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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Legislature Expands Prescriptive and Procedural Scope of Practice for Healthcare Practitioners
Last action · March 17, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Evan Vickers and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Physical therapists and occupational therapists are allowed to prescribe , certified registered nurse anesthetists gain limited prescriptive authority around procedures, and advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants are authorized to perform minor surgical procedures.
Licensed healthcare practitioners across multiple medical disciplines gain expanded ordering and procedural authorities starting May 6, 2026, which alters patient care delivery and clinical workflows across Utah clinics.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Physical therapists
Physical therapists gain explicit authority to prescribe durable medical equipment and expand their medical imaging ordering capabilities.
Certified registered nurse anesthetists
Certified registered nurse anesthetists receive defined prescriptive authority for up to a five-day supply of drugs immediately before and after procedures.
Physician assistants
Physician assistants have their post-graduate clinical practice experience hours modified and receive temporary authorization to perform minor surgical procedures until July 1, 2028.
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapists gain authority to prescribe durable medical equipment and adaptive devices, and establish requirements for trigger point dry needling certification.
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 new prescribing powers do physical therapists receive under this bill?
Can certified registered nurse anesthetists prescribe medications?
What happens to the authority of APRNs and PAs to perform minor surgeries?
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
75 actions- Mar 17, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 12, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 69 earlier actions
- Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ amended
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Feb 26, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 26, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 25, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 25, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0031S04
- Feb 25, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0031S04
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0031S04
- Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0031S04
- Feb 25, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0031S03
- Feb 24, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0031S03
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0031S03
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0031S03
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 20, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0031S02
- Feb 19, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0031S02
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0031S02
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0031S02
- Feb 9, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0031S01
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 6, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 6, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 6, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0031S01
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0031S01
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0031S01
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 13, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0031
- Jan 7, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Dec 29, 2025Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0031
- Dec 18, 2025Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0031
- Dec 18, 2025Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0031
- Dec 18, 2025Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Dec 18, 2025Legislative 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.
Broad Professional Scope of Practice Updates
The bill enacts coordinated updates across dozens of sections in Title 58 to expand or clarify the clinical, prescriptive, and supervisory authorities of multiple non-physician healthcare provider classes simultaneously.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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