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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah makes permanent the budgeting mechanism for Medicaid applied behavior analysis reimbursement rates
Last action · March 18, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Todd Weiler and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah enacts SB 160, making permanent the budgetary mechanism that allows Medicaid reimbursement rates for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services to increase alongside accountable care organization and behavioral health plan funding, effective May 6, 2026.
Locks in a continuous funding adjustment framework for specialized behavioral health and autism-related services, tying provider payment increases directly to state revenue growth factors.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Medicaid accountable care organizations
Their per-member-per-month funding calculations and base budget appropriations are permanently tied to state General Fund growth formulas.
Applied behavior analysis service providers
Their reimbursement rates are permanently included in the state's structured budgeting and equalization mechanism for annual increases.
Medicaid-eligible individuals
Their access to behavioral health and ABA services is influenced by the permanent statutory mechanisms governing provider reimbursement stability.
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 does SB 160 change about Medicaid reimbursement rates?
When does this legislation take effect?
How are the funding increases calculated when state revenue growth is high?
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
40 actions- Mar 18, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 3, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 27, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 34 earlier actions
- Feb 27, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Feb 25, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 18, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 17, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 10, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 10, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 6, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 6, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Jan 26, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Jan 26, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Jan 23, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 23, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 23, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0160
- Jan 22, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0160
- Jan 21, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0160
- Jan 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0160
- Jan 19, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 19, 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.
Permanent Budgetary Integration for ABA Rates
The legislation transitions temporary budgeting practices for applied behavior analysis reimbursement rates into a permanent statutory framework tied to General Fund revenue growth.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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