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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Overhauls Process for Filling Vacancies in Municipal Offices and Resolving Council Ties
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Andrew Stoddard and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah establishes standardized procedures for municipal bodies to fill vacant executive or legislative seats within 30 days, requiring public notice, candidate interviews, roll-call voting disclosure, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and specific tie-breaking methods.
Changes how municipal councils and mayors across Utah select replacement officials when a resignation or vacancy occurs, establishing mandatory timelines, transparency rules, and state-level intervention if local bodies fail to act.
- Under Utah law, vacancies in municipal offices are governed by statutory procedures requiring local legislative bodies to appoint replacements within established timeframes. 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.
Municipal legislative bodies
Municipal councils and commissions must follow strict 30-day timelines, public notice mandates, open-meeting interview requirements, and specific voting and tie-breaking procedures when filling vacant seats.
Municipal clerks and recorders
Clerks and recorders must handle public notices, conduct coin tosses or tie-breaking lots, post conflict-of-interest statements online, and notify the lieutenant governor if local bodies fail to meet statutory deadlines.
Individuals seeking appointment to municipal vacancies
Candidates must participate in open-meeting interviews and complete mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosure statements by specific deadlines to be eligible for appointment.
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
How quickly must a municipal vacancy be filled under this law?
Can the person who resigned from office be re-appointed to fill their own vacancy?
What happens if a municipal council deadlocks in a tie vote when trying to appoint a replacement?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
44 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 38 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 23, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 16, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0420S01
- Feb 16, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0420S01
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0420S01
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0420S01
- Feb 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 30, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0420
- Jan 30, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0420
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0420
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0420
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 28, 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.
State-Level Escalation for Local Vacancies
The legislation establishes a clear enforcement hierarchy where municipal failure to act triggers intervention first by the lieutenant governor and subsequently by the governor.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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