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HB 38UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah Legislature Modifies Local Government Statutes for County Operations and Special Districts

Original title: Local Government Amendments

Last action · March 18, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Jim Dunnigan and 1 other

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

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

County financial officers, assessors, and recorders are now subject to updated statutory requirements regarding financial claims processing, credentialing timelines, fee structures, and administrative procedures across Utah. The legislation defines a "," repeals officer bonding mandates, alters county auditor accounting duties upon council delegation, and establishes new petition processes for county boundary changes and seat relocations. Additionally, county treasurers are authorized to collect special district assessments, and local governments gain standardized rules for personnel merit systems and s.

Why it matters

Local governments, county officials, special districts, and property owners face updated administrative duties and recording fee structures starting May 6, 2026, or immediately upon receiving the necessary legislative and gubernatorial approval.

Background
  • HB 38 addresses administrative, structural, and financial provisions across Utah Code titles relating to counties, special districts, and local governance during the 2026 General Session. context

Who It Affects

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

Directly affected

County Officers

County auditors, assessors, recorders, treasurers, and clerks experience modifications to their statutory duties, certification requirements, fee-collection authorities, and administrative procedures.

Directly affected

Special Districts

Special districts and infrastructure financing districts operate under recodified statutory chapters and gain authorization to contract with county treasurers for assessment billing and collection.

Indirectly affected

County Residents and Property Owners

Residents and property owners are subject to updated local boundary adjustment procedures, recording fee structures, and petition processes for county governance changes.

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 is a "finance officer" under this legislation?
A is defined as either the county auditor or the person selected by the county council to provide accounting services to the county, or in certain county executive-council forms of government, the county executive for tentative budget preparation.
How does the bill affect county assessor qualifications?
An individual elected or appointed to the office of county assessor must be a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser, with specific timing requirements and exceptions varying by the class of the county.
When does this bill take effect?
The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, unless it receives a two-thirds vote of all members elected to each house, in which case it takes effect upon approval by the governor, without signature after the constitutional deadline, or upon a veto override.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

55 actions
  1. Mar 18, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 16, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 16, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Feb 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 49 earlier actions
  1. Feb 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Feb 20, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 3rd reading
  7. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 3rd reading
  8. Feb 19, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd reading
  9. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  10. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  11. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd reading
  12. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  13. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    Senate/ committee report favorable
  14. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  15. Feb 12, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  16. Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  17. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  18. Feb 9, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  19. Feb 9, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  20. Feb 9, 2026House
    House/ substituted
  21. Feb 6, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0038S03
  22. Feb 6, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0038S03
  23. Feb 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0038S03
  24. Feb 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0038S03
  25. Feb 2, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0038S02
  26. Feb 2, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0038S02
  27. Jan 30, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0038S01
  28. Jan 30, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0038S01
  29. Jan 30, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  30. Jan 29, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  31. Jan 29, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  32. Jan 29, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0038S02
  33. Jan 29, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0038S02
  34. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0038S01
  35. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0038S01
  36. Jan 21, 2026House
    House/ lifted from calendar sent to standing comm
  37. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ circled
  38. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  39. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  40. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
  41. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  42. Jan 14, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  43. Jan 14, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  44. Jan 5, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0038
  45. Jan 5, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0038
  46. Dec 16, 2025Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0038
  47. Dec 16, 2025Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0038
  48. Dec 16, 2025Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  49. Dec 16, 2025Legislative 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

Jim DunniganHouse · District 36RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Mike McKellSenate · District 25RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift99% confidence

Recodification of Special District Statutes

The bill recodifies Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 13 regarding Infrastructure Financing Districts into Title 17D, Chapter 5, consolidating governance frameworks.

Connected Entities

Michael K. McKell, James A. Dunnigan
PersonMichael K. McKell“Senate Sponsor of HB 38”Map →
PersonJames A. Dunnigan“Chief Sponsor of HB 38”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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