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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah restricts police use of surveillance technology starting July 2027 and creates a private right of action for unauthorized use
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Ryan Wilcox
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What This Bill Proposed
Starting July 1, 2027, Utah law enforcement agencies are prohibited from using surveillance or investigatory technology unless specifically authorized by state statute or deployed during a declared emergency for a single 30-day period. The bill excludes information obtained in violation of these rules under Fourth Amendment standards, creates a private right of action allowing individuals to sue agencies for knowing or reckless violations with a minimum of $2,000 in damages, and institutes annual reporting requirements starting in 2028.
Residents gain the legal right to sue law enforcement agencies for damages of at least $2,000 plus attorney fees if police knowingly or recklessly deploy unauthorized surveillance tools against them.
- Law Enforcement agencies in Utah operate under statutory guidelines that regulate evidence gathering, governmental immunity, and administrative reporting. 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.
Law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement agencies face new statutory prohibitions on surveillance technologies, mandatory annual reporting duties, and the waiver of governmental immunity for knowing or reckless violations.
Residents of Utah
Residents gain a private right of action to sue law enforcement agencies for damages and attorney fees if injured by unauthorized surveillance technologies.
State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice
The commission must collect annual technology use reports from every law enforcement agency and compile them into a report for legislative interim committees.
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
Can police use unauthorized surveillance technology during an emergency?
What compensation can an individual receive if their rights are violated?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.
Procedural history
10 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 3, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0606
- Mar 3, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0606
- Feb 27, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
Show 4 earlier actions
- Feb 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0606
- Feb 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0606
- Feb 27, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 27, 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.
Shift to Statutory Authorization for Police Tech
The state moves from allowing baseline police discretion over investigatory technologies to requiring explicit legislative approval by July 2027.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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