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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah exempts private landlords and group living from housing discrimination rules when designating single-sex housing
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Dave Shallenberger and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah law now allows private landlords and property owners to designate housing accommodations as single-sex and restrict occupancy based on biological sex at birth without violating the Utah Fair Housing Act. This exemption applies to dormitories, boarding houses, shared rentals, and private properties, but excludes state or local government-owned housing and federally funded housing where such rules would violate federal law. The law takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Private property owners gain legal authority to restrict bedroom or bathroom sharing by biological sex at birth, altering fair housing compliance requirements for shared-living operators and tenants across the state.
- The Utah Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing practices based on protected classes such as sex, race, color, and familial status. context
- HB 404 was introduced during the 2026 General Session of the Utah Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Private landlords and property owners
Private landlords and property managers gain the legal authorization to designate housing as single-sex and restrict occupancy based on biological sex at birth without violating fair housing laws.
Tenants in shared rentals and group-living accommodations
Tenants residing in dormitories, boarding houses, or shared rental properties become subject to single-sex occupancy restrictions established by property owners.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to designate single-sex housing under this bill?
Does this exemption apply to government-owned housing?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
38 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 2, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 32 earlier actions
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 13, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 12, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 10, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ amended
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 28, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0404
- Jan 28, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0404
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 28, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0404
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0404
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
New Statutory Exemption in Fair Housing Law
The legislation amends the Utah Fair Housing Act to carve out a specific exemption allowing private single-sex housing designations.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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