All Roll Calls
Yes: 223 • No: 0
UtahH.B. 482025 General SessionHouseWALLET
Wildland Urban Interface Modifications
Sponsored By: Casey Snider (Republican)
Signed by Governor
CountiesInsuranceForestry and FireNatural ResourcesFire ProtectionForestry, Fire, and State LandsNew Rulemaking Authority
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Wildfire checks and help for homeowners
Beginning January 1, 2026, state or county coordinators must assess high-risk wildland-urban interface property using three risk levels. Owners must receive their classification, applicable fee, and information about available help. The state may offer resources to help owners reach the first or second risk level. Each year, the state decides whether to assign evaluations to a county. Assigned counties must enter a state agreement and require yearly evaluations.
Homeowners get wildfire insurance explanations
Beginning January 1, 2026, insurers must state precise supporting facts in notices of wildfire-related cancellations or nonrenewals. Policyholders can also request those facts when wildfire risk raises a premium by more than 20% over the previous term. Property owners can complain to Utah's Insurance Department about violations. The department may investigate, order compliance, and impose penalties when it finds a violation. These rights do not guarantee continued coverage, lower premiums, or a payment to the owner.
State wildfire maps guide home insurance
Beginning January 1, 2026, Utah must publicly map high-risk and non-high-risk interface property using scientific assessments of risks to homes. Insurers must use the state map boundaries to decide whether property is high risk. They may add fire-hazard data for pricing or coverage decisions only within those boundaries and applicable insurance rules. The restriction does not cover non-high-risk property or data about risks unrelated to fire. Beginning January 1, 2028, insurers gain access to a state database of property risk classifications; it does not set premiums.
Fire infrastructure relief for some homeowners
Authorities may reduce required firefighting water flow for isolated one- or two-family homes when full flow is impractical. The law sets no required reduction. Requirements for pre-existing subdivision lots cannot exceed those in fire-code Section 501.5. The hydrant exception in Section 507.5.1 includes one interior and one detached accessory home on a single residential lot.
Limits on sprinkler requirements for homeowners
Local authorities can require sprinklers in covered residential-code homes only by ordinance and only when a listed legal trigger applies. Triggers include wildfire-interface designation, missing hydrants, and access grades above 10% for more than 500 continuous feet. Home-size triggers include total floor area above 10,000 square feet and unusually large homes compared with subdivision averages. A single-family home is exempt if it is outside the wildfire interface, in a one-lot subdivision, and has 50 feet of defensible space on every side.
Home kitchen businesses get hood exemption
Cooking appliances in permitted microenterprise home kitchens are exempt from the Type 1 exhaust hood requirement. The operator must obtain the permit required by Utah Code Section 26B-7-416. This removes an equipment requirement for qualifying home food businesses.
Annual wildfire fees for high-risk property
Beginning January 1, 2026, counties must charge owners of high-risk wildland-urban interface property an annual fee. The state forestry and fire division sets the fee based on structure square footage and may vary it by risk classification. The law does not set a dollar amount. Counties may keep money for program costs and must send the rest to the state wildfire prevention fund. Counties may place liens on property for overdue fees, following special-district procedures.
Fewer lawsuits over wildfire program actions
The law protects listed public agencies and personnel from suits over injuries tied to covered wildfire program actions or failures to act. Protection applies to conduct within their work duties. Covered parties include the state forestry and fire division, counties, wildfire-interface coordinators, and Insurance Department personnel, including specified consultants. Beginning January 1, 2026, the property-evaluation law also creates no separate right to sue and does not waive government immunity.
Building owners face emergency access rules
Fire officials may require approved key boxes where locked openings block access or immediate life-saving or firefighting entry is needed. Fire jurisdictions with any required key box must track and secure the keys. Buildings with covered elevators must keep service keys in a box beside the elevator, opened with a 6049 numbered key. That box must hold each elevator's key, a lobby-control key, and other emergency-service keys. The law also changes when officials require emergency radio coverage in new buildings, treating public and private schools separately.
Local wildfire aid carries building requirements
Beginning January 1, 2026, counties no longer need a separate wildland fire ordinance to enter a state cooperative agreement. Existing ordinances do not have to be repealed. Separate requirements still require counties and municipalities to adopt and enforce the state's adopted wildfire-interface building standard in their areas. Local governments have two years after state adoption to adopt a new or different statewide standard. The state may withhold cooperative cost payments for noncompliance, including until the proper standard is adopted.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Casey Snider
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Michael K. McKell
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ concurs with Senate amendment
Yes: 73 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/5/2025
Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
Yes: 24 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2025
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2025
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
Yes: 23 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/19/2025
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/18/2025
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/18/2025
Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
House vote • 2/10/2025
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 75 • No: 0
House vote • 1/31/2025
House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 10 • No: 0
House vote • 1/31/2025
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 10 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/19/2025House/ to Governor
3/12/2025HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/12/2025HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/7/2025HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/7/2025Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/6/2025Bill Received from House for Enrolling
3/6/2025House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
3/6/2025HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/6/2025HouseSenate/ to House
3/5/2025SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
3/5/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
3/5/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ uncircled
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ circled
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
3/5/2025HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/5/2025HouseSenate/ to House with amendments
3/5/2025SenateSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
3/5/2025SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
3/5/2025SenateSenate/ placed on 3rd Reading Calendar table
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ passed 2nd reading
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ uncircled
2/20/2025Senate
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/7/2025
Substitute #3
2/17/2025
Substitute #2
1/31/2025
Substitute #1
1/27/2025
Introduced
12/19/2024