All Roll Calls
Yes: 176 • No: 0
UtahS.B. 1772025 General SessionSenate
Child Welfare Amendments
Sponsored By: Wayne A. Harper (Republican)
Signed by Governor
JuvenilesAbuse, Neglect, or DependencyChild Custody/Parent TimeFamilyFoster CareHealth and Human ServicesDivision of Child and Family ServicesChild WelfareJudicial OperationsAdministrative RulemakingAdministrative Rulemaking and ProceduresDriver LicenseMotor VehiclesTransportationDepartment of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Licensing and Background ChecksNew Rulemaking Authority
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 6 mixed.
More screening records, tighter privacy for workers
Child services must promptly enter covered juvenile-court findings into both the Licensing Information System and Management Information System. Added court records can inform department background checks, direct patient access certification, and decisions to grant, deny, or revoke emergency medical clearance. The department can use the added findings to check or inform covered licensees, workers, and attendants. It must set rules for when people with listed or substantiated findings can serve or have direct access to children. Beginning May 7, 2025, substantiation court findings and appeal records are limited to people authorized to access the licensing system for listed legal purposes.
Parents face revised family reunification rules
A presumption against reunification services applies when a parent subjected a child to severe abuse or neglect, torture, or human trafficking. It also applies when the parent's rights to another child were involuntarily terminated. The court must establish these circumstances by clear and convincing evidence; services are not automatically denied. For a prior voluntary termination, the court must consider the circumstances rather than treat it as an automatic bar. These rules do not themselves end parental rights in the current case.
Thirty days to challenge severe abuse findings
After receiving notice of a supported severe abuse or neglect finding, a person has 30 days to respond. They can request division review, petition juvenile court, or consent to the finding and its licensing-system entry. A parent or guardian must consent for a child. The court petition route is barred after 30 days or by a conviction, specified adjudication, or guilty or no-contest plea concerning the incident; this includes a guilty plea with a mental condition. The division keeps the record if no required action is taken within 30 days after notice is served, replacing one year. It removes records after an unsubstantiated or without-merit court finding or reversal of a substantiated finding, and restores records if the court action supporting removal is reversed.
Courts must hear family separation harms
At shelter hearings, juvenile courts must hear relevant evidence about harm from separating a child from a parent or guardian. This includes harm already suffered and harm that continued separation may cause. The child, parent, guardian, requesting party, or requesting party's lawyer can present the evidence. The requirement does not decide the hearing's outcome.
Easier license addresses for youth in custody
Utah's Driver License Division must set rules allowing applicants in state custody to use a local child services office address. Child services must verify that the applicant is in the state's legal custody. The rules must also allow acceptable custody papers for license residency and address checks.
Review options for older abuse records
People listed in the Licensing Information System before May 6, 2002, can request review and removal in writing. Within 30 days, the division must assess whether the incident qualifies as severe abuse, chronic abuse, or chronic neglect. It must remove names for incidents that do not qualify; otherwise, it must decide whether to seek court substantiation. A person can also petition for an unsubstantiated or without-merit finding. That petition route is barred by a conviction, specified adjudication, guilty plea, guilty plea with a mental condition, or no-contest plea concerning the incident.
Abuse challenges can pause during investigations
An administrative challenge to a supported abuse, neglect, or dependency finding can pause during a related court case or active criminal investigation. Beginning May 7, 2025, proceedings on substantiation petitions can also pause for those reasons. The related case or investigation must concern the same matter. These pauses are allowed, not required, and the substantiation rule sets no fixed length.
New filing deadlines for abuse cases
The division can file a substantiation petition within 30 days after a supported severe abuse or neglect finding, replacing one year. Filing remains optional when the division considers it advisable. Beginning May 7, 2025, individuals, as well as the division, can file petitions under the listed substantiation laws. For the separate process under Section 80-2-1004, the division has 30 days after deciding to file, replacing 14 days. These deadlines start from different events.
New sexual abuse rules between children
The law changes how sexual conduct between children counts as abuse in child-welfare cases. An act or attempted act qualifies when it constitutes unlawful sexual activity under Utah Code Section 76-5-401.3. Repeated sexual contact or an age gap of four years or more no longer separately qualifies under this definition.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Wayne A. Harper
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Christine F. Watkins
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 2/27/2025
Senate/ concurs with House amendment
Yes: 27 • No: 0
House vote • 2/26/2025
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 66 • No: 0
House vote • 2/24/2025
House Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation
Yes: 9 • No: 0
House vote • 2/24/2025
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 9 • No: 0
House vote • 2/24/2025
House Comm - Amendment Recommendation
Yes: 9 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/12/2025
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 26 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/11/2025
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/11/2025
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
Yes: 22 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/10/2025
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 1/30/2025
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • 1/30/2025
Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/26/2025Senate/ to Governor
3/13/2025SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/13/2025SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/7/2025SenateEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/7/2025Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/3/2025Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
3/3/2025Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
2/27/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
2/27/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
2/27/2025HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
2/27/2025HouseHouse/ received from Senate
2/27/2025HouseSenate/ to House
2/27/2025SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
2/27/2025SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
2/26/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
2/26/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
2/26/2025HouseHouse/ passed 3rd reading
2/26/2025HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
2/26/2025HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
2/24/2025HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ amended/ placed on Consent Cal
2/24/2025HouseHouse Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation
2/24/2025HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2/24/2025HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
2/24/2025HouseHouse/ to standing committee
2/20/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/7/2025
Amended 2/24/2025 11:02:622
2/24/2025
Substitute #2
2/13/2025
Substitute #1
1/29/2025
Introduced
1/27/2025