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HJR 26UTAHSession 2026State Billpassed both
Passed

Utah Legislature Enacts Rule 707 Governing Admissibility of Machine-Generated Evidence in Court

Original title: Joint Resolution Amending Rules of Evidence to Address Machine-Generated Evidence

Last action · March 17, 2026: House/ to Lieutenant GovernorSponsors: Melissa Ballard and 1 other

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What This Bill Would Do

Utah enacts Rule 707 of the Rules of Evidence to set admissibility standards for that autonomously processes data to produce inferences or predictions. The rule establishes specific evidentiary requirements when such evidence is offered without an expert witness, while exempting s.

Why it matters

Court litigants seeking to introduce autonomous software or algorithmic output without expert testimony must satisfy reliability, sufficiency, and relevance criteria previously reserved for human expert opinions.

Background
  • Under Utah Constitution Article VIII, Section 4, the Utah Legislature holds the authority to amend rules of procedure and evidence adopted by the Utah Supreme Court upon a two-thirds vote of all members of both houses. context

Who It Would Affect

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

Directly affected

Utah courts

Judges must evaluate machine-generated evidence under new admissibility criteria established by Rule 707.

Directly affected

Litigants and attorneys in Utah

Parties offering machine-generated evidence without an expert witness must satisfy specific reliability and methodological standards.

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 Rule 707 apply to?
It applies to that is entered directly or accompanied by lay testimony, when offered without an expert witness.
Are all digital or electronic devices covered by this rule?
No. The rule explicitly exempts the output of a ',' defined as a device that directly measures and reports information without generating an independent inference, prediction, classification, or conclusion.
What criteria must machine-generated evidence meet to be admissible without an expert?
The court may admit it only if it helps the understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue, is based on sufficient facts or data, is the product of reliable principles and methods, and reflects a reliable application of those principles and methods.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

38 actions
  1. Mar 17, 2026House
    House/ to Lieutenant Governor
  2. Mar 17, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  3. Mar 17, 2026House
    House/ to Lieutenant Governor
  4. Mar 17, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  5. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  6. Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
Show 32 earlier actions
  1. Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
  2. Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  3. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  4. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  5. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  6. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  7. Mar 6, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  8. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  9. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
  10. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
  11. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  12. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ committee report favorable
  13. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  14. Feb 27, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  15. Feb 27, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  16. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  17. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  18. Feb 26, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  19. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  20. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  21. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ committee report favorable
  22. Feb 23, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  23. Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  24. Feb 12, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  25. Feb 12, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HJR026
  26. Feb 12, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HJR026
  27. Feb 11, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  28. Feb 11, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  29. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HJR026
  30. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HJR026
  31. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  32. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Version history

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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

Melissa BallardHouse · District 20RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Brady BrammerSenate · District 21RepublicanCosponsor

Connected Entities

Melissa G. Ballard, Utah, Brady Brammer
PersonMelissa G. Ballard“Chief Sponsor in the House”Map →
locationUtah“Jurisdiction passing the resolution”Map →
PersonBrady Brammer“Senate Sponsor”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy35
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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