# Utah H.B. 129: Adoption Records Access Amendments Utah H.B. 129, Adoption Records Access Amendments, is a 2025 General Session House bill sponsored by Raymond P. Ward (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-03-24 (Governor Signed) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB129-2025GS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Utah H.B. 129 - State: Utah - Session: 2025 General Session - Title: Adoption Records Access Amendments - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-07 - Last action: 2025-03-24, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Adoption, Family, Government Records, Health and Human Services, Courts, Judicial Operations, Government Operations (State Issues) - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 9 (197 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Adult adoptees gain limited records access: mixed, medium. Beginning November 1, 2025, people adopted as minors can inspect and copy four adoption records at age 18 without a court order. These are the adoption report, original birth certificate, findings of fact, and final adoption decree. A court sealing order blocks this access. Adult adoptees and their… - Parents can seek safety-based records sealing: mixed, medium. Beginning November 1, 2025, a pre-existing parent can ask the court that approved the adoption to seal specified adoption records. The parent must file before the adoptee turns 18 and identify the records. A sworn statement must show that access would cause reasonable fear of harm from an individua… - Adoption participants get access and privacy: mixed, low. Beginning November 1, 2025, adoption case parties can inspect and copy records during the case and for 180 days afterward. The 180 days run from entry of the final adoption decree, replacing the prior six-month period. A court can close a hearing at a party's request, admitting only listed particip… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Heidi Balderree (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-21 | House | House/ concurs with Senate amendment | pass | 65 | 1 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Senate/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 24 | 0 | | | 2025-02-19 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd reading | pass | 19 | 0 | | | 2025-02-13 | Senate | Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 4 | 0 | | | 2025-02-13 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 4 | 0 | | | 2025-02-07 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 72 | 0 | | | 2025-02-07 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-01-29 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 9 | 1 | | | | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | ## Actions (40) - 2025-03-24: Governor Signed - 2025-03-12: House/ to Governor (House) - 2025-03-12: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2025-03-06: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2025-03-06: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2025-02-25: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2025-02-25: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2025-02-24: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2025-02-24: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-02-21: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-02-21: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-02-21: House/ concurs with Senate amendment (House) - 2025-02-20: House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (House) - 2025-02-20: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ to House with amendments (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ passed 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senate/ 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Senate/ passed 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Senate/ 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2025-02-07: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2025-02-07: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-02-07: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-02-07: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2025-02-07: House/ substituted (House) - 2025-02-07: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2025-01-30: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2025-01-30: House/ committee report favorable (House) - 2025-01-29: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation (House) - 2025-01-23: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2025-01-21: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2025-01-21: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House) - 2025-01-15: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2025-01-07: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-03-06: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/HB0129.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2025-02-13: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2025-02-06: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-01-07: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129.pdf) ## Related bills - S.B. 199: Guardianship Amendments (signed) - H.B. 562: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Amendments (signed) - H.B. 493: Medical Examiner Amendments (signed) - H.B. 482: Health and Human Services Reporting Requirements (signed) - S.B. 197: Property Tax Amendments (vetoed) - S.B. 3: Appropriations Adjustments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/HB0129.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0129.pdf) ## Related - [S.B. 199: Guardianship Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB199-2025GS) - [H.B. 562: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB562-2025GS) - [H.B. 493: Medical Examiner Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB493-2025GS) - [H.B. 482: Health and Human Services Reporting Requirements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB482-2025GS) - [S.B. 197: Property Tax Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB197-2025GS) - [S.B. 3: Appropriations Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-SB3-2025GS) - [Utah bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah/bills) - [Utah state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB129-2025GS (as of 2026-10-17).