During their annual, 45-day legislative session this year, Utah lawmakers passed 575 bills. And unless lawmakers specify otherwise, most of those bills become law 60 days after the end of the session.
Now, two months after the end of the 2023 lawmaker effort, here are some of the new laws on Utah’s books:
Alcohol in Utah
The annual liquor omnibus bill addressed the shortage of liquor licenses by adding 15 new bar licenses and 35 new restaurant licenses. The bill also banned the sale of mini-bottles.
Another change to liquor laws from Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, requires bars to retain records, which could include video surveillance footage, during an investigation into whether a customer was overserved. The bill was prompted by the death of 13-year-old Eli Mitchell, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2022.
Education
A controversial change to public education in the state takes effect today. Riverton Rep. Candice Pierucci’s HB215 allows state money to send students to private schools or be homeschooled. The $42 million voucher program, dubbed the “Utah Fits All Scholarship,” was piggybacked onto a $6,000 pay and benefits raise for public school teachers. Legislators took the unusual step of funding the legislation before setting the budget to ensure it would not be the victim of unexpected last-minute cuts.
The expansion of optional full-day kindergarten and a bill to do away with assigning schools a single letter grade based on standardized exam results also take effect ahead of the next school year.
High school seniors may now don cultural and religious regalia at graduation ceremonies under HB103. A similar bill allowing students to wear cultural or religious clothing as part of a school athletics uniform does not go into effect until Jul. 1.
Transgender health care
Lawmakers approved several bills targeting LGBTQ+ issues this year, but the most significant change is already in place.
SB16 from Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, bans gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. The bill went into effect immediately when Gov. Spencer Cox signed it on Jan. 28, the day after it won final passage. That change to the effective date was inserted at the last minute by Republican lawmakers during debate on the House floor.
And new law barring transgender youth from changing the gender on their birth certificates until age 16 also went into effect immediately when Gov. Cox signed it on Mar. 23.
But a bill banning all forms of the controversial practice of conversion therapy, and that was supported by some LGBTQ advocates, had to wait until Wednesday to become law.
Water
There are several brand new laws dealing with water issues in Utah.
HB450 says homeowner associations and other bodies cannot block homeowners from replacing lawns with more water-wise landscaping. At the same time, HB150 sets guidelines for how governments deal with water shortages not caused by drought.
A bill creating a new state position overseeing the multiple agencies that govern the Great Salt Lake has a delayed effective date of Jul. 1, which coincides with the new state fiscal year because of the bill’s $15 million price tag.
Emergency shelters
Cities are now required to create plans for emergency shelters for the homeless population when winter temperatures drop to dangerously low levels. HB499 provides funds to help cities establish emergency and overflow winter shelters, but only if they enforce anti-camping laws.
A shrimp and a mushroom
Finally, the number of state symbols has expanded by two. The brine shrimp is now the official state crustacean, while the porcini is the official state mushroom.
More to come
Some of the more contentious bills approved by lawmakers this year will have to wait until next year before they’re operational. Utah’s first-in-the-nation restrictions on social media use by minors is delayed until Mar. 1, 2024, so lawmakers can iron out any needed changes to the legislation.
Lawmakers also delayed the adoption of a new state flag until Mar. 9, which coincides with the state flag holiday adopted in 2011. Opponents of the switch hope to pressure lawmakers to undo the change in next year’s season or put the issue up for a vote on the 2024 ballot.
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