The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Bill HB 262 Sets 67% Vote Threshold for Judicial Retention Elections
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Jason Kyle
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill addresses judicial retention elections.
Changes the standard for whether sitting state judges and justices keep their seats by establishing a specific two-thirds approval floor rather than a simple majority.
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.
Supreme Court justices
Must achieve at least 67% of votes cast to be retained in office during retention elections.
Utah voters
Justice court judges
Subject to the new 67% retention vote requirement and specific filing fee and ballot placement rules.
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
What percentage of votes does a judge need to win retention under this bill?
When does a judge's term end if they fail to meet the retention threshold?
When must candidates file their declaration of candidacy for retention?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.
Procedural history
11 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 17, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0262
Show 5 earlier actions
- Jan 17, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0262
- Jan 14, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0262
- Jan 14, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0262
- Jan 14, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 14, 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
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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