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HB 576UTAHSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Utah Bill HB 576 Establishes Strict Child Welfare Timelines and Reporting Requirements

Original title: Child Welfare Timeline Compliance Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Candice Pierucci

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

This bill requires the juvenile court and Administrative Office of the Courts to adhere to strict statutory timelines in child welfare cases, limits extensions of , and mandates annual compliance and appeal reports to legislative panels.

Why it matters

Changes how juvenile courts handle child welfare proceedings by restricting extensions of family to specific timeframes and requiring annual compliance reports, directly impacting families involved in the child welfare system and judicial operations.

Background
  • The Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel monitors the execution of laws governing the child welfare system by executive and judicial branches in Utah. 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

Parents and Minors in Child Welfare Cases

Subject to strict statutory deadlines regarding reunification services, permanency hearings, and potential termination of parental rights.

Directly affected

Administrative Office of the Courts

Required to track and report annually on child welfare timeline compliance and appellate case processing.

Directly affected

Division of Child and Family Services

Involved in child welfare proceedings governed by shortened statutory review periods and mandatory reporting.

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 parties in a child welfare case agree to extend statutory timelines?
No, parties generally may not stipulate to waive or extend statutory timelines, except for an emergency extension of up to four calendar days.
What reporting requirements are created for the courts?
The Administrative Office of the Courts must provide annual reports by October 1 to legislative committees regarding compliance with child welfare statutory timelines and statistics on child welfare appeals.
What is the maximum duration for extending reunification services?
may be extended for an initial 90 days upon a finding by a preponderance of the evidence, and potentially an additional 60-day final extension upon clear and convincing evidence.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

15 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ filed
  2. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ strike enacting clause
  3. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
  4. Mar 3, 2026House
    House Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules
  5. Mar 2, 2026House
    House Comm - Not Considered
  6. Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
Show 9 earlier actions
  1. Feb 18, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  2. Feb 18, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0576
  3. Feb 18, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0576
  4. Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  5. Feb 17, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  6. Feb 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0576
  7. Feb 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0576
  8. Feb 16, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  9. Feb 16, 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.

Sponsors

Candice PierucciHouse · District 49RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Elimination of Open-Ended Timeline Extensions

The bill shifts Utah child welfare law from flexible scheduling practices to rigid caps on extensions and mandatory annual judicial accountability reporting.

Administrative Office of the CourtsChild Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel

Connected Entities

Office of Guardian Ad Litem, Judiciary Interim Committee, Candice B. Pierucci and 3 more
OrganizationOffice of Guardian Ad Litem“State office representing children in court proceedings”Map →
OrganizationJudiciary Interim Committee“Legislative committee receiving annual reports”Map →
PersonCandice B. Pierucci“Chief Sponsor of HB 576”Map →
OrganizationDivision of Child and Family Services“Utah state division responsible for child welfare and family services”Map →
OrganizationAdministrative Office of the Courts“Entity required to provide annual compliance and appeal reports”Map →
OrganizationChild Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel“Legislative panel receiving annual child welfare reports”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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