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HB 226UTAHSession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Utah Bill Authorizes County Sheriffs to Implement Work Programs in Lieu of Jail

Original title: Alternative Incarceration Program Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Doug Owens

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Utah HB 226 allows county sheriffs to establish sheriff's work programs enabling non-violent prisoners sentenced to 30 days or less to perform supervised public works projects instead of serving jail time, effective May 6, 2026.

Why it matters

Changes how short-term misdemeanor and probation sentences can be served by allowing qualified county jail inmates to substitute supervised public works for confinement, while earning one day of jail credit for every eight hours worked.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

county sheriffs

County sheriffs gain discretionary authority to implement sheriff's work programs and alternative incarceration programs, and must establish corresponding operational policies.

Directly affected

county jail prisoners

Qualifying non-violent prisoners serving short jail sentences are given the option to perform supervised public works in lieu of confinement and earn sentence credits.

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 eligible to participate in a sheriff's work program under this bill?

A prisoner may be placed in a sheriff's work program if they were convicted of a non-violent offense, sentenced to a jail term of no more than 30 days, voluntarily agree to participate, are not prohibited by a court order, and are not serving a sentence for a second or subsequent conviction under Subsection 41-6a-501(2).

How is credit earned while participating in a sheriff's work program?

A prisoner receives credit for one day of incarceration for every eight hours of participation in a sheriff's work program.

When can a sheriff place a prisoner in an alternative incarceration program?

A prisoner may be placed in an alternative incarceration program at the sheriff's discretion if the county jail is at maximum operating capacity or if ordered by the court.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

15 actions

Mar 6, 2026House
House/ filed
Mar 6, 2026House
House/ strike enacting clause
Mar 5, 2026House
House/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
Mar 3, 2026House
House Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules
Jan 23, 2026House
House Comm - Not Considered
Jan 22, 2026HouseCommittee
House/ to standing committee

Show 9 earlier actions

Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Jan 20, 2026House
House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
Jan 20, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0226
Jan 17, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0226
Jan 14, 2026House
House/ received bill from Legislative Research
Jan 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0226
Jan 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0226
Jan 12, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
Jan 12, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill 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.

Connected Entities

Utah State Prison, Doug Owens, Department of Corrections

locationUtah State Prison“Prison facility excluded from local jail good behavior credit rules”Map →

PersonDoug Owens“Chief Sponsor of HB 226 in the Utah House of Representatives”Map →

OrganizationDepartment of Corrections“State agency whose housing assignment requirements county jails must follow”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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