third-grade retention for students who do not meet reading benchmarks. This bill has received a $16 million ongoing appropriation.
- H.B. 250, Utah Retirement Plan Exchange, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Elison
- This bill creates an online marketplace where private employers can review, compare and select retirement plan options for their employees. The exchange will present qualified retirement plans in a standardized format so employers can easily evaluate costs, features and investment options. This program could particularly benefit small businesses by making it easier and more affordable to offer retirement savings plans, helping employees build long-term financial security.
Energy and Critical Minerals
- S.B. 254, Extracted Natural Resources Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Ann Millner
- This bill establishes a statewide framework to accelerate the development of critical mineral resources by fast-tracking permits, creating a Critical Minerals Council and establishing policies and zones to support mineral extraction and processing. The bill also modifies mining exploration tax credits and creates new state accounts to reinvest severance tax revenues into priorities such as water infrastructure, energy development, transit and critical mineral projects.
Health Care
- S.B. 150, Health Care Providers Scope of Practice Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers
- This bill establishes a formal process for the Office of Professional Licensure Review to evaluate whether new technologies or innovations should be incorporated into the scope of practice for regulated health care occupations. The bill allows legislators or industry representatives to request a review and requires the office to study the proposal, consult with experts and report recommendations to the Business and Labor Interim Committee, with the goal of improving health care access, encouraging innovation and helping lower health care costs for businesses and their employees.
- H.B. 572, Behavioral Health, Mental Health and Social Services Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason
- This bill makes a broad set of changes to Utah’s behavioral health system, including shifting administration of the Governor’s Suicide Prevention Fund to the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health, expanding coordination between behavioral health providers, law enforcement and courts and creating new programs such as community-based peer support services. The bill also updates oversight bodies, adjusts involuntary commitment procedures and includes $750,000 from the General Fund to support implementation.
Homelessness
- H.B. 308, Homeless Services Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Clinton Okerlund
- This bill updates Utah’s homeless services framework by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Homeless Services and the state homelessness coordinator, streamlining reporting requirements and adjusting oversight of funding and service coordination. The bill allows shelters to temporarily expand capacity (up to 135% of their permitted beds) with municipal consent and temporarily increases local government contributions to support homelessness mitigation efforts.
Tax Environment
- H.B. 236, Truth in Taxation Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson
- This bill strengthens Utah’s truth-in-taxation process by requiring taxing entities considering a property tax increase to publicly announce that intent earlier and provide clearer information about the amount and purpose of the proposed increase. The bill also requires governments to first adopt a tentative operating budget that excludes the proposed tax increase and to present a separate alternative budget showing how additional revenue would be used if the increase is approved.
Natural Resources and the Great Salt Lake
- H.B. 76, Data Center Water Transparency Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford
- This bill requires operators of large data centers to report anticipated and actual water use to state and local water providers, including estimates before construction and annual reports after operations begin. The bill also requires land use authorities to notify water agencies when a new large data center is proposed and directs the state to publish water withdrawal data to improve transparency around the water impacts of these facilities.
- H.B. 348, Dedicated Water Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford
- This bill creates a new dedicated water application process that allows water right holders to dedicate water for uses such as instream flows, sovereign lands or certain reservoir projects while maintaining the underlying water right. The bill also establishes rules for how these applications are filed, processed and monitored by the state engineer, including limits intended to protect ongoing agricultural water use.
- H.B. 410, Water Leasing Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford
- This bill creates the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program and a Great Salt Lake Preservation Board to lease agricultural water from willing water users to help increase flows to the Great Salt Lake. The bill also streamlines water leasing processes, directs the Great Salt Lake commissioner to facilitate water leasing and appropriates $5 million to support the program.
- S.B. 130, River Restoration Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore
- This bill expands the state’s ability to fund improvement projects along the entire length of the Jordan River. The bill creates a matching grant program for counties, municipalities and the Jordan River Commission to support projects that increase recreational access and public safety along the river, supported by a $2 million appropriation.
Additional Bills of Note
The Utah Chamber also worked on several bills that could have negatively impacted Utah businesses, their workforces and the consumers they serve. We appreciate the bill sponsors who engaged with the Chamber and its members to pause the bills and continue discussions with the business community during the interim: