POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofLaw Enforcement and Criminal Justice →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HB 274UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah Revises Sentencing Guidelines and Expands Sentencing Commission Membership

Original title: Sentencing Amendments

Last action · March 24, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Mike Schultz and 2 others

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

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Does

Utah HB 274 modifies the membership of the Sentencing Commission, requires the commission to prioritize public protection when setting guidelines, and mandates the review and revision of adult sentencing guidelines for violent and sexual offenses by November 1, 2026. The legislation takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Why it matters

Changes the legal factors courts and the Sentencing Commission must weigh when determining criminal sentences, prioritizing societal protection and victim impact over defendant interests for violent felonies and sexual offenses.

Background
  • The Utah Sentencing Commission is an administrative body responsible for developing and maintaining sentencing and supervision guidelines for adult and juvenile offenders in the state. 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

Sentencing Commission

The commission's membership structure is expanded, and it is assigned new mandatory guideline review deadlines and statutory sentencing considerations.

Directly affected

sentencing courts

Judges must consider newly mandated factors and prioritize specific statutory objectives when sentencing individuals convicted of violent felonies or sexual offenses.

Directly affected

adult criminal offenders

Offenders face updated sentencing and supervision length guidelines, revised penalty structures for specific offenses, and potential liability for county correctional medical costs.

Key Facts

  • The Sentencing Commission is expanded to 17 voting members, incorporating additional representatives from law enforcement, defense, prosecution, and victim services.
  • The Sentencing Commission must give primary consideration to the protection of society and secondary consideration to risk reduction, deterrence, punishment, and victim impact when determining recommended sentences.
  • Before November 1, 2026, the Sentencing Commission must review and revise adult sentencing guidelines and scoring factors for assault, criminal homicide, kidnapping, sexual offenses, and other specified crimes.
  • Sentencing courts must prioritize societal protection, the seriousness of the offense, deterrence, and public safety over the interests of the defendant when sentencing individuals convicted of violent felonies or sexual offenses.
Show all 6 facts
  • Courts are authorized to order convicted individuals to pay the costs of medical care, treatment, and hospitalization provided by a county correctional facility during incarceration.
  • The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What changes are made to the Sentencing Commission under this bill?
The bill expands the Sentencing Commission to 17 voting members, adding specific representatives such as additional criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, sheriffs, and representatives from the Utah Victim Services Commission and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee.
What must sentencing courts prioritize when handling violent felonies or sexual offenses?
Courts must prioritize the protection of society, the seriousness of the offense, the promotion of respect for the law, just punishment, and the deterrence of criminal conduct over any interest of the defendant.
By what date must the Sentencing Commission review and revise guidelines for certain major offenses?
The commission must review and revise adult sentencing and supervision length guidelines for specific felony, assault, homicide, and sexual offenses before November 1, 2026.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

63 actions
  1. Mar 24, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 10, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 10, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Feb 26, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 57 earlier actions
  1. Feb 26, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Feb 25, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Feb 25, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  7. Feb 24, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  8. Feb 24, 2026House
    House/ concurs with Senate amendment
  9. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
  10. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  11. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House with amendments
  12. Feb 23, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 3rd reading
  13. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed back on 3rd Reading Calendar
  14. Feb 23, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0274S03
  15. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 3rd Reading Calendar table
  16. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 3rd reading
  17. Feb 19, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd reading
  18. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  19. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  20. Feb 19, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0274S03
  21. Feb 18, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  22. Feb 18, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd reading
  23. Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0274S03
  24. Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0274S03
  25. Feb 17, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0274S02
  26. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  27. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted
  28. Feb 13, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0274S02
  29. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  30. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  31. Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0274S02
  32. Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0274S02
  33. Feb 10, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  34. Feb 9, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  35. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  36. Feb 6, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  37. Feb 6, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  38. Feb 6, 2026House
    House/ floor amendment
  39. Feb 6, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  40. Jan 29, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0274S01
  41. Jan 29, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  42. Jan 29, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ substituted
  43. Jan 29, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0274S01
  44. Jan 28, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  45. Jan 28, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  46. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0274S01
  47. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0274S01
  48. Jan 27, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  49. Jan 22, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  50. Jan 21, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0274
  51. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  52. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  53. Jan 17, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0274
  54. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0274
  55. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0274
  56. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  57. Jan 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

Mike SchultzHouse · District 12RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Mike McKellSenate · District 25RepublicanCosponsor
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 shift95% confidence

Prioritization of Societal Protection

The bill explicitly mandates that both the Sentencing Commission and sentencing courts must prioritize societal protection and victim impact over the interests of defendants in violent and sexual offense cases.

Sentencing Commission

Connected Entities

Utah Chiefs of Police Association, Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Statewide Association of Public Attorneys and Prosecutors and 10 more
OrganizationUtah Chiefs of Police Association“Association that appoints a representative to the Sentencing Commission”Map →
OrganizationDivision of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services“State division whose director serves on the Sentencing Commission”Map →
OrganizationStatewide Association of Public Attorneys and Prosecutors“Association that appoints criminal prosecutors to the Sentencing Commission”Map →
OrganizationJudicial Council“Council that appoints district and juvenile court judges as non-voting members”Map →
OrganizationIndigent Defense Commission“Commission that appoints an indigent defense attorney to the Sentencing Commissi”Map →
OrganizationUtah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers“Association that appoints defense attorney members to the Sentencing Commission”Map →
PersonMichael K. McKell“Senate Sponsor”Map →
OrganizationUtah Victim Services Commission“State commission represented on the Sentencing Commission”Map →
OrganizationUtah Sheriffs Association“Association that appoints representatives to the Sentencing Commission”Map →
OrganizationSentencing Commission“State commission tasked with establishing adult sentencing and supervision lengt”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Pardons and Parole“State board involved in offender release and supervision”Map →
PersonMike Schultz“Chief Sponsor in the House”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Corrections“State department whose executive director serves on the Sentencing Commission”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record