# Utah H.B. 372: Child Welfare Changes Utah H.B. 372, Child Welfare Changes, is a 2026 General Session House bill sponsored by Karianne Lisonbee (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-18 (Governor Signed) (as of 2026-10-14). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB372-2026GS - As of: 2026-10-14 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Utah H.B. 372 - State: Utah - Session: 2026 General Session - Title: Child Welfare Changes - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-26 - Last action: 2026-03-18, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Abuse, Neglect, or Dependency, Family, Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services, Child Welfare, Judicial Operations, Guardian Ad Litem - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 11 (114 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Children’s lawyers must explain independent recommendations: benefit, low. Guardians ad litem must base best-interest recommendations on direct knowledge and an independent, personal investigation. Program directors and managing attorneys cannot dictate a lawyer’s position or recommendation. When a lawyer makes a best-interest recommendation at a hearing, the court must r… - Clearer rules for appointing children’s lawyers: benefit, low. Courts must consider a child’s best interests under Utah’s child welfare standards when deciding whether to appoint a guardian ad litem. Within seven days after appointment, the court must make a finding explaining why the appointment is needed. Siblings in the same case may share one attorney guar… - Consistent standards for children’s best interests: benefit, low. Best-interest decisions in covered guardian ad litem matters must follow Utah Code Sections 80-2a-201 and 80-4-104. Other Title 80 rules apply only when consistent with those sections. Beginning May 6, 2026, courts must use the same standards in covered child welfare, parental-rights, and adoption… - Fewer redactions in child death reviews: benefit, low. Utah’s health department can redact only specified identifying details from covered child fatality review reports and responses. These are information identifying the person who made the referral, and other individuals’ surnames and addresses. Covered responses address noncompliance, improper respo… - More voice and protections for children: benefit, low. When a child’s wishes differ from the guardian ad litem’s view, the lawyer must explain that view to the child and court. The lawyer must share the child’s wishes unless the child requests privacy or expresses no wishes; the court may consider them. At every hearing, the lawyer must report whether… - Children’s representation starts after court appointment: cost, low. In abuse, neglect, or dependency cases, a guardian ad litem’s representation begins after the court appoints the attorney. This replaces the earlier start point: the child’s removal from home or the petition filing, whichever came first. This provision sets no new appointment deadline. - Children’s lawyers get revised investigation duties: mixed, low. Guardians ad litem must independently investigate children’s situations, needs, and wishes. For current or possible placements outside the home, they must learn children’s placement goals and concerns when possible and not harmful. The law removes their specific duty to assess, or supervise an asse… - Closer oversight of lawyers representing children: mixed, low. A new committee oversees Utah’s guardian ad litem program, which provides lawyers to represent children’s best interests. It meets at least quarterly, reviews random cases yearly, can replace the director, and reports to judicial and legislative overseers by November 1. The director must evaluate l… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wayne A. Harper (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension | pass | 25 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 4 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 68 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 9 | 1 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | House Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 8 | 0 | | ## Actions (39) - 2026-03-18: Governor Signed - 2026-03-12: House/ to Governor (House) - 2026-03-12: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2026-03-11: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2026-03-11: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2026-03-06: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2026-03-06: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2026-03-05: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2026-03-05: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Senate/ committee report favorable (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-25: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-02-23: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-02-23: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-23: House/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-23: House/ uncircled (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ circled (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ uncircled (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ circled (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-12: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2026-02-12: House/ comm rpt/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-11: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-11: House Comm - Substitute Recommendation - 2026-02-03: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2026-01-28: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House) - 2026-01-26: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2026-01-26: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2026-01-26: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0372.pdf) - Substitute #5, 2026-02-23: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S05.pdf) - Substitute #3, 2026-02-19: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S03.pdf) - Substitute #4, 2026-02-19: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S04.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2026-02-11: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2026-02-10: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-01-26: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372.pdf) ## Related bills - H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments (signed) - H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments (signed) - H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments (signed) - H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments (signed) - H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments (signed) - H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0372.pdf) - [Substitute #5 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S05.pdf) - [Substitute #3 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S03.pdf) - [Substitute #4 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S04.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0372.pdf) ## Related - [H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB136-2026GS) - [H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB101-2026GS) - [H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB134-2026GS) - [H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB178-2026GS) - [H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB94-2026GS) - [H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB220-2026GS) - [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-HB372-2026GS (as of 2026-10-14).