# Utah H.B. 51: Adoption Amendments Utah H.B. 51, Adoption Amendments, is a 2026 General Session House bill sponsored by Katy Hall (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-25 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB51-2026GS - 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. 51 - State: Utah - Session: 2026 General Session - Title: Adoption Amendments - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-19 - Last action: 2026-03-25, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Katy Hall (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Adoption, Family, Health and Human Services, Health Care, Health Care Facilities, Child Welfare, Mental Health, Judicial Operations, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Licensing and Background Checks, Parentage - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 11 (204 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Birth parents can withdraw adoption consent: benefit, medium. Birth parents can withdraw adoption consent or relinquishment for any reason within 72 hours after signing. They may waive that period only in writing. Before the final adoption order, a court may allow withdrawal if the agency used duress, fraud, or undue influence. Parents cannot sign while anest… - Birth parents get counsel and pressure protections: benefit, medium. Birth parents can choose independent legal counsel before adoption consent or relinquishment; the agency or prospective adoptive parents pay reasonable costs. Parents must have time to use counsel and cannot be required to waive it or accept it as a placement condition. A signed statement confirmin… - Paid therapy support for birth parents: benefit, medium. Parents whose consent is needed for a minor child's adoption can choose therapy from a Utah-licensed mental health professional. They can receive three sessions before giving up parental rights and three afterward, each lasting at least 50 minutes. The agency or prospective adoptive parents must pa… - Families get clearer adoption agency warnings: benefit, low. Adoption ads must list the states where the advertiser is licensed or say it has no state license. Ads cannot promise financial incentives. Licensed private agencies must prominently post complaint instructions and Office of Licensing warnings or violations from the past three years. Birthing facil… - Families get fuller adoption cost disclosures: benefit, low. Before the final adoption order, an affidavit must disclose legal, medical, agency, and support costs, gifts, public funds, and services. It must list where birth and prospective adoptive parents lived during the 12 months before birth. The placing agency or arranging attorney must send it to the O… - Utah Medicaid excludes birth-only visitors: cost, high. Beginning May 6, 2026, people traveling to Utah only to give birth cannot qualify for Utah Medicaid if they do not plan to stay afterward. Both conditions must apply. - Parents lose adoption therapy damages remedy: cost, low. Missing required therapy notice or payment does not cancel a parent's adoption consent or relinquishment. The law removes the specific right to sue for damages caused by that failure. The duties to provide notice and pay for therapy remain. - Private adoption agencies must become nonprofits: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, private adoption agencies must be nonprofit organizations to get or renew a Utah license. The Office of Licensing cannot issue or renew these licenses for private providers that are not nonprofits. - Birth-mother travel limits and return guarantees: mixed, medium. Licensed private adoption agencies cannot arrange travel to Utah for birth mothers under 18. They also cannot arrange it at 36 weeks pregnant or later when they know or should know the pregnancy stage. Agencies must make a reasonable health inquiry and check whether an out-of-state mother receives… - Birth-parent support comes with payment caps: mixed, medium. Licensed private adoption agencies may pay up to $8,000 in birth-parent living expenses, plus medical and adoption-related legal costs. Weekly allowances are capped at $200 for the birth parent and $75 for each directly affected dependent. Allowances cover up to 12 pregnancy weeks and four weeks af… - Adoption agencies gain protections but must refer: mixed, low. Consortium agencies may decline placements that conflict with their religious beliefs or a birth mother's good-faith wishes about the child's placement. When the prospective adoptive parent is qualified, governments and licensing or accrediting bodies cannot compel participation or penalize that re… - Adoption agencies share oversight and fees: mixed, low. Every licensed private adoption agency must join Utah's new adoption agency consortium, which meets at least quarterly. It advises lawmakers and reports 2025 adoption, transport, and fee information by October 1, 2026. Agencies seeking higher birth-parent payments must request a specific amount and… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Katy Hall (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chris H. Wilson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-27 | House | House/ concurs with Senate amendment | pass | 66 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | Senate/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd reading | pass | 23 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 3 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 3 | 0 | | | 2026-02-04 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-04 | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-04 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 66 | 1 | | | 2026-02-03 | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 11 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | House | House Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (43) - 2026-03-25: Governor Signed - 2026-03-12: House/ to Governor (House) - 2026-03-12: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2026-03-05: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2026-03-05: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2026-03-03: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2026-03-03: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2026-03-02: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2026-03-02: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-02-27: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-02-27: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-02-27: House/ concurs with Senate amendment (House) - 2026-02-26: House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (House) - 2026-02-26: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-02-26: Senate/ to House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senate/ passed 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senate/ 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate/ passed 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate/ 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-19: Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation - 2026-02-17: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-02-04: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-02-04: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-04: House/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-04: House/ uncircled (House) - 2026-02-03: House/ circled (House) - 2026-02-03: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2026-01-26: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2026-01-26: House/ comm rpt/ substituted (House) - 2026-01-23: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-01-23: House Comm - Substitute Recommendation - 2026-01-20: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House) - 2026-01-20: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2026-01-20: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2026-01-14: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2025-12-19: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2026-03-05: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0051.pdf) - Substitute #4, 2026-02-13: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S04.pdf) - Substitute #3, 2026-02-03: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S03.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2026-01-23: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2026-01-22: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-12-19: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051.pdf) ## Related bills - H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments (signed) - H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments (signed) - H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments (signed) - H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments (signed) - H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments (signed) - H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0051.pdf) - [Substitute #4 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S04.pdf) - [Substitute #3 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S03.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0051.pdf) ## Related - [H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB94-2026GS) - [H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB101-2026GS) - [H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB178-2026GS) - [H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB134-2026GS) - [H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB136-2026GS) - [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-HB51-2026GS (as of 2026-10-14).