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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Overhauls School Offense Reporting, Mandatory Court Referrals for Third-Time Drug Offenses, and Juvenile Justice Data Collection
Last action · March 17, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Nicholeen Peck and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah enacts HB 188, which takes effect on May 6, 2026, requiring schools to directly refer minors to court for third-time drug possession offenses on school property, setting strict criteria for school-to-law-enforcement referrals, and establishing civil and criminal immunity for school employees reporting offenses or conducting administrative searches.
Changes how local education agencies and courts handle student misconduct by altering diversion eligibility, mandating specific administrative steps before law enforcement is notified for minor infractions, and expanding reporting metrics for juvenile recidivism.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Minor students
Minor students are subject to new thresholds for mandatory court referrals on drug offenses, alternative intervention requirements for minor infractions, and standardized administrative search protocols on school property.
School employees and administrators
School employees receive mandatory reporting duties to principals, confidentiality protections for their identities, and civil or criminal immunity for good-faith reporting and administrative investigations.
Local education agencies
Local education agencies must provide annual employee email addresses to the state board, adopt standardized student search policies, and track alternative intervention outcomes.
Juvenile courts and probation officers
Juvenile probation officers must follow updated eligibility criteria and restrictions regarding nonjudicial adjustments for referrals involving weapons, drugs, and violent offenses.
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
When can a school refer a student to law enforcement for a minor infraction?
Are school employees protected from lawsuits if they report a student offense?
What happens if a student commits a drug possession offense at school?
Can school employees' email addresses be shared with outside parties?
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
55 actions- Mar 17, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 49 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Mar 2, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 2, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 28, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0188S03
- Feb 28, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0188S03
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 23, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0188S03
- Feb 18, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0188S03
- Feb 18, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 18, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 18, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0188S02
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 17, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0188S03
- Feb 17, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0188S03
- Feb 17, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0188S02
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 13, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0188S02
- Feb 13, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0188S02
- Feb 11, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0188S01
- Feb 9, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0188S01
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Held
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0188S01
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0188S01
- Feb 3, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 27, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0188
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 19, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0188
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0188
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0188
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 8, 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.
Codification of Alternative Interventions Over Law Enforcement
The legislation formalizes a mandatory procedural requirement for schools to exhaust evidence-based alternative interventions before allowing law enforcement referrals for minor school-based offenses.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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