# Utah H.B. 312: Criminal Justice Amendments Utah H.B. 312, Criminal Justice Amendments, is a 2025 General Session House bill sponsored by Karianne Lisonbee (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-03-25 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB312-2025GS - 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. 312 - State: Utah - Session: 2025 General Session - Title: Criminal Justice Amendments - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-23 - Last action: 2025-03-25, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee (Republican) - Cosponsors: 3 - Subjects: Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, Health and Human Services, Criminal Procedure, Crimes, Judicial Operations, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Inmates, Probation, Department of Health and Human Services, Punishment, Arrest and Detention, Bail/Pretrial Detention, Local Substance Abuse Authorities, Parole, Public Health, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Correctional Facilities - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 15 (171 yes, 32 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More job support through probation programs: benefit, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, Adult Probation and Parole regions can fund more job services from their regional employment incentive payments. Allowed uses include workforce coordinators, bus passes, workplace-skills instructors, job-search technology in community correctional centers, and industry-… - Crowding limits counties' federal jail contracts: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, first-class counties face federal jail contract limits after releasing someone because of overcrowding. A covered county cannot enter a new federal housing contract or house more federal detainees than its contracted beds for that fiscal year. The initial lookback perio… - Fewer jail release options for defendants: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, sheriffs cannot release people solely to ease crowding when reasonably available information shows a listed restriction. These include violent or felony drug offenses, at least 100 grams of fentanyl, and specified DUI or drug offenses causing death or serious injury. A… - More defendants meet repeat-offender rules: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, Utah adds habitual-offender pathways alongside existing rules. For a new felony conviction, these include five prior felony convictions in separate cases within five years, or felony charges in nine separate cases with at least one issued within that five-year window. F… - More federal officers gain Utah authority: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, detention removal officers are no longer expressly excluded from a listed federal-officer category. Officers who qualify in that category have statewide authority involving Utah felony offenses. State enforcement authority generally remains subject to agreement and waiv… - Probation and parole bring booking holds: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, jails must hold booked people on supervised probation or parole for at least eight hours, up to 24 hours. This applies when that status is reasonably available to the jail, which must notify the supervisor and allow a hold request. Release before eight hours requires bo… - Release violations require a court appearance: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, people arrested for violating a covered jail release agreement or court order must stay jailed until their first court appearance. At that appearance, a judge or magistrate may deny pretrial release. - Strangulation near children brings felony charges: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, intentionally or knowingly blocking someone's breathing or blood flow through unlawful force is a third-degree felony when committed in a child's presence. The child must be physically present, or the person must know the child is present and may see or hear it. The law… - Syringe exchanges lose state funding access: cost, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, state money cannot pay to operate syringe exchange programs. City, county, and federal money remain allowed funding sources. Government and nongovernment entities can operate programs that exchange used syringes for sealed, sterile syringes. Programs must provide diseas… - Ability to pay shapes bail decisions: mixed, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, courts must consider ability to pay when requiring a financial release condition other than an unsecured bond. Courts must set one amount per case, without deferring to a jail official's decision or an earlier fixed amount. Separately, jail officials cannot use the cove… - Counties face limits on jail transfers: mixed, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, counties arranging jail transfers because of crowding must choose a county with room that agrees to accept the person. The counties must agree on the daily payment. That payment cannot exceed the higher of the sending county's current average housing cost or the daily i… - Judges face new pretrial release rules: mixed, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, judges must independently choose release, release conditions, or detention rather than defer to temporary orders. They cannot decide solely from an algorithm, risk score, or offense seriousness or type, except for a capital felony. Release conditions must be reasonably… - New limits on contracted inmate housing: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, state contracts with counties can house state inmates only in county correctional facilities. The Department of Corrections no longer has to prefer county beds over private beds. Beginning September 1, 2025, private contractors may house inmates only for federal immigration… - Sex offender assessment law is repealed: mixed, low. Beginning September 1, 2025, Utah repeals the statutory section titled "Sex offender assessment." The supplied text does not explain the assessment's requirements or the practical effects of removing it. - State sets jail payment rate limits: mixed, low. The state daily incarceration rate is $120.75 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. Later rates use average state incarceration costs, with annual increases generally capped at 5%. Costs above that ceiling become a rate surplus; unused surpluses from the prior three years can support later ra… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brady Brammer (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Clancy, T. - Cosponsor: Moss, J. ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-05 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension | pass | 19 | 5 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | House/ concurs with Senate amendment | pass | 57 | 15 | | | 2025-02-27 | Senate | Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 3 | 0 | | | 2025-02-27 | Senate | Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation | pass | 3 | 0 | | | 2025-02-27 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 4 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 60 | 12 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-11 | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-02-03 | House | House Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 8 | 0 | | | 2025-02-03 | House | House Comm - Amendment Recommendation | pass | 8 | 0 | | | 2025-02-03 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 9 | 0 | | | | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | ## Actions (43) - 2025-03-25: Governor Signed - 2025-03-17: House/ to Governor (House) - 2025-03-17: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2025-03-13: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2025-03-13: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2025-03-06: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2025-03-06: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2025-03-06: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2025-03-06: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-03-05: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-03-05: House/ concurs with Senate amendment (House) - 2025-03-05: House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (House) - 2025-03-05: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ to House with amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2025-02-12: House/ to Senate (House) - 2025-02-12: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2025-02-12: House/ substituted (House) - 2025-02-12: House/ uncircled (House) - 2025-02-11: House/ circled (House) - 2025-02-11: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2025-02-04: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2025-02-04: House/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended (House) - 2025-02-03: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation (House) - 2025-02-03: House Comm - Amendment Recommendation (House) - 2025-02-03: House Comm - Substitute Recommendation (House) - 2025-01-29: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2025-01-29: Bill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm - 2025-01-24: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2025-01-24: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2025-01-23: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-03-13: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/HB0312.pdf) - Amended 2/27/2025 12:02:964, 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/amended/AV_HB0312S05_2025-02-27_12-07-00.pdf) - Substitute #5, 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S05.pdf) - Substitute #3, 2025-02-12: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S03.pdf) - Substitute #4, 2025-02-12: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S04.pdf) - Amended 2/4/2025 10:02:674, 2025-02-04: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/amended/AV_HB0312S02_2025-02-04_10-52-07.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2025-01-24: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-01-23: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312.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/HB0312.pdf) - [Amended 2/27/2025 12:02:964 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/amended/AV_HB0312S05_2025-02-27_12-07-00.pdf) - [Substitute #5 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S05.pdf) - [Substitute #3 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S03.pdf) - [Substitute #4 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S04.pdf) - [Amended 2/4/2025 10:02:674 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/amended/AV_HB0312S02_2025-02-04_10-52-07.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/introduced/HB0312.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-HB312-2025GS (as of 2026-10-17).