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SB 70UTAHSession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Utah Requires Local Emergency Plans to Include Pet-Friendly Shelters and Grants Governmental Immunity

Original title: Natural Disaster Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: Senate/ filedSponsor: Jen Plumb

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

This bill requires every county, city, and town in Utah to include at least one emergency shelter that accommodates household pets in its , starting May 6, 2026. It also explicitly grants to local entities regarding their emergency operations plans.

Background

Emergency operations plans are formal blueprints maintained by local governments to manage disaster response, evacuations, and public safety incidents. context
Governmental immunity laws protect public entities and their employees from certain types of lawsuits when performing official duties. context

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

Counties, cities, and towns

Local governments must update their emergency operations plans to designate at least one pet-accommodating shelter and receive immunity from suit regarding the plan.

Directly affected

Residents with household pets

Residents gain access to designated emergency shelters that accommodate both individuals and their household pets during emergencies.

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

Does my city or town have to build a brand new shelter for pets?

No, local governments are not required to build a facility to comply with the requirement to designate a shelter.

Can a small town partner with a neighboring county to provide a pet shelter?

Yes, a county, city, or town may collaborate with another nearby county, city, or town to designate a shelter located outside of its own boundaries.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

19 actions

Mar 6, 2026Senate
Senate/ filed
Mar 6, 2026Senate
Senate/ strike enacting clause
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Senate/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Senate Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules
Jan 27, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0070S01
Jan 27, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0070S01

Show 13 earlier actions

Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0070S01
Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0070S01
Jan 22, 2026Senate
Senate Comm - Held
Jan 20, 2026SenateCommittee
Senate/ to standing committee
Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Jan 13, 2026Senate
Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
Jan 13, 2026Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0070
Jan 12, 2026Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0070
Jan 7, 2026Senate
Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research
Jan 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0070
Jan 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0070
Jan 2, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
Jan 2, 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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Mandatory Inclusion of Pets in Disaster Planning

Shifts local emergency planning obligations from optional consideration to a mandatory requirement for accommodating household pets.

Utah

Connected Entities

Department of Environmental Quality, Jen Plumb, Utah

OrganizationDepartment of Environmental Quality“Mentioned in relation to voluntary cleanup and contaminated land immunity provis”Map →

PersonJen Plumb“Chief Sponsor of SB 70”Map →

locationUtah“State where the legislation is enacted”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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